HobbsDailyReport.com
MAIDEN – Maiden Post 240 fell in its last two regular-season games in American Legion baseball and, after finishing ninth in Area IV’s East Division, won’t make the postseason.
Pineville beat visiting Maiden 10-6 on Friday night and Union County downed the Salamanders 11-3 at Wingate on Saturday night, leaving Maiden at 2-17 overall and 2-14 in the East standings.
Area IV officials meet Monday night in Cherryville to set pairings for the playoffs that begin on Tuesday, and unless there is an unseen development the Salamanders won’t reach the playoffs.
Maiden won five games earlier in the season that it had to forfeit after not completing required paperwork about whether some of its players from Bandys High actually lived closer (a Legion rule) to North Lincoln, the home school of Lincoln County Post 455.
When Post 455 asked for a review of eligibility based on that rule, Area IV officials (and the Legion national office) ruled Maiden did not complete the required paperwork and those players actually lived closer to North Lincoln.
At that point, Post 455 officials did sign a waiver that would allow those players to continue playing for the Salamanders but the ruling invoked the five forfeits (see below).
The East Division standings without Sunday’s Union at Pineville game: 1. Mint Hill 13-3; 2. Gaston Braves 11-5; 3. Union County 10-5; 4. Gastonia 10-6; 5. Lincoln County 9-7; 6. Pineville 8-7; 7. Huntersville 5-11; 8. Cleveland County 3-13; 9. Maiden 2-14.
MAIDEN POST 240 SALAMANDERS SCHEDULE
(2-17 overall, 2-14 Area IV East)
May
17—Burke County at Bandys HS, Won 6-5 (FORFEIT)
19—Legion Kickoff at Mount Pleasant High, Lost 1-3, Lost 3-8
25—Huntersville at Bandys High, Won 2-0 (FORFEIT)
26—at Gaston Braves (E. Gaston High), Won 7-3 (FORFEIT)
28—Gaston Braves at Maiden High, Won 10-4 (FORFEIT)
29—Union County at Maiden High, ppd., June 9
31—at Gastonia (Sims Park), Lost 6-11
June
1—Mint Hill at Maiden High, Lost 2-11
2—at Shelby (Shelby High), Won 7-0 (FORFEIT)
5—at Lincoln County (E. Lincoln High), Lost 3-6
7—at Union County (Wingate), ppd., June 9 as part of DH at Maiden
8—Hickory at Maiden High, ppd., no date
9–Union County at Maiden High, DH, ppd., June 23
10—at Hickory (Legion Fairgrounds), cancelled
11—Pineville at Bandys High, Lost 2-7
12—at Huntersville (N. Mecklenburg High), ppd, Thursday, 7 P.M.
13–at Huntersville (N. Mecklenburg High), Lost 1-6
21—Gastonia at Maiden High, Lost 2-11
22—at Mint Hill (Independence High), Lost 5-6
23–at Hickory (Legion Fairgrounds), cancelled; Union County at Maiden High, Lost 1-7
25—Cleveland County at Maiden High, Won 9-4
26—Lincoln County at Maiden High, Won 3-2
28—at Pineville (Ardrey Kell High), Lost 6-10
29–at Union County (Wingate University), Lost 3-11
Playoffs
July 2-22, first round starts on Tuesday, July 2; state tournament on July 26-30 at Cherryville; Southeast Regional on Aug. 7-11 at Asheboro; World Series on Aug. 15-20 at Shelby.
Head coach: Justin Hawkins; associate head coach: Dustin Hull; athletic director: David Williams Sr.
Team sponsor: Carolina Glove and Safety Company
2019 SALAMANDERS ROSTER (updated)
No. Player Grade Pos. School
1 Spencer Floyd 10 INF-RHP Maiden
3 Jacob Cauble 10 INF-RHP Maiden
4 Jay Sipe (Fr.) College INF Western Carolina
5 Mark Lyda 10 C Bandys
6 Austin Hoyle 10 C-P Maiden
7 Ryan Lyda 12 OF-LHP Bandys
9 Cy Spencer 12 INF-OF-RHP Bandys
10 Dalton James 10 LHP-OF-INF Maiden
11 Landon Leonard 11 LHP-OF Bandys
12 Bain Sipe 11 OF-C-RHP Maiden
20 Spencer Ledford 11 INF-RHP Bandys
21 Ivan Huffman 12 OF Bandys
23 Josh Frye Fr. (College) OF-RHP Piedmont CC
24 Jacob Ellis 12 C Bandys
26 Elijah Carr Fr. (College) RHP CVCC
31 Mac Beam Fr. (College) OF-INF-RHP CVCC
32 Salvatore Ferraro 11 1B-OF Bandys
34 Peyton Laney 11 1B-RHP Bandys
40 T.J. Rasar Fr. (College) 1B-RHP Bruwnswick Community
— Reported by Benny Lytton, Post 240