Baseball: Post 180 Nears First with Latest Win

In a high-scoring faceoff of the first and second place teams in the American Legion District 17, Vienna Post 180 came out on top with a 14-10 win over Arlington Post 139 on Thursday at Oakton High School.

Post 180 jumped to a 10-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, scoring nine of the runs with two outs. Brandon Chandler knocked in the first run on a single to second base. Two batters later, Andy Gross hit a three-run triple to left center that started a run of three hits, two walks, one error and one hit batsman, tallying RBIs for Gavin Gibbons (1), Mason Hauser (1), Henry Brandmark (2) and Chandler (2).

Post 139 scattered three runs in the third and fourth innings, which Post 180 answered with three more runs of their own — all on two outs — in the bottom of the fourth. After two straight strikeouts, Gibbons started the rally with a walk. Hauser was hit by a pitch in the next at bat, then Brandmark walked to load the bases. Chris Hanson earned an RBI after being hit by a pitch, and Dennis Cooney followed with an RBI single up the middle. Chandler notched his fourth RBI after drawing a walk with bases loaded.

After holding Post 139 to three runs through five innings, Post 180's starting pitcher Daniel Bayer (1.42 ERA) saw five runners cross home plate in the sixth, three of them earning their runs. Bayer threw five strikeouts in six innings Thursday.

Post 180 tacked on its last run with Chandler's fifth RBI of the game in the bottom of the sixth. Post 139 scored its last two runs in the eighth to put the final score at 14-10.

The win puts Post 180's record at 6-3, while Post 139 stands at 7-3.

Post 180 will play three more games this week. They will face Fairfax Post 177 at 7 p.m. Saturday at Providence Park in Fairfax. On Sunday, they will host a double-header 3 p.m. at Oakton High School against Alexandria Post 129.