By Thomas Grant Jr.
Despite missing the playoffs, Lexington Post 7 closed out the 2026 South Carolina American Legion baseball season on a winning note.
Post 7 was victorious in its final three games to finish over .500 at 9-8. It tied with West Columbia for third place in League 2 at 5-7, but lost out on the head-to-head tiebreaker after going 1-3 in the regular-season matchups.
The winning streak started July 6 with a 8-3 win over league champion Sumter Post 15 at Riley Park. Lexington opened the game with seven unanswered runs, two each driven in by M.J. Hornsby and Logan Blight of Lexington High School.
Starter Grant Royer of Gilbert struck out three and allowed just three hits in six innings. Fellow Indian Aiden Bowers closed out the game with three strikeouts in one inning of relief.
The following night was more dramatic as Lexington pulled out a 6-5 comeback win over Richland Post 215 at Lexington High School.
Down 5-4 in the Bottom 7th, Post 7 tied the game on an RBI single by Cooper James of Gilbert. Fellow Indian Dalton Taylor then followed with a walk off RBI fielder’s choice to score Gilbert teammate Sam Woodyard.
Lexington trailed 3-0 after four innings before rallying for four runs in the Bottom 5th to take the lead. Jones Bell opened the comeback with an RBI single and Reese Boehnke of Batesburg-Leesville followed a flyout by Blight by scoring on a wild pitch.
After Bell scored on an RBI double by Woodyard, James was hit by a pitch and Taylor walked to load the bases. Another wild pitch allowed Woodyard to score from third base to put Post 7 up 4-3.
Richland scored two runs in the Top 6th to reclaim the lead before Lexington’s heroics in the Bottom 7th.
Lexington completed its sweep of League 2 teams with a 7-3 win over West Columbia at Brookland-Cayce High School.
The game was tied at 3-3 after three innings before Post 7 scored four unanswered runs. Blight went 2-4 with two RBI, Lexington’s Will Barksdale was 3-3 and Boehnke went 2-3 with an RBI and three stolen bases.
Kitt McLauchlin of Gilbert struck out six batters in five innings for the victory. Brooks Peloso of River Bluff closed the game with two scoreless innings for Lexington.
West Columbia opened the playoffs Wednesday at Summerville Post 21.
