MILFORD — After five days of thrilling baseball, it all comes down to two familiar rivals as Franklin Post 75 and Milford Post 59 will battle Thursday, weather permitting, for the Massachusetts American Legion Baseball State Championship at Fino Field.
The championship round begins with Game 1 at 4 p.m. If Milford wins, a decisive winner-take-all Game 2 will be played at 7 p.m. Both games are scheduled to be played at Fino Field, weather permitting.
The two teams met on opening night of the tournament, with Franklin escaping with a 2-1 victory. Since then, both clubs have taken very different paths back to the championship.
Franklin has remained flawless throughout the tournament, entering the final round with a perfect 21-0 record. Post 75 opened with wins over Milford and Sandwich before defeating District 6 rival Hyde Park, then edged Sandwich for a second time Tuesday night to secure its place in the championship round.
Milford, meanwhile, has battled through the elimination bracket after its opening-night loss. The host team has caught fire offensively, routing Northampton 24-1, blanking District 4 rival Leominster 17-0, defeating Hyde Park 11-3, and scoring 52 runs over its last 17 innings to earn a rematch with the only team to beat them this tournament.
The championship format favors the unbeaten Franklin squad. Because Milford already has one loss in the double-elimination tournament, Post 59 must defeat Franklin twice on Thursday to capture the state championship. Franklin, meanwhile, needs just one victory to complete its perfect tournament run and claim the title.
Again, all of this is tentative as the weather forecast still does not look great for Thursday. Keep in touch with MyFMtoday.com and the MyFM and Milford Legion Facebook page for more information.
The state champion gets to keep playing in the American Legion Regional Tournament, taking place August 5-9 at Fitton Field in Worcester, MA, home of the Holy Cross Crusaders and Worcester Bravehearts. The tournament features the state champions of all states in the northeast with the chance of going to the American Legion World Series in North Carolina.
It sets the stage for a compelling showdown between two of the state’s top teams. Franklin has been the tournament’s most consistent club, combining timely hitting with dominant pitching throughout its unbeaten run. Milford enters as arguably the tournament’s hottest team, with its offense exploding after the opening-round loss and its confidence growing with each elimination game victory.
Whether the championship is decided in one game or requires a winner-take-all finale, Thursday promises to deliver an exciting conclusion to the Massachusetts American Legion Baseball State Tournament as Franklin and Milford battle for the state crown at Fino Field.
