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Lafayette Post 11 wins Indiana American Legion baseball state title

sam king, lafayette journal & courier
·4 min read

KOKOMO — In the words of Aidan Lowry, "We would've won no matter what."

Thirty years of trying to win Lafayette Post 11's seventh American Legion baseball state championship came down to two games in Highland Park Monday afternoon.

With a 2-0 loss to Rockport Post 254 on Sunday, the Lafayette team comprised of players from Harrison, McCutcheon, Lafayette Jeff, Twin Lakes, Carroll, Clinton Prairie and Rossville had to work its way back in the double elimination tournament.

More: Lafayette Post 11 heads to American Legion state finals

Post 11 defeated Kokomo Post 6 on Sunday, setting up a chance to win the program's first state title since 1993 if it could defeat Rockport twice on Monday.

It took extra inning heroics, then a masterful hitting display coupled with Tanner Turnpaugh's equally dexterous pitching but Lowry's words proved true.

"It didn't seem like the loss made a difference," Post 11 manager Dan Yeoman said. "The goal was to win the tournament, however it happened. ... All the drive was to be here right now doing this."

Post 11 (27-6) travels to Midland, Michigan, for the Great Lakes Regional Aug. 2-6 after winning its seventh state championship.

Brody Zimmer's single scored Hayden Slate, who tripled, giving Post 11 an early lead in the opener. Lafayette would go into the eighth tied 1-1 before putting up three runs and holding on for a 4-2 victory, setting up a winner-take-all title game that couldn't have started any worse.

Lafayette Post 11 celebrate after the American Legion baseball state final against Rockport Post 254, Tuesday, July 25, 2023, at Highland Park in Kokomo, Ind. Lafayette Post 11 won 13-4.
Lafayette Post 11 celebrate after the American Legion baseball state final against Rockport Post 254, Tuesday, July 25, 2023, at Highland Park in Kokomo, Ind. Lafayette Post 11 won 13-4.

The first six Rockport batters reached base in the top of the first and Lafayette found itself trailing 4-0.

But Turnpaugh, a recent graduate from Carroll on his way to play baseball at Wabash College, was tasked with keeping Rockport from padding the lead any more.

Turnpaugh allowed just two hits, both singles, the rest of the way and Lafayette pounded out 15 hits in a 13-4 victory.

"We got two (runs) back in the first inning and I knew we had the hits on them," Turnpaugh said. "We've been hot. I knew if I came in and shut them down and kept trusting myself and my stuff, we'd be able to get back on top."

It didn't take long.

Lafayette Post 11 Corbin Payne (4) runs to third base during the American Legion baseball state final against Rockport Post 254, Tuesday, July 25, 2023, at Highland Park in Kokomo, Ind. Lafayette Post 11 won 13-4.
Lafayette Post 11 Corbin Payne (4) runs to third base during the American Legion baseball state final against Rockport Post 254, Tuesday, July 25, 2023, at Highland Park in Kokomo, Ind. Lafayette Post 11 won 13-4.

A four-run second sparked by Lowry's triple gave Lafayette a 6-4 lead.

Lafayette scored two in the first, four in the second, one each in the third and fourth, three in the fifth and two insurance runs in the sixth while Turnpaugh handled his business on the mound.

"We've all put in the work and we all know what we're capable of," said Eli Kelly, who had three hits and drove in two, including a triple in the sixth that all but buried Rockport. "We knew they were getting down on their pitching and we just had to put the bat on the ball."

Lafayette Post 11 Tanner Turnpaugh (6) pitches during the American Legion baseball state final against Rockport Post 254, Tuesday, July 25, 2023, at Highland Park in Kokomo, Ind. Lafayette Post 11 won 13-4.
Lafayette Post 11 Tanner Turnpaugh (6) pitches during the American Legion baseball state final against Rockport Post 254, Tuesday, July 25, 2023, at Highland Park in Kokomo, Ind. Lafayette Post 11 won 13-4.

Lafayette certainly did.

From Sammy Hallada in the leadoff spot to Cal Gick after, followed by Lowry, Corbin Payne, Slate, Brody Zimmer, Maysen Meyers, Connor Cobb and Kelly, everyone contributed with the bats in the final game of the Indiana state finals. Even pinch hitter Tanner Coble, whose pinch hit single in the sixth assured Lafayette Post 11 of having the leadoff man reach base in every inning, showed how deep and talented the 2023 state champions are.

Lafayette Post 11 has had a continuous Legion program since 1928, the year of its first state title.

That's not lost on this group, who've bonded over this experience together.

"I've been playing with these guys since I was 13 or 14," Turnpaugh said. "It just means something else. This is our last ride together and we get to stretch it out as far as we can."

The upcoming Great Lakes Regional is an opportunity to extend the season one more week and advance to the American Legion World Series in Shelby, North Carolina.

That is the ultimate goal.

"This will definitely carry over for sure," Kelly said. "The fact we're all playing for each other and we've all played together a long time now, we don't want this (regional) to be the last time."

Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @samueltking.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Lafayette Post 11 wins Indiana American Legion baseball state title