A short-handed Riverside Post 10 club put up a very respectable defense of its Rhode Island American Legion Baseball League Junior Division title, but the reigning champs fell short of winning a second consecutive crown after falling to South Kingstown Post 39 in the state finals.

Riverside, which entered the championship round as the top seed following a 12-3 regular season record, dropped a pair of contests to SK in recent days at McCarthy Field in West Warwick, including a 7-2 setback Monday night, Aug. 5.

The 2024 champs, who also handed the locals one of only three losses during the regular season, beat Post 10 by a 9-4 count on August 3. SK began its run to the title with a 4-2 win over third seeded West Warwick Post 2 on August 2.

For Post 10, its season came to a close with a 15-5 overall record, including a 10-1 win over West Warwick in a survival contest Sunday, Aug. 4. Riverside also swept Scituate Post 19 in its best-of-three opening round playoff series.

The locals' effort was hindered due to American Legion Baseball's "loyalty" rule, which precludes most athletes who participate in conflicting competitions to play in the postseason. Because of that, Riverside was without two of its top performers JJ Renaud and Aidan Martins in states.

"As a team, we set a goal to be the number one seed for the third year in a row, we achieved that," said Riverside manager Ben Emond. "Unfortunately, we came up short in the state championship. Our coaching staff will be looking forward to seeing the athletes continue to grow and improve throughout the fall and spring."

Rhode Island champion Post 39 moves onto the 2024 Northeast Region 1 Tournament, which takes place at Mansfield Stadium in Bangor, Maine, Friday, Aug. 9-Sunday, Aug. 11. SK's Cole Kilduff, the winning pitcher in the decider, was named the state tournament most valuable player.

"(Post 39) was very evenly matched with ours, and provided a competitive game each time we shared the field with them," Emond said of South Kingstown. "They feature a prototypical 'South County' offense, a death by a thousand cuts approach to hitting. They foul off lots of pitches to extend at-bats and barreled up fastballs for base hits. They are well coached, talented and I wish them the best in regionals."

Championship game

As they did two nights earlier in their first meeting, the locals started well enough. Riverside scored a run in the top of the first Monday night to jump in front.

Ben Hallene led off with a single. Max Pawlik dropped a sacrifice bunt. Nolan Lorenz grounded out, moving the runners up. Hallene scored on a wild pitch with Will Francis at bat.

In the bottom of the frame, Post 39 got that run back and added another to take the lead off of Francis, the Post 10 starter. SK scored on an error, a walk, a ground out, a wild pitch, another base on balls and another wild pitch.

South Kingstown tacked on a third run in the home half of the second on a one-out double, a wild pitch, a hit batsman and a ground out.

In the top of third, Riverside scored a run to cut its deficit to just one. Hallene reached on an infield single with one out, stole second and went to third on an errant throw. He later scored on a wild pitch with Lorenz at the plate.

Post 39 again was able to match the run in the bottom of the frame off Riverside reliever Jamison Sydney, who entered the game in the second. SK loaded the bases, but only managed one tally. Kilduff reached on an error to get the rally started with one out. A hit batsman and a single filled the bases. A second single plated the run, but the throw of right fielder Chris Charbonneau forced a runner at second. Sydney then enticed a ground out to Hallene at first for the third out.

Post 39 made it 5-2 through five after bringing another run around with three singles. SK then padded its edge with a pair of insurance tallies in the sixth.

Kilduff pitched into the sixth, but was pulled after getting one out, then hitting Lorenz on his 88th pitch. Gavin Apice entered in relief, throwing one pitch and enticing a 6-4-3 double play to end any potential Post 10 threat.

The locals couldn't muster a response in their last at bat in the top of the seventh. Charbonneau did reach on an error with one out, but Apice recorded the final two outs to end the game and Riverside's 2024 summer run.

"The team played as well as we could considering we were missing roughly half of the roster," Emond added. "I'm very grateful to the coaching staff including Kevin Lethbridge, Robert Wordell, and Ryan Havunen, who helped these players all year."

Opening loss

Things started well enough for the locals in their state tourney opener against Post 39, which beat Riverside twice during the regular season. Francis doubled with two out in the bottom of the first, plating Lorenz, who reached in front of him on a single then stole second, with the initial run of the game.

South Kingstown leveled with a run in the top of the second, then two more in the third and another in the fifth off Post 10 starter Hallene to lead 4-1.

Riverside rallied for two in the home half. Braylen DeCosta started off with a single, but was caught stealing. Lorenz doubled. Francis was intentionally walked. Both later scored on a Sydney single.

Things fell apart for the locals in the top of the sixth as Post 39 scored five times to break open the contest. SK loaded the bases off a tiring Hallene, who then recorded a strikeout, but a two-run double followed to make it 7-3. A single up the middle next plated two more to put Post 39 up four. Hallene looked to end the rally without any further damage, but he put another runner on in front of Kilduff, who doubled home the runner to make it 9-3.

In the bottom of the inning, Post 39 threatened, but did not score. Hallene led off with a single then stole second. DeCosta later walked. Both, though, were stranded as SK starter Finley Hohl ended the threat with a flyout to center.

In their last at bat in the home half of the seventh, Charbonneau singled to left with one down. Sydney was hit by a pitch. Both moved up on a Brandon Dicecco groundout. Charbonneau later scored, but Riverside would get no more. Hohl finished his complete-game effort on the mound for SK with 103 pitches.

West Warwick win

In between the Post 39 setbacks, Riverside rolled passed Post 2 last Saturday. DeCosta, making his first start of the summer for the locals, twirled a gem. He went the seven-inning distance, striking out seven, allowing four hits and one earned run.

"I was saving Braylen for state championship games if I could. Unfortunately it wasn’t an option," Emond said, referring to his intention to have DeCosta pitch against SK later in the tournament.

Post 10 opened the scoring with three runs in the bottom of the first. Hallene got the rally started with a single. Charbonneau later had the key knock, a two-run run base hit.

The locals tacked on two more in the third after Lorenz doubled to plate a tally and Francis had a RBI-single. Riverside broke the game open with three in the bottom of the fifth. With two out, Pawlik singled. Lorenz had a base hit. Francis then brought both around with a double. He eventually scored on a wild pitch.

Francis finished the game with two hits and three runs driven in. Pawlik had three hits. Lorenz and DeCosta also had a pair of hits.