Post 82 battles into American Legion World Series semifinals

“We were pumped up man,” Shockers coach Rick Lavezzo said. “But we still have two more to play.”

With the win, the Shockers advance to Monday’s semifinal round. And from here on out, every game is an elimination game.

Final-four play begins Monday with Post 82 taking on Salisbury, North Carolina starting at 1 p.m. The winner advances to Tuesday’s championship game to be played at 4 p.m. Both games will be televised on ESPNU

While the heavy-hitting Shockers have been relying on double-figure scoring outputs all season, they have advanced through pool play in the World Series by virtue of some clutch pitching and defense.

Right-handers Alex Waldsmith and Felix Aberouette were the heroes in the field. Waldsmith made the most of his first start of the tournament. The righty out of Burlingame High School worked 6 1/3 innings to earn the win. Aberouette then battled through the final 2 2/3 innings to lock down the save.

Aberouette has now pitched in all three World Series games, totaling six innings while notching a win and a save.

“We’ve been using him every day and the guy is just a workhorse,” Lavezzo said. “He wants the ball every day and he’ll tell you that — he’s like, ‘give me the ball.’ … He’s a stud and he’s after it. He wants to win.”

Aberouette also turned in some clutch defense as the Shockers’ starting third baseman. Amid a scoreless tie in the fourth inning, Rhode Island got the first two batters of the frame on. But the Shockers got a strange first out when catcher Ricardo Barraza’s attempted throw to second base hit the batter Drew Szafranski in the head; Szafranski was called out as he had stepped out of the batter’s box prior to the ball hitting him in the back of the helmet.

Then with one out, Aberouette gloved a high chopper near the bag at third for one out, then slung the throw across the diamond for the pivotal twin killing.

Then Post 82’s bats came to life in the sixth.

Another recent Burlingame graduate, Kaleb Keelean, got the Shockers on the board by drilling an RBI double off the wall in right field to score Aberouette. Tyler Brandenburg followed with a Texas Leaguer to center that glanced off the diving center fielder’s glove and went for an RBI double. His little brother Jordan Brandenburg followed in a big way, as the 2016 Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division triple crown winner teed off on an outside breaking ball to crush a two-run home run to left field to make it 4-0.

Rhode Island answered back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning to cut the lead to 4-2. But then Post 82 manufactured a run in the seventh, which proved to be the difference in the game.

Tyler Villaroman led off with a walk and stole second base. Then Angelo Bortolin moved Villaroman to third with a groundout to the right side of the infield. Aberouette then laced an RBI single to left through the drawn in infield, giving the Shockers a 5-2 advantage.

Waldsmith departed in the seventh with runners at second and third and one out. Enter Aberouette with Post 82 leading 5-3, who pitched through the trouble, allowing one inherited runner to score to cut the lead to 5-4.

Then in the eighth the big right-hander got some help from his catcher as Barraza gunned down a would-be base stealer at second for the final out of the inning.

In the ninth, Rhode Island had runners at the corners with two outs, but Aberouette induced a groundout to Bortolin at shortstop to end it.

The Shockers won their first two games in pool play by virtue of clutch pitching as well. Right-hander Spencer Stewart took the ball in last Friday’s opener, working seven innings, surrendering two runs on six hits to take a no-decision. But his effort set the stage for Aberouette to earn the win with two innings of relief, as Post 82 broke a 2-2 tie in the top of the ninth with a two-run rally, with runs scoring on a bases-loaded hit by pitch by Villaroman and a sacrifice fly by Bortolin.

Then facing Leesburg, Virginia on Saturday, John Besse soldiered through 7 2/3 shutout innings to earn the win before turning the ball over to Aberouette to cap the shutout. Cleanup hitter Ramon Enriquez had a two-run homer in the third and Aberouette added a three-run double in the sixth.

With two possible games remaining in the tournament, the Shockers have a slate of pitching remaining that includes right-hander Nick Von Tobel, and left-handers Vinny Venturi and Cole Anderson. Enriquez is also available in relief while Stewart is available to return Tuesday on three days rest if necessary.