The Kingston‑Saugerties American Legion baseball team clinched the New York State championship on Saturday, edging Cottrell‑Warner Post 942 9‑6 in an extra‑inning thriller at Penfield High School. The victory capped a gritty comeback, with John McKenna delivering a home run and two RBIs, Jake Young adding two RBIs in the tenth, and Kaden Delbert contributing a homer and a single with an RBI.
The win propels Post 150/72 into the Mid‑Atlantic Regional Tournament, where they will open against Connecticut’s Waterford Post 161 on August 6 at Tivenan Field in Massachusetts. Waterford had fallen in the Connecticut state title game to South Windsor, a team that later withdrew because of eligibility concerns, leaving the regional slot open for the New York champions.
The regional field also features clubs from New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania, and the schedule guarantees the New York side at least one more contest on August 8, with the championship game slated for August 9. A win in that final would lock in a berth at the 99th American Legion World Series in Shelby, North Carolina, set for August 13‑18.
A Historic Opportunity
If Kingston‑Saugerties captures the regional crown, it would mark the first time since 1988 that Post 150 has advanced to the World Series, a milestone that has the entire Hudson Valley community buzzing with anticipation.