By WESLEY HALLMAN / Sports Editor

The American Legion Post 131 baseball team, based out of Columbiana, advanced to the semifinals of its Heart of Dixie Invitational tournament June 3 in its opening tournament of the summer.

Post 131 fell to its counterpart squad 8-7 in eight innings in the semifinal game.

Jeremy Hyde led the Post 131 team at the plate as he finished 2-for-4 at the plate with a pair of doubles. Hyde, a University of Montevallo signee, also drove in two runs.

Tyler Jackson and Colton Pate added one hit each and drove in two runs each.

Hyde took the loss after giving up three runs while striking out one batter in 1 1/3 innings.

Nick Foster started on the mound and gave up five runs on six hits with two strikeouts and three walks. Taylor Burr struck out two batters without giving up a run or a hit in 2 2/3 innings.

Post 131 defeated the Prattville Rays 13-1 in five innings in the quarterfinals June 2 to advance to the semifinals.

Hyde led the squad as he finished 3-for-3 at the plate and drove in two runs in the victory.

Chad Collum went 2-for-3 at the plate and drove in three runs. Burr went 1-for-1 at the plate and drove in three runs. Tyler Jackson finished 2-for-2 at the plate with a pair of triples and scored three runs.

Matt Collier, Ryan Garrett, Dylan Ochoa and Michael Schofield combined for the five-inning victory.

Post 131 defeated Clanton Post 6 18-8 in five innings June 2.

Hyde led the team as he finished 1-for-1 at the plate with a three-run homer. Collier went 2-for-4 at the plate with a homer. Jackson and Ben Craft added two hits each.

Matthew Graben earned the win on the mound after pitching 4 2/3 innings. Aron McRee closed out the victory with a strikeout.

Post 131 topped the Mississippi North Stars 4-3 on June 1.

Foster led the squad at the plate as he finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and a stolen base.

Hyde finished 1-for-3 at the plate and drove in one run. Eli Bashour finished 2-for-4 at the plate and drove in one run. Austin Drummonds, who drove in Hyde for the game-winning run in the top of the seventh inning, went 1-for-3 at the plate.

Burr earned the win on the mound after giving up two earned runs while striking out four batters in a complete-game victory.

Post 131 opened the tournament June 1 with a 4-0 win over Northport Post 208.

Drummonds finished 2-for-3 at the plate and drove in one run.

Craft and Schofield each finished 1-for-3 at the plate and drove in one run each. Bashour also drove in one run.

Pate, who carried a perfect game into the fifth inning, earned the win on the mound after giving up just two hits and finishing with four strikeouts in a complete-game