BY JEFF FALK

 EPHRATA – To realize success at the regional tournament, teams must navigate some initial hurdles – its aura, its power to take you out of your comfort zone, its ability to disrupt your continuity and consistency.

 For Campbelltown, it was just more of the same. And that was a good thing.

 On a steamy Friday afternoon at Ephrata’s War Memorial Field, Campbelltown’s magical summer spilled over into the regional postseason, with a 7-5 triumph over Mechanicsubrg, in the opening round of the eight-team, double-elimination Region Four tournament. After racing out to an early 6-0 lead, Campbelltown held off Mechanicsburg behind a gutsy route-going outing by starter Braeden Drescher.

 With the outcome, the Lebanon County champions moved to 19-2 overall and into Saturday’s 7 p.m. winner’s bracket contest, versus the winner between host Ephrata and York County runner-up New Oxford. It was also Campbelltown’s seventh straight triumph, four of which have been of the playoff variety.

 Mechanicsburg, the runner-up from Cumberland County, slipped to 11-6 and into the consolation bracket of the event.

  “It’s a regional championship that we’d love to have,” said Campbelltown skipper Tim Morgan. “This whole team is coming back next year. But (Brian) Coburn and (Christian) Kreiser weren’t here today. If we can survive another day, they’re coming back. When they’re not here it changes the chemistry of the team.”

 “We’re trying to win it all,” said outfielder Trevor Binner, who drove in three of the Campbelltown runs, “go to states and win that too. We thought we had a good chance coming into this. We thought we could do well.

 “It’s really important to win the first one,” continued Binner. “You just have to have confidence in yourself. We play at 7 (p.m.) tomorrow, we’ll get some rest and hopefully go out and win that one too.”

  At the outset, Campbelltown appeared poised to blow Mechanicsburg away.

  In the top of the opening inning, Gage Miller’s lead-off single and Kasey Shughart’s sacrifice paved the way for a Binner RBI-triple and an Austin Ball RBI-single, and C-town’s 2-0 lead. Then in the top of the second, Post 831 was back at it again.

  A two-run double from Binner and another run-producing safety from Baal made it 6-0. That stage had been set by walks to Shughart and Drescher, Ben Slusser being hit by a pitch and a wild pitch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lebanon County American Legion League
Past Champions

 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.