09-08-2025
Shrewsbury Post 397 wins third straight to reach final day of the American Legion Northeast Regional Tournament
Rice was told to swing — and that's exactly what he did. With two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning, Rice jumped on the first pitch he saw, pulling the ball down the third-base line for a walkoff single. It was the deciding factor in Shrewsbury's 3-2 win over St. Johnsbury (Vt.) in this elimination game at Fitton Field on Saturday.
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Post 397 will face Waterford (Conn.) at 10 a.m. Sunday at Fitton Field. The winner will play Greece (N.Y.) for the Northeast title at 1 p.m.
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The winner advances to the American Legion World Series, which will be played in Shelby, N.C., Aug. 14-19.
'The pitcher came in, and he was throwing a lot of first-pitch strike fastballs, so that's what I was looking for. He gave it to me low and in, and so I just kind of went with it. I was able to get it down the line for a hit,' Rice said.
Shrewsbury took an early lead, 2-0, after a first-inning double by Rice and a single by Jackson Lucarelli. But St. Johnsbury drew even two innings later on Averill Parker's two-run double.
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With the score tied, Shrewsbury pitcher Owen Mongeon held his nerve. Collected and aggressive on the mound, his coaches call him a 'bulldog.'
'Composure has always been a big thing for me. I'm not worried when stuff is happening around me. It happens — it's part of the game. The next pitch is always the most important one,' said Mongeon.
'He wants to win. He doesn't fear the moment,' said Vaccaro.
Led by Mongeon's 6⅔ innings — and the help of Seamus Clancey, who entered as a reliever and got the final out — Post 397 remained steady, even as its offense stumbled through the middle innings.
Shrewsbury, which lost its first contest in the double-elimination tournament,needs to win two games to qualify for the American Legion World Series. It would be Post 397's fourth appearance in the Series in nine seasons.
Winners of three straight elimination games, Post 397 is ready for the challenge.
'We've prepared for this all year long,' said Vaccaro. 'We've prepared to be in this tournament. We knew we were in it, obviously, because we hosted it, but we earned the right to be in it anyway. … We worked hard through the state tournament to get ready, and we'll continue to do the same thing.'
Added Mongeon: 'We all have faith in our teammates. We all believe we can get there. There's a rich history for Post 397, and we're trying to follow in those guys' footsteps. Really, all it takes is faith, belief, and energy.'
