DOVER, N.H. — Lebanon Post 22 stayed alive in the New Hampshire American Legion junior state tournament hunt by riding stellar pitching from Freddy Mierke and Nick Brill to a 3-2 win over Dover Post 9 on Saturday at Dover High School.

The victory kept Post 22 (5-10) tied with Merrimack Post 98 for the fourth and final tourney spot out of District A. Both teams have two games left on their regular-season slates.

Mierke earned the win for Lebanon, throwing six innings and allowing just one earned run with four hits, two walks and six strikeouts. Brill came on in the seventh to shut down Dover (7-5) without allowing a run.

Brill and Mierke also played a role in the offense for Post 22, with Brill walking and stealing two bases before scoring on a Mierke RBI single. Bennett Hewett and Shea Curley added runs in the fourth for Lebanon, with Curley driving in Hewett and Brill delivering the RBI that plated Curley.

Both of Dover’s runs came on balks with runners at third base. Lebanon had just three hits on the day but made them count.

“Pitchers’ duel today,” Lebanon coach Chauncey Wood noted. “Both pitchers were dealing, and we just got the better end of it. Today’s game saw two balks, runners interference, batters interference and one of our players stepped on his own bunted ball for an out. These are all plays you go entire seasons without seeing.”

Lebanon hosts Keene Post 4 on Tuesday night.

WRJ 3, Lakes Region 2WRJ 9, Lakes Region 3

FAIR HAVEN, Vt. — Faced with a must-win scenario following a 3-1 loss at Bellows Falls on Friday night, Post 84 (9-7) went from nearly out of the Vermont state tournament to, with a sweep of Lakes Region, one win from making states.

WRJ used a two-run bottom of the sixth to overturn a 2-1 deficit and win. Alex Bushway walked and Jacob Dwinell was hit by a pitch with one out. Ethan Marshia drew a walk to fill the bases. Nick Martin singled to tie the game, and Jacob Barry’s RBI sacrifice fly put Post 84 ahead to stay. WRJ had just four hits but took advantage of five walks and three hit batsmen.

White River Junction also needed late runs to pull away in the nightcap, using a three-run fifth and four-run sixth to pull away from a 2-2 ballgame. Bushway and Carder Stratton both had two hits for Post 84. Stratton, Barry and Colin Vielleux all scored twice.

Post 84 closes its regular season with a home doubleheader with Rutland Post 31 on Sunday afternoon. WRJ must win one game to clinch a state tournament slot. The tournament begins at home sites on Tuesday.

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