It certainly was not the season that Needham Legion baseball had in mind in 2021. Following an 0-11 regular season, Post 14 was given the opportunity to make amends with District Six forming its own double-elimination-style postseason tournament.
In order to qualify for the double-elimination round, all teams that did not win their respective divisions (Braintree - East, Franklin - West) needed to win a play-in round game. As the No. 7 seed in District Six West, Needham was matched up against No. 2 Dedham.
On Friday, Needham travelled to Dedham looking to not only keep their 2021 season alive, but also get in the win column for the first time all summer. Despite taking an early 1-0 lead thanks to an RBI single by Dillon Cooney, Needham was unable to withstand a seven-run second inning by Dedham.
Dedham's Frankie Desario Jr. and Malcolm Whitfield each finished the game with three RBI, with Whitfield hitting a pair of doubles, while DeSario was a home run away from hitting for the cycle. Whitfield's second RBI double of the night plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth, helping Post 18 to a 13-3 victory.
