EAST PROVIDENCE — The ATC-sponsored Riverside Post 10 Junior Division club, on the cusp of finishing first in the Rhode Island American Legion Baseball League standings at the start of play last week, did in fact take the top spot and earn the overall No. 1 seed in the upcoming state playoffs.

The locals finished off their 2023 regular season slate with a split of games against Gershkoff/Cranston Post 20, losing 5-4 in extra innings at Cranston Stadium on Wednesday, July 19, and winning 15-0 the next night, July 20, at Pierce Field in city.

Playoff notes
Post 10 completed its schedule with a 12-2 record to claim first place. Post 20 was second at 11-4-1. South Kingstown Post 39 was third at 8-4 followed by R&R Construction Post 7 at 8-6, Warwick/West Warwick Post 2 at 5-10, Smithfield/North Providence Post 29 at 2-10-1 and Scituate Post 19 at 0-10.

All seven teams qualify for the playoffs. Teams 2-7 played best-of-three opening round series earlier in the week to earn spots into the double-elimination semifinal and final rounds this weekend at Silva Field in West Warwick. Post 20 played Post 19, Post 39 played Post 29 and Post 7 played Post 2 to earn berths into the semis.

If form holds, Post 10 would play fourth-seeded Post 7 in one half of the final four while seeds 2 and 3, respectively, Post 20 and Post 39 would play in the other. In what slots each would play is to be determined, but game times Thursday, July 27, at Silva Field are 4:30 and 7 p.m. The same holds for Friday, July 28, with the elimination game started the schedule and the winners meeting in the nightcap.

The losers bracket final is Saturday, July 29, at noon. The championship round starts Sunday, July 30, also at noon with an "if necessary" game following later that same day.

Post 20 game notes
In Cranston on July 19, the hosts used three singles and fielder's choice to plate a run in the bottom of the first to jump on top. In the fourth, Post 20 added three more runs on four singles, a walk and a wild pitch.

Post 10 got one back in the top of the sixth. Aiden Martins singled with one out, stole second and third then came home on an errant throw.

The locals knotted the score at 4-all in the top of the seventh. James Lynch walked. Jayden Healey singled. John Vaughan drove in a run with a ground out. Ben Humm walked. Ben Hellene drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. JJ Renaud walked. Martins then singled to bring around the tying run before Post 20 threw out the potential winner run at the plate.

Into extras, neither team scored in the eighth. In the bottom of the ninth, Cranston used a triple, two intentional walks and a single past the drawn in Riverside infield to earn the victory.

The next night at Pierce, Hellene needed just 60 pitches to shut out Post 20 over five innings as his offense ended the game early due to the 10-Run Rule.

The locals exploded for 13 runs in the bottom of the third inning to break open the contest.

Renaud walk to get the party started. Martins singled as did Nolan Lorenz to drive in the first tally. James Lynch followed with a two-run double. Chris Promades then reached on a base hit. Cole Kepner next made it 5-0 with two-run single.

Vaughan and Healey walked to load the bases. Humm and Renaud also drew free passes to plate runs. Martins' infield single brought a run around as did Lorenz when he was hit by a pitch. Lynch's fielder's choice brought home another and Promades plated a pair with a single. Vaughan added yet another RBI base hit. Healey walked to load the bases once more and Promades scored the last run of the outburst on a wild pitch.

The locals closed out the win with two more in the bottom of the fourth. Lorenz walked and later scored on Promades single. Kepner and Vaughan walked to load them up and Healey followed with another walk to force in the final run.

All the while Hellene was steady on the bump. He allowed just two hits, singles in the first and fourth, and struck out four, one in each inning except the second. He also had a pair of putouts on come-backers to the mound.