Franklin County Legion ends 83-year title drought

HARTFORD - Finally.

On the seventh day of a five-day tournament, in the 10th inning of a nine-inning game, 83 years after its only taste of American Legion baseball glory, Franklin County Post 01 was one out away.

Relief pitcher Richard Walker, nursing a lead with runners at second and third, fired to the plate. Only White River’s Brady Clark sent the ball screaming back over the head of third baseman Jake Hakey into the dusk above left field.

“I thought for sure that ball was getting down, I thought for sure they were going to score two more,” Hakey said.

Then left fielder Ryan Boucher entered the frame, bolting toward the ball that looked sure to drop between him and the line and — caught it.

After enduring a humbling loss earlier in the day and weathering nine back-and-forth innings against White River Junction Post 84, Franklin County had its prize. A six-run 10th inning sealed an 11-7 win to clinch the program’s first state championship since the Great Depression.

Finally. Really.

“This is beyond imagination,” said Post 01 coach Rene Delaricheliere. “The guys didn’t know that it was 1934 the last time St. Albans won this thing.”

Not bad for a crew that started from scratch seven years ago, started the year 0-3 and had to rebound from starting its day with a 12-2, run rule-shortened loss to Post 84 in the first half of the twinbill when a win would’ve clinched the crown.

But the third-seeded team from the northern division wasn’t fazed. They had to top two 2-seeds (Rutland Post 31 and OEC Kings), and a 1-seed (Colchester Cannons) just to face White River, the top squad from the southern half of the state.

“We’re a bunch of misfits,” Delaricheliere said. “We’re a bunch of Franklin County misfits.”

Post 01 starter Green went 9 1/3 innings to earn the win, exiting after reaching the 120-pitch limit in the 10th. He gave up seven runs on 11 hits, fanning five batters and walking two.

His exploits, which also included a complete-game win over Colchester earlier in the week, earned him tournament MVP honors.

“Just unbelievable. The kid is underrated, I think. A great athlete, great student, and just fights the whole time — doesn’t give up,” Delaricheliere said.

White River’s Moises Celaya took the loss in relief, allowing four runs on one hit and walking two in 1/3 of an inning. Starter Robert Slocum lasted 7 1/3 innings before giving way to ace Jordy Allard, the Game 1 winner, who notched four straight strikeouts to force extra innings.

“Momentum was really on their side after they won the first one,” Green said. “They smacked us around. We made a lot of errors. But coming back from that game, playing as bad as we did, is huge.”

The comeback started in the top of the second inning with Tucker Gaudette’s second home run of the tournament, a towering, two-run blast over the right field fence.

“We said there’s no way we’re going to win without eight (runs) — we’ve got to get eight,” Delaricheliere said. “(Post 84) are great hitters. Up and down the lineup.”

Delaricheliere had his proof less than half an inning later when Celaya deposited a two-run shot of his own to almost the exact same spot.

Dylan Beyor (3-for-6, two RBIs) staked Post 01 in front 3-2 in the third with an RBI single to center field, but White River answered again to tie the contest in the sixth when Ryland Richardson (3-for-5) scored after a fielder’s interference play at third.

Colby Brouillette (4-for-6) doubled home Boucher (3-for-6, three runs) when Franklin County returned to the plate and scored on a sacrifice fly by Caleb LaRoche that made it 5-3 with two innings to go.

But yet another rebuttal from White River in the bottom half set the score 5-apiece

“It was just a lot of back and forth. Their scores almost mirrored ours, every time we hit they answered back,” Green said.

The contest turned for good in the 10th, though, with Franklin County rattling off six runs on four hits. The go-ahead tally that started the onslaught came on a one-out, RBI double down the right field line by Hakey, who was saddled with the loss in Game 1 and had his share of ups and downs in the nightcap.

“Going from an absolute low to an absolute high, that’s how I’d describe it,” Hakey said.

“Coming up with the hit in the 10th inning, it was a culmination — karma, almost,” he said. “Bad luck, bad luck, bad luck and there’s the good luck. That’s what we were waiting on this whole season.”

Contact Austin Danforth at 651-4851 or edanforth@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/eadanforth