New league and region, same goals for Lexington Post 7 in American Legion baseball.

Along with reducing the number of innings played from nine to seven at the orders of the national office, the state American Legion office has separated Lexington from longtime rivals Chapin/Newberry Post 193 and West Columbia Post 79.

It has moved Post 7 to League 4, Region 2 with Sumter Post 15, Dalzell/Shaw Post 175, Manning Post 68, Harts-ville Post 53, Orangeburg Post 4 and Camden Post 17.

Sumter has eliminated Lexington from the post-season two years in a row. Nevertheless, reaching Sumter for the state American Legion tournament head coach Michael Riefsynder remains his top focus regardless of the opponent standing in the way.

“We feel like last year, we ran out of pitching,” he said. “So, we went out and recruited pitching this year and feel like that we’ve made big strides there and I think our chances are good. I feel like we’ve got a chance to win the state and move on.”

After a week of bad weather which postponed a season-opening 2-game set against Chapin/Newberry, Post 7 is off to a 3-0 start this season. It posted two lopsided wins over Dalzell Shaw Post 175 by the scores of 7-0 and 17-5 and scored 10 runs to rally from a 5-1 deficit to defeat Aiken Post 26 this past Monday.

Walker McDowell had three hits and Lexington High teammate Cole Lemacks added 2 RBI in support of fellow Wildcat Nathan Roof in Game 1.

McDowell and Lemacks continued to swing the hot backs in Game 2. Both players posted three RBI, with Lemacks and Dalton Landsowne each collecting four hits in the win.

McDowell, Lemacks and Landsowner are among 10 returning players from last year’s 13-8 squad that placed second. This also includes Cameron Cribb, Austin Muse, Jac Crouch, Spencer Wood and Jay Beebe, all of Gray Collegiate.

In the comeback win over Aiken Post 26, Lexington High graduate David Jacobs went 4-4 with two RBI and Cameron Cribb had three RBI.

Along with newcomer Cameron Peterson of Batesburg-Leesville, Riefsynder has brought in several players from both Lexington and River Bluff high schools. Roof, Jonathan Howlett, Ryan DiRienzo, Chase Crouch, all of Lexington, Alex Jacobs (USC-Beaufort, formerly of Lexington High School) and Jackson Hannon, Will Lott and Braeden Marzitelli (both of whom are moving up from the junior program), all of River Bluff, are all battle-tested and are expected to aid in team depth.

2018 LEXINGTON POST 7 SCHEDULE

(All Games start at 7:30 p.m.)

THURSDAY – at Aiken FRIDAY – at West Columbia JUNE 11 – CAMDEN JUNE 12 – at Camden JUNE 14 – HARTSVILLE JUNE 15 – at Hartsville JUNE 19 – ORANGEBURG JUNE 20 – at Orangeburg JUNE 22 – at Waccamaw JUNE 23-24 – at Ottowa/Oldham JUNE 27 – MANNING JUNE 28 – at Manning JULY 2 – SUMTER JULY 3 – at Sumter