Legion Baseball: Fifth Ward Begins Region 4 Tourney, Defeats Waynesboro

On Saturday afternoon, Fifth Ward Athletic Club represented Lebanon County in the first round of the Region 4 American Legion Baseball Tournament.  The Lebanon City squad earned their spot in this tournament when they won the Lebanon County League by defeating Myerstown on Wednesday evening.  In doing so, they became the first team from Lebanon City to win the Legion title since 1983.

In Saturday’s sweltering heat, the young men from Lebanon took the field against Waynesboro, the tournament host. Taking the mound for the visitors was Jordy Polanco, the recent Lebanon High grad who will be headed to LVC next month.  Polanco has been a reliable starter throughout his high school years, but an injury this past spring limited his usage as a pitcher.  More recently a healthy Polanco has returned to form and has been making it difficult for opposing batters.

Over the course of the first two innings, the game remained scoreless.  In the Top 3^rd, Fifth Ward drew blood by scoring to go up 1-0.  Waynesboro responded when they took the field in the bottom half of the inning in order to knot it up at 1-1.

Polanco and his defense again held Waynesboro scoreless in the 4^th after Waynesboro had done the same against Lebanon.  This would be the last time the at the game would be tied, because in the Top 5^th, Fifth Ward would witness three runners cross home as they jetted to a 4-1 lead.  Polanco would then silence any hopes Waynesboro had to respond when they came up to bat in the 5^th.

In the Top 6^th, Lebanon scored three more times to take a commanding 7-1 lead.  Waynesboro was able to score two runs in the Bottom 6^th.  A scoreless 7^th for both teams kept the score frozen at 7-3 and gave the Fifth Ward the victory.

Polanco threw all seven innings, allowing three runs on seven hits, with two of the runs being earned.  He struck out three, while issuing two free passes.  For Polanco, it was an efficient game, as it only took him eighty-seven pitches to finish out the complete game win.

Lebanon’s Fifth Ward scored their seven runs on ten hits. Randy Polanco had a double and drove in two runs. Yostin Guerrero, a rising senior at Lebanon High School, joined Polanco in having two RBI in the game.  In addition to driving in runs, Guerrero had a monster game at the plate, going 4/4 at the plate, scored twice, and also stole two bases. Ander Duran and David Furjanic each added an RBI.

Showing incredible plate discipline, the Fifth Ward only struck out twice.  They also walked three times, with rising junior Tyson Griffiths accounting for two of those walks and reaching base an additional time after getting plunked.

The Fifth Ward will look to keep things rolling in this eight-team, double-elimination tournament when they take on Hampden Township on Sunday afternoon.  The tournament will run each day until a final Region 4 Champion is crowned on Wednesday.

Fifth Ward (Lebanon) 7, Waynesboro 3

Offensive Stats

Hits: Griffin Gonzalez, Yostin Guerrero (4), Randy Polanco, Ander Duran, Noah Brandt, Ben Discuillo, David Furjanic

Runs: Griffin Gonzalez, Tyson Griffiths, Yostin Guerrero (2), Randy Polanco, Ben Discuillo, David Furjanic

RBI: Yostin Guerro (2), Randy Polanco (2), Ander Duran, David Furjanic