MILFORD — Just four teams remain in the hunt for a Massachusetts American Legion Baseball state championship as Day 4 of the tournament takes center stage Tuesday at Fino Field.
The day’s action features a pair of high-stakes contests, with one team looking to keep its perfect season intact and three others fighting to extend their summer.
The opening game at 4 p.m. pits host Milford Post 59 against Hyde Park Post 78 in an elimination matchup. Milford has responded impressively since dropping its tournament opener to Franklin, erupting offensively to score 41 runs over its last 10 innings. Post 59 followed its 24-1 rout of Northampton with a dominant 17-0 victory over District 4 rival Leominster on Monday, showing the offensive firepower that has made the hosts one of the tournament’s hottest teams.
Hyde Park has put together an impressive tournament run of its own. Post 78 opened the tournament with a 5-4 victory over Greenfield Post 81 on Day 1 before surviving another thriller Sunday, edging Leominster Post 151, 9-8, to reach the winners bracket final. Hyde Park’s first loss came Monday night, when District 6 rival Franklin handed Post 78 a 4-2 defeat, dropping them into the elimination bracket. Now, Hyde Park will look to bounce back and keep its championship hopes alive against the host team.
The losing team will see its season come to an end, while the winner advances to Wednesday’s elimination bracket final.
The nightcap at 7 p.m. features another meeting between Franklin Post 75 and Sandwich Post 188. Franklin enters the game as the tournament’s only unbeaten team, carrying a spotless 20-0 record after victories over Milford, Sandwich, and Hyde Park.
Sandwich already knows what it takes to survive in the elimination bracket. After opening the tournament with a win over Northampton, Post 188 fell to Franklin before bouncing back with a dramatic extra-inning victory over Beverly to keep its championship hopes alive. Now, Sandwich will need to hand Franklin its first loss of the season to remain in the tournament.
For Franklin, a victory would secure a spot in the state championship round while maintaining its perfect record. For Sandwich, it’s another win-or-go-home opportunity against the only team it has yet to solve this postseason.
With a pair of elimination games on the schedule and a berth in the championship round on the line, Tuesday promises to be another exciting day of baseball at Fino Field as the race for the Massachusetts American Legion Baseball state title continues.
