HobbsDailyReport.com
After finishing ninth in Area IV East in American Legion baseball, Maiden Pot 240 ended up getting into the playoffs despite that finish.
At a meeting in Cherryville on Monday, the Salamanders (2-17, 2-14) earned the final playoff bid after Burnsville, which finished eighth in the East, reported it did not have enough players to field a team for the postseason. That spot, West No. 8, then went to Maiden and it opens the best-of-5 first round playoff series on Tuesday night (7 p.m.) at East No. 1 Mint Hill (14-4, 13-3).
Hickory Post 48 (6-13, 3-11), the West No. 7 seed, starts on Tuesday at 7 p.m. with a game at East No. 2 Union County (11-5, 11-5).
Burke County (9-8, 7-7), the West No. 4 seed, got a playoff opener on Tuesday at 7 p.m. against East No. 5 Lincoln County (11-11, 9-7), while Caldwell County (8-8-1, 7-7), the West No. 5 seed, faces East No. 4 Gastonia (12-8, 10-6) in an opener on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
The top West seed is Cherryville (17-9, 12-2), which opens Tuesday at 7 p.m. at home against East No. 8 Cleveland County (3-17, 3-13).
Maiden forfeited five wins during the course of the season after a paperwork error regarding checking eligibility of some of its players from Bandys High (they needed releases from Lincoln County) and was not initially expected to reach the postseason.
MORE ON THE PAIRINGS: https://www.gastongazette.com/news/20190701/area-iv-american-legion-playoff-pairings-announced-see-what-awaits-area-teams-in-postseason
AREA IV PLAYOFFS
FIRST ROUND (best-of-5)
EAST NO. 8 CLEVELAND COUNTY (3-17) vs. WEST NO. 1 CHERRYVILLE (17-9)
Game 1, Tuesday, 7 p.m.: at Cherryville
Game 2, Wednesday, 7 p.m. at Cleveland County
Game 3, Thursday, 7 p.m.: at Cherryville
Game 4, Friday, 7 p.m. (if needed): at Cleveland County
Game 5, Saturday, 7 p.m. (if needed): at Cherryville
WEST NO. 5 CALDWELL COUNTY (8-8-1) vs. EAST NO. 4 GASTONIA (12-8)
Game 1, Tuesday, 7 p.m.: at Gastonia
Game 2, Wednesday, 7 p.m. at Caldwell County
Game 3, Thursday, 7 p.m.: at Gastonia
Game 4, Friday, 7 p.m. (if needed): at Caldwell County
Game 5, Saturday, 7 p.m. (if needed): at Gastonia
WEST NO. 7 HICKORY (6-13) vs. EAST NO. 2 UNION COUNTY (11-5)
Game 1, Tuesday, 7 p.m.: at Union County
Game 2, Wednesday, 7 p.m. at Hickory
Game 3, Thursday, 7 p.m.: at Union County
Game 4, Friday, 7 p.m. (if needed): at Hickory
Game 5, Saturday, 7 p.m. (if needed): at Union County
EAST NO. 6 PINEVILLE (8-10) vs. WEST NO. 3 RUTHERFORD COUNTY (9-5)
Game 1, Tuesday, 7 p.m.: at Rutherford County
Game 2, Wednesday, 7 p.m. at Pineville
Game 3, Thursday, 7 p.m.: at Rutherford County
Game 4, Friday, 7 p.m. (if needed): at Pineville
Game 5, Saturday, 7 p.m. (if needed): at Rutherford County
WEST NO. 8 MAIDEN (2-17) vs. EAST NO. 1 MINT HILL (14-4)
Game 1, Tuesday, 7 p.m.: at Mint Hill
Game 2, Wednesday, 7 p.m. at Maiden
Game 3, Thursday, 7 p.m.: at Mint Hill
Game 4, Friday, 7 p.m. (if needed): at Maiden
Game 5, Saturday, 7 p.m. (if needed): at Mint Hill
WEST NO. 5 LINCON COUNTY (11-11) vs. WEST NO. 4 BURKE COUNTY (9-8)
Game 1, Tuesday, 7 p.m.: at Burke County
Game 2, Wednesday, 7 p.m. at Lincoln County
Game 3, Thursday, 7 p.m.: at Burke County
Game 4, Friday, 7 p.m. (if needed): at Lincoln County
Game 5, Saturday, 7 p.m. (if needed): at Burke County
EAST NO. 7 HUNTERSVILLE (5-11) vs. WEST NO. 2 ASHEVILLE (11-4)
Game 1, Tuesday, 7 p.m.: at Asheville
Game 2, Wednesday, 7 p.m. at Huntersville
Game 3, Thursday, 7 p.m.: at Asheville
Game 4, Friday, 7 p.m. (if needed): at Huntersville
Game 5, Saturday, 7 p.m. (if needed): at Asheville
WEST NO. 6 HENDERSON COUNTY (6-10) vs. EAST NO. 3 GASTON BRAVES (11-5)
Game 1, Tuesday, 7 p.m.: at Gaston Braves
Game 2, Wednesday, 7 p.m. at Henderson County
Game 3, Thursday, 7 p.m.: at Gaston Braves
Game 4, Friday, 7 p.m. (if needed): at Henderson County
Game 5, Saturday, 7 p.m. (if needed): at Gaston Braves
SECOND ROUND (dates TBD)
Cleveland County-Cherryville winner vs. Gastonia-Caldwell County winner
Hickory-Union County winner vs. Pineville-Rutherford County winner
Maiden-Mint Hill winner vs. Lincoln County-Burke County winner
Huntersville-Asheville winner vs. Henderson County-Gaston Braves winner