A pair of wins Wednesday over the team that sent them into the loser's bracket earned Post 23 a spot in the American Legion State Baseball Tournament in Athens next week.

Post 23 defeated Chillicothe Post 62 in a doubleheader by scores of 9-7 and a whopping 25-14 Wednesday at V.A. Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe to win the District 7 tournament.

In the first game Adam Wamsley threw a complete game and Zac Bukiewicz was 2-for-3.

The second game, however, was the real slugfest.

Despite rain delays and sloppy conditions, or perhaps because of them, Post 23's offense was dominant.

Josh Myers got win with five innings of work and Bukiewicz was 3-for-7 with five RBIs.

Wamsley went 2-for-5, Aaron Hopper was 5-for-6, Bryan White was 2-for-5 and Nick Kemper was 3-for-4 in the seven-inning mercy-rule win. Myers was also 2-for-2 with four walks and Caleb Leach was 2-for-3.

"First of all the conditions were just really bad," Post 23 coach Jack Branon said. "We were on the field from 3:30 p.m. when we started taking infield (practice) and we left the stadium around 11:30 p.m. and there was about an hour when it didn't rain.

"That's what led to the high scores in the second game," Brannon added.

An 11-run sixth inning gave Post 23 it's final total. Post 62 scored just four in the top of the seventh to end the game.

The district title is the second in a row for Post 23 in just it's third season since the team was restarted. It is also the second year in a row Post 23 had to battle through the loser's bracket.

Branon said his team's ability to battle back and win in such difficult condition was a credit to area high school coaches.

"Before the game I told them guys, 'The conditions are terrible. I don't want to hear about it. Let's go out and play,'" he said. "It's a credit to a lot of their high school programs... Their high school coaches had prepared them to play in some bad conditions and that was a big thing for us."

Post 23 outscored its opponents 81-42 in six tournament games.

State tournament play will begin Monday in Athens at Ohio University, Athens High School and Dalton Field. Teams will find out who their opponents are on Sunday night.

Last season Post 23 won its first contest before dropping the next two in the double-elimination state tournament.

Game 1

Post 62 000 320 002 — 7 9 3

Post 23 102 130 002 — 9 9 2

WP: Wamsley CG LP: Josh Roberts

HItting Leaders

Post 62 — Wolf 2-4, Magill 2-4 2RBI, Roberts 1-4 HR 2RBI.

Post 23 — Bukiewicz 2-3 3B RBI, Wamsley 1-5 2RBI, Hopper 1-3 3B, Myers 2-4, Loop 1-3 3B.

Record — 36-15

Game 2

Post 62 020 233 4 — 14 14 2

Post 23 213 53(11) x — 25 1 1

WP: Myers 5ip LP: Magill

Hitting Leaders

Post 62 — Hettinger 2-5, Wonderleigh 2-5, Roberts 1-3, Justus 3-4, Cline 3-3, Magill 2-4.

Post 23 — Bukiewicz 3-7 5RBI, Wamsley 3-5 2RBI, Hopper 5-6 3RBI, White 2-5 2RBI, Kemper 3-4 2RBI, Oesch 1-4 4R, Myers 2-2 4BB, Leach 2-3 R.

Record — Post 37-15