In the 10th Annual Independence Day Classic hosted by Columbia (TN) Post 19, Post 34 defeated Hit after Hit and Dothan Post 12 in mercy rule games to claim it's first title in this tournament. Post 34 had 28 hits on the day and scored 24 runs to claim the championship. Post 34 shortstop, Chase Fields was named the tournament MVP. For the tournament, Fields was 11-18 for a .611 batting average.
Game 5: Post 34 - 14 Hit after Hit - 5
After falling behind in the first inning 4-1, Post 34 starter, Gregg Adcock held Hit after Hit to only one run and four hits the rest of the game. At one point, Adcock retired 7 hitters in a row. Post 34 turned in one of its best defensive performances of the season as every out was recorded by the defense. Adcock did not register a strikeout against one of the better hitting teams Post 34 has faced this season.
In the second inning, Post 34 sent 13 batters to the plate. When the inning was over Post 34 had recorded 9 hits and 8 runs. Three singles by Jared Pratt, Austin Alexander, and Chase Sullivan started off the inning to load the bases. Following a sacrifice fly by Austin Dickerson that scored Pratt, the next seven batters for Post 34 reached safely. Jacob Bush singled to score Alexander then Cameron Sanders was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Fields then cleared the bases with a double and was knocked in by a single from Garrett Stallings, who advanced to second on the throw to a plate. Stallings then scored on Brandon Tubbs single. Following singles by Pratt and Alexander, Tubbs scored to put Post 34 out in front 9-4.
Post 34 continued to score in the third, fourth, and fifth innings. In the third, Cameron Sanders walked and scored on a double by Stallings. Pratt led off the fourth with a single and then moved to second on a bunt by Alexander. After Austin Dickerson walked, Jacob Bush doubled scoring two runs. Sanders singled to drive in both runs. In the fifth inning, Pratt doubled for his fourth hit of the game, driving in Stallings who had led off the inning with a single.
Hit after Hit would get a run in the fifth but due to the tournament mercy rule of eight runs after 5, Post 34 advanced to the championship game with a 14-5 win.
Game 6: Post 34 - 10 Dothan Post 12 - 2
For the second consecutive year, Post 34 and Post 12 squared off in the championship game of the Independence Day Classic. This year there would be a different result. In 2010, Dothan defeated Post 34 on a hit in the last inning to plate the winning run. This year, Post 34 made sure there would be no late inning heroics by winning its fifth game of the tournament by the mercy rule, 10-2.
Mason Morris started for Post 34 and turned in his best performance of the summer. After allowing two runs in the first, Morris allowed only one Post 12 baserunner to reach second and gave up only one hit for the remainder of the game. In 6 innings, Morris allowed four hits and walk two while recording three strikeouts.
Down 2-0, the first four hitters in the second reached on hits. Brandon Tubbs led off the inning with a single followed by Pratt's fifth consecutive hit on the day. Alexander and Post 34 designated hitter, Chase Sullivan, singled to tie the score. Austin Dickerson bunted to score Alexander and gave Post 34 a 3-2 lead.
In the fourth inning, Alexander doubled and moved up to third on a wild pitch. Chase Sullivan walked but was picked off first. That didn't stop Post 34's scoring for the inning. Dickerson sacrificed again to score Alexander although this time it was a fly ball sacrifice to the Post 12 centerfield. With two outs, Bush singled and Sanders walked. Both Post 34 baserunners moved up on a wild pitch and scored on Chase Fields single to make the score 6-2.
Post 34 added a run in the fifth and three runs in the sixth. In the fifth, Tubbs walked and moved to second on a sac bunt by Jared Pratt. Tubbs later scored when he stole second and the throw went into left field. In the sixth, Austin Dickerson led off the inning with a double. Bush and Fields also had hits in the inning and all three players scored to put Post 34 up 10-2.
In the bottom of the inning, Morris retired all three Post 12 batters to give Post 34 the championship.
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