It took Ian Whitman most of the summer to round into his old pitching self. But now that he has, he has the look of a hurler who could lead a club to a championship.

On Saturday night at Earl Wenger Memorial Field in Fredericksburg, Whitman looked like – well, like Whitman – in pitching Post 915 to a 2-1, nine-inning triumph over Annville, in F-burg’s opener of the double-elimination Lebanon County American Legion baseball league’s postseason. Whitman had a job to do, and didn’t mind if he had to work a little overtime to get it done.

Whitman needed all of 120 pitches to go all nine innings, finish what he started and pick up the win. Battery-mate and catcher Chase Dubendorf made a winner out of Whitman with his two-out hit to right field in the bottom of the second extra frame.

Whitman, who has been eased back into the Fredericksburg rotation after not pitching in the spring, fanned eight and walked one. The stocky right-hander surrendered only four Annville hits.

The win was regular-season champion Fredericksburg’s tenth straight overall and lifted it to 14-2 on the summer. It also set up a showdown with Campbelltown in the undefeated game of the Lebanon County American Legion League’s playoff format.

– Jeff Falk