Point, Plover Legion will play for trip to State at Bukolt
Portage County Gazette
By John Kemmeter
The host Stevens Point Sixers and Plover Black Sox will be among the seven American Legion Baseball teams battling for a berth at state when they compete in the AAA Region 2 Regional Tournament at Bukolt Park in Stevens Point Friday through Monday, July 19-22.
The winner of the double-elimination tournament will advance to the AAA State Tournament at Chippewa Falls Friday through Tuesday, July 26-30.
The Sixers (17-8, 7-7) and Wisconsin Valley Legion League (WVLL) Champion Black Sox (27-11, 13-1) will meet in their Regional opener at 5 p.m. Friday, with the winner to play at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, July 20, and the loser to play in an elimination game at noon Saturday.
Plover won 6-0 over Stevens Point at Bukolt Park June 18, and then beat the Sixers 8-5 at home July 3.
In the other first-round matchups, D.C. Everest (3-11, 3-11) will take on Marshfield (11-19, 5-9) at noon Friday, and Wausau (7-19, 5-9) play against Merrill (2-12, 1-12) at 2:30 p.m., while Wisconsin Rapids (22-7, 12-2) will face the winner of the D.C. Everest and Marshfield game in the nightcap of the opening day at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
Last season, Plover overcame a 1-1 start in the Regional at Wisconsin Rapids, as it won 7-1 to eliminate Stevens Point, then followed with 13-2 win over defending Regional Champion Wausau, and beat Wisconsin Rapids 12-3 in the Regional Championship Game to advance to the State Tournament.
AAA Region 2 Regional Tournament at Bukolt Park
Friday, July 19
Game 1: D.C. Everest vs. Marshfield, noon
Game 2: Wausau vs. Merrill, 2:30 p.m.
Game 3: Stevens Point vs. Plover, 5 p.m.
Game 4: Winner Game 2 vs. Wisconsin Rapids, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 20
Game 5: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, noon
Game 6: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 3, 2:30 p.m.
Game 7: Loser Game 2 vs. Winner Game 5, 5 p.m.
Game 8: Loser Game 4 vs. Loser Game 6, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, July 21
Game 9: Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 6, 2 p.m.
Game 10: Winner Game 7 vs. Loser Game 9, 4:30 p.m.
*Game 11: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 9, 7 p.m.
Monday, July 22
**Game 12: Winner Game 10 vs. Winner Game 11, 4:30 p.m.
Game 13: Winner Game 12 vs. Loser Game 12 (if necessary), 7 p.m.
*Note: Thirteen games will be needed if Winner Game 9 loses Game 11, or Winner Game 10 wins Game 12.
**Note: If three teams remain after Game 11, the last team to lose receives a bye to Game 13.