Lexington and West Columbia will now have an opportunity to join Chapin/Newberry in the S.C. American Legion baseball tournament. 

Both teams earned game two victories July 20 to force deciding games July 21. Post 7 will play host to Fort Mill Post 43 at Lexington High School, while Post 79 travels to Camden Post 17 at Legion Field in Camden.

Chapin/Newberry Post 193/24  advanced to the state tournament Tuesday and will play Florence Post 1 at Legion Field July 25. 

West Columbia 5, Camden 2 

In another must-win game to extend the season, West Columbia leaned on the bat and arm of star pitcher and hitter John Allen Forrester to come out on top at Brookland-Cayce High School. 

West Columbia struck early as Forrester led off the bottom of the first inning with the first of his two solo home runs. 

Post 79 added to their lead with another solo home run, this time from Josh Raines with two outs in the inning to make it a 2-0 game.

Camden got their first run in the third inning off a wild pitch by Forrester. He made amends in the bottom half of the inning by blasting another solo home run to make it 3-1.

Camden decided to get in on the home run derby the game had begun to resemble, with Kevin Steelman lofting a solo home run over the left field fence to open the fourth inning.

West Columbia held that 3-2 lead into the bottom of the fifth, when Conner Wood singled into left field with two outs, bringing across two base runners home. 

Forrester left the mound with two outs in the sixth, having struck out eight. Levi Dunn closed out the side with a strikeout. 

Camden had the top of their lineup back at the plate for their final shot at a rally. After Cobe Evans reached first on a fielder’s choice and moved to second on Brandon Gibbs’ single, Dunn struck out Stephen Lang-Splitter for the second out. 

Zane Catoe was hit by a pitch to load the bases, West Columbia then landed the final out not at the plate but at first base as Catoe was picked off by catcher Blake Palyok of Airport to end the game. 

The July 21 winner will open the state tournament July 25 at Heathwood Hall against Richland Post 215. 

Lexington 17, Fort Mill 7 (6 innings)

Post 7 got a three-RBI performance from five players as it rallied from an early 5-0 hole to storm back and win Game 2 at Catawba Ridge High School. 

It was a rough first inning for Post 7 starter Cooper Johns. He walked three batters, two of which forced in runs, hit two more batters and allowed a single. 

He settled down after the first, allowing just one run over his remaining 4 ⅔ innings. 

Chance Jennings of Gilbert put Lexington on the board in the third inning with an RBI double. Zach Cowart of River Bluff made it 5-2 with a sacrifice fly.

Lexington tied the game with three runs in the top of the fourth inning. Caleb Warren hit a leadoff double and scored on Greyson Biggs’ two-run home run. 

Bennett Robinson then singled and scored on an RBI single by Brent Stukes of Gray Collegiate. 

Camden regained the lead in the bottom of the fourth on a Scott Young RBI double. Lexington responded with three more runs in the top of the fifth on a RBI double by Warren and two-run go-ahead single by Jayden Carnaham.

Post 7 broke the game open with nine runs in the top of the sixth. Jennings led off with a walk, reached third on a steal and scored off an error. After a single by Cowart and a walk by Cole Long of Lexington, Warren hit a two-run double and Biggs singled home Long to make it 12-6.

Carnahan hit a sacrifice fly, Biggs managed to steal home and Jennings hit a two-out RBI single to extend the lead to 15-6. 

Charlie Compton of Northside Christian cleared the bases with a two-run homer to give Lexington a 17-6 lead. An RBI double by Trevor Testerman off reliever Jackson Lineberry was all Camden could score as the game ended on the 10-run mercy rule.

Jennings, Compton, Biggs, Carnaham and Warren all finished with three RBI in the win. 

The winner of the series will travel to Duncan Park Stadium July 25 to face Spartanburg Post 28 to open the state tournament.