American Legion Baseball: Game-ending double play sinks Post 125′s rally

MANLIUS – Princeton Post 125 rallied from 4-0 deficit, scoring two runs in its final at-bats only to have the potential tying run thrown out at the plate, and fell 5-4 to Sterling GW 17U Wednesday night at Bureau Valley High School.

Trailing 5-2 heading into the bottom of the seventh, Post 125 went to work, loading the bases with walks by Cayden Benavidez and Noah Suttles and a single by Brendan Boudreau.

Luke Smith drew a bases-loaded walk to score Benavidez and make it 5-3. Princeton’s Jace Stuckey then singled to left, plating Suttles to make it a one-run game.

Nolan Kloepping flew out to the left fielder, who in turn threw Boudreau out at the plate with the potential game-tying run for a game-ending double play.

“We went against baseball rules 101, never make the third out at home,” Post 125 manager Dave Camp said. “Kloepping hit a short fly ball to left and our coach had Boudreau tag up [from] third. Took the gamble of the kid making a good throw home and he did. Kudos to the left fielder.

“It was one of those games we should have won, but the baseball gods said, ‘Not today.’ ”

Stuckey (RBI) and Boudreau led Post 15 with two hits each. Suttles added a RBI double in the fifth inning.

Starter Nolan Van Duzer (3 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 3 K) took the loss.

Post 125 (6-4) returns to action at Limestone at 11 a.m. Saturday. Thursday’s game at Annawan was canceled.