The American Legion baseball team completed a dominant season June 11th by winning Waynesboro’s Little League Majors Championship. They finished the season with a perfect 16-0 overall record and bested the runner-up VFW team by a final score of 14-4, winning the best of three series, 2-0.
American Legion (AL) attained a remarkable turnaround from their 2023 season, when they finished with a 1-15 record. This year’s striking achievement was due to well-scouted draft picks, maturing of the team’s roster, a solid defense, balanced pitching staff, and a timely hitting offense. The Legion’s coaching staff expertly managed these multiple strengths and guided the team to success.
VFW finished the regular season 10-5 to qualify for the league championship. Although they’d faced AL four times in the regular season and lost all those contests, VFW came into this series poised for a serious title run. The first game of the championship series was a nail-biter, with American Legion coming from behind to win a narrow 3-2 victory. A game-tying VFW baserunner was thrown out at home plate to squash a last-inning rally.
The second game started with a similar atmosphere, with AL holding a slim 5-3 lead over VFW after three innings. As daylight faded and the game played on under the lights, an expectant crowd sat on the lawn surrounding the diamond. They cheered their sons, nephews, and grandsons, hoping their favorite team could deliver a big-game victory. Starting pitchers Lucas Shank for American Legion, and Jordan Geesaman for VFW, had kept hitters off-balance, and it appeared the game might come down to a last at-bat like before.
But in the 4th and 5th innings, American Legion took advantage of multiple walks, clutch hits, and aggressive base-running, to put the game out of reach. AL’s Kaden Lewis clubbed a two-out triple to plate two in the fourth, making the score 8-3. That pivotal hit opened the floodgates as the eventual champs scored six additional runs to win by ten. That victory margin was a common pattern in AL’s dominance during the regular season, as they won most games by double digits.
The final Little League Majors game of 2024 ended with dramatic flair, like game one night earlier, with a VFW runner thrown out at home plate.
“I’m really proud how they all came together as a team,” Coach James Woodring said. “From only one win last season they were determined to play hard every game. Up and down the order our hitters were tough outs.” The Legion’s players confirmed Woodring’s confidence as 9 of 11 players had RBI’s during the final game.
American Legion’s hopes for next season are equally bright as they will only lose two talented 12-year-olds, Shank and Lewis. “We really leaned on their leadership,” Woodring said of this departing duo. But with many returning experienced ballplayers, the rest of the league’s teams face a hefty challenge next year to knock American Legion off their championship throne.
American Legion’s 2024 success was cemented by a coaching staff bonded by family ties. Head Coach James Woodring was assisted this season by his father Lee. Catcher Aiden Woodring, coached by dad James and his grandfather, was a key ballplayer on this championship team. James’ twin brother Philip (who is coaching the Waynesboro Minor team Mets in their league’s championship series) stepped in to help manage the Legion team in game one of this important series, so James could be with his newborn daughter Willow, who arrived a few days earlier.
VFW enjoyed a terrific season too, and after subtracting their losses to American Legion’s proven unbeatable team, VFW boasted a stellar 10-1 record.
The thrill of the Waynesboro’s Little League championship was evident on the faces of American Legion’s players and coaches. During a post-game trophy presentation, the ballplayers gawked at the gigantic team trophy as they cradled individual awards. The team posed for pictures, grinning with a victory-affirming scoreboard seen behind them. The Woodring family coaching staff beamed as they congratulated their players. Proud parents and grandparents came onto the field and joined the celebration.
American Legion’s perfect season created memories the team and their families will always cherish. Their ballplayers achieved the ultimate dream of every sporting squad. Through teamwork, athletic excellence, and sportsmanship, these young players also learned valuable lessons that will propel them forward in upcoming baseball seasons and in future life endeavors.
