The Fifth Ward baseball team came together, put it all together, and scored one for hope.
On a sticky Wednesday night at Fifth Ward Athletic Field, the home team captured its first Lebanon County American Legion Baseball League championship in 40 years with a 5-3 triumph over Myerstown.
After spotting the young club from the east an early 3-1 advantage, Fifth Ward came roaring back with a three-run rally in the bottom of the fourth inning and a standout performance from right-hander Ander Duran-Dedios that got stronger as it went along.
Duran-Dedios collected the Warren “Lefty” Grumbine Memorial Trophy as the outstanding pitcher of the Lebanon County American Legion Baseball League’s postseason tournament. Teammate Jordy Polanco was voted the recipient of the Jack Bicher Memorial Trophy presented to the top hitter in the playoffs.
With the victory, Fifth Ward, 13-5 overall, completed an undefeated run through the local summer league playoffs and earned the right to represent Lebanon County at the eight-team, double-elimination Region Four tournament at Waynesboro, which begins Saturday.
The youthful Myerstown outfit completed its summer with an 8-9 record, including four losses to Fifth Ward.
“That’s a lot of years. Too many years,” said Fifth Ward head coach Greg Kreiser. “It’s about doing the little things, putting balls in play, moving runners. It’s not necessarily the big hits. It finally happened.
“It’s huge for these kids,” continued Kreiser. “The talent’s always been there. But it didn’t compute to games. They didn’t have that killer instinct. We put in a lot of work with these kids. They deserve success.”
“They have a very solid squad, top to bottom,” said Myerstown head coach Brian McDonnell of Fifth Ward. “They have older kids. I think they’ll represent Lebanon County American Legion baseball to the fullest at regionals. We played them tough. I was proud of our guys.”
From the bottom of the batting order, Fifth Ward recorded five straight hits to begin the home half of the fourth inning. Noah Brandt knocked in one of the Fifth Ward runs, but it was Polanco’s two-run double down the left field line that gave the home team a 4-3 lead it would never relinquish.
Fifth Ward added an insurance tally in the bottom of the sixth inning on David Furjanic’s RBI-single.
“It was real rough the first two innings,” said Kreiser. “Then Ander settled in, and he kept us in the game.
“We played well all season,” added Kreiser. “We had some guys who just didn’t show up overall. But the pitching got us through this year.”
“They’re tenacious. They battled,” said McDonnell of his troops. “From where we started and where we finished, we got a lot better. We turned it on at the end of the season. We lost two close games to Fifth Ward (in the playoffs).”
Myerstown touched Duran-Dedios for a pair of runs in the top of the first inning, courtesy of Colin Bogart’s two-out, two-run single. But after that, Duran-Dedios surrendered only one run and three hits.
Duran-Dedios, who struck out five and walked two, retired 13 of the last 14 hitters he faced.
“Ander’s been lights out all year,” said Kreiser. “He’s been our horse. We were going to ride him as far as he would take us.”
“He (Duran-Dedios) did a great job of battling through control issues,” said McDonnell. “He hung in there. His defense supported him. I tip my cap to him.”
Fifth Ward matched Myerstown’s first inning runs with one of its own. Lead-off man Griffin Gonzalez walked, stole second and third and scored on Randy Polanco’s sacrifice fly to make it a 2-1 game.
“I told them (his players) at our first practice, ‘We can win the whole league,’” said Kreiser. “But I say that every year. We’ve been our own worst enemy. This year, it’s been a maturity thing. I think these kids have been buying into the philosophy a little more than the kids in other years. It’s been frustrating as (heck).”
“What I’m impressed with is how much we matured and got better,” said McDonnell. “We’re young, age-wise. Hopefully we’ll have most of our kids back next season. Our hitting improved. Our pitching improved. Our fielding improved. You can’t ask for more than that.”
Lebanon County American Legion League Past Champions
- 2023 – Fifth Ward
- 2022 – Annville
- 2021 – Myerstown
- 2020 – COVID-19
- 2019- Campbelltown
- 2018 – Richland
- 2017 – Fredericksburg
- 2016 – Annville
- 2015 – Myerstown
- 2014 – Myerstown
- 2013 – Campbelltown
- 2012 – Campbelltown
- 2011 – Annville
- 2010 – Campbelltown
- 2009 — Fredericksburg
- 2008 — Fredericksburg
- 2007 — Richland
- 2006 — Richland
- 2005 — Richland
- 2004 — Annville
- 2003 — Fredericksburg
- 2002 — Richland
- 2001 — Fredericksburg
- 2000 — Fredericksburg
- 1999 — Fredericksburg
- 1998 — Palmyra
- 1997 — Fredericksburg
- 1996 — Fredericksburg
- 1995 — Fredericksburg
- 1994 — Fredericksburg
- 1993 — Fredericksburg*
- 1992 — Palmyra
- 1991 — Palmyra
- 1990 — Fredericksburg
- 1989 — Fredericksburg
- 1988 — Palmyra
- 1987 — Fredericksburg
- 1986 — Fredericksburg*
- 1985 — Myerstown
- 1984 — Richland
- 1983 — Lebanon
- 1982 — Lebanon
- 1981 — Fredericksburg*
- 1980 — Richland
- 1979 — Fredericksburg
- 1978 — Myerstown
- 1977 — Fredericksburg
- 1976 — Fredericksburg
- 1975 — Myerstown
- 1974 — Lebanon
- 1973 — Fredericksburg
- 1972 — Myerstown*
- 1971 — Myerstown*
- 1970 — Annville*
- 1969 — Annville*
- 1968 — Myerstown
- 1967 — Myerstown
- 1966 — Myerstown
- 1965 — Myerstown
- 1964 — Richland
- 1963 — Lebanon
- 1962 — Richland
- 1961 — Richland*
- 1960 — Not Contested
- 1959 — Fredericksburg
- 1958 — Fredericksburg
- 1957 — Fredericksburg
- 1956 — Lebanon
- 1955 — Myerstown
- 1954 — Jonestown*
- 1953 — Myerstown
- 1952 — Palmyra*
- 1951 — Palmyra
- 1950 — Palmyra
- 1949 — Annville
- 1948 — Myerstown*
- 1947 — Lebanon
- 1946 — Myerstown
- 1945 — Not Contested (World War II)
- 1944 — Not Contested (World War II)
- 1943 — Not Contested (World War II)
- 1942 — Not Contested (World War II)
- 1941 — Lebanon*
- 1940 — Myerstown
- 1939 — Myerstown
- 1938 — Myerstown*
- 1937 — Lebanon*
- 1936 — Lebanon
- 1935 — Annville
- 1934 — Annville
- 1933 — Myerstown
- 1932 — Lebanon*
- 1931 — Orioles*
- 1930 — Fifth Ward
- 1929 — Progressive
* Denotes regional champions
Note — The 1937 Lebanon squad was the only team from the county to win a state title. The 1981 Fredericksburg, the 1948 Myerstown, and the 1938 Myerstown clubs were all state runners-up.
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