West Columbia’s Lucas Knight dives safely back to first avoiding Sumter first baseman Tyler Smith. Photo by Claire Ward The West Columbia American Legion team has a simple saying.

“A leadoff walk is a leadoff run,” Post 79 coach Legree Oswald said.

Unfortunately for Oswald and his squad, Sumter provided more evidence to support the philosophy on Sunday night at the Memorial Stadium complex.

Post 15, which is the top seed in the South Carolina American Legion State Tournament, put its leadoff man in seven of eight innings via three hits, three walks, and a hit batter. Six of them scored en route to a 9–7 victory in the winners’ bracket game.

With the victory, Sumter assured itself a spot in Tuesday’s final round and condemned Post 79 to ponder what might have been.

West Columbia scored three runs in the ninth and had the bases loaded with two outs. However, Sumter had too big a cushion, and Post 79 ran out of time with a fly ball to left.

West Columbia’s Zach Hawley tries to put a bunt down against Sumter. Photo by Claire Ward “We knew coming in that they played small ball. They bunt, sacrifice, squeeze, and move runners over,” left fielder Matt Tanner said. “Sumter did its job tonight.”

Of the seven leadoff men to reach, two were sacrificed into scoring position, a third advanced on a sacrifice that went for a hit, and a fourth moved up a bunt that turned into a two–base error. Another leadoff runner advanced when Sumter hit behind him to the right side.

Post 15 added five sacrifice flies including its final four runs that proved critical as West Columbia rallied in the ninth.

“They are fundamentally sound—get the ball down, move people over, and get them in with a fly ball,” Oswald said. “We didn’t.”

In the second, West Columbia put its first two men on but couldn’t get the bunt down and ended up bouncing into a double play. Though Post 79 took a 1–0 lead before the inning ended, the chance for a big early inning passed. West Columbia took a 3–1 lead in the third when the first two batters reached and scored, but it came away empty–handed with the bases loaded and one out later in the frame.

That gave Sumter the chance to draw even and slowly pull away with runs in five of its next six at bats.

Stuart Pound led West Columbia with three hits. Tanner and Jon Betancourt added two each. Corey Holmes homered for the second consecutive game. His two–run shot capped West Columbia’s scoring. Dylan Parker worked into the sixth and took the loss.