Chapin-Newberry team wins American Legion World Series

The drought is over.

Chapin-Newberry became the first South Carolina team in 79 years to win an American Legion World Series championship by defeating Louisiana 9-2 on Tuesday at Keeter Stadium.

Post 193/24, made up of players from Newberry, Mid-Carolina, Dutch Fork and Clinton, becomes the first team since Spartanburg in 1936 to win the championship.

C-N finishes the season at 32-1 with its lone loss coming to Louisiana on Saturday in the tournament. But Chapin-Newberry rallied to win its next two, including in its final at-bat Monday to defeat Michigan, to advance to the championship.

Post 193/24 didn’t need any late inning heroics in the championship. C-N scored two in the first on Justin Hawkins’ third homer of the tournament to lead 2-1. Hawkins was named the tournament MVP.

Chapin-Newberry then tacked on three in the sixth and four in the eighth to lead 9-2.

Kevis Burton had three hits and two RBIs to lead C-N. Peyton Spangler and Hawkins each drove in two runs. Hawkins homered in each of the final three games of the tournament for Post 193/24.

All nine Chapin-Newberry starters had at least one hit in the game.

Ryne Huggins picked up the win in relief for C-N. In 4 2/3 innings, the Clemson commit allowed two hits, one run, walked two and struck out five.

This story was originally published August 18, 2015 at 9:58 PM with the headline "Chapin-Newberry team wins American Legion World Series."