North Raleigh Post 297 ended Garner Post 232's season with a 4-2 victory on Friday night, giving Post 297 a 3-1 series victory.

Clayton-based Post 71 took control of its American Legion Baseball Area I West Division playoff series against with a 20-10 victory Thursday night at Leesville Road High School. The Sabres lead the best-of-five series, 2-1. Game 4 is set for Friday night back at Leesville.

Meanwhile, North Raleigh Post 297 downed Garner Post 232 16-9, moving Post 297 to a 2-1 lead in the series. Game 4 is Friday night at Millbrook High School.

Garner pulled even with North Raleigh Post 297 in Game 2 of its American Legion Baseball Area I West Division best-of-five playoff series on Wednesday night, taking an 11-7 victory. Philip Myrick picked up the complete-game victory for Post 232, whichs hosts Game 3 tonight at 7 p.m. 

Post 71 of Clayton and Smithfield fell to Raleigh Post 1 12-10 on Wednesday night, evening that series up at one game apiece as well. Game 3 is tonight at Leesville Road High School in Raleigh. First pitch is at 7 p.m.

Clayton-based Post 71 held off Raleigh Post 1 for an 8-7 victory Tuesday night in the opener of their best-of-five American Legion Baseball Area I West playoff series. Logan Smitherman scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth.

Ryan Daughtry struck out the game's final three batters with the potential game-tying run standing on second base.

Game 2 is set for tonight (Wednesday) at Smithfield-Selma High School at 7 p.m.

North Raleigh Post 297 downed Garner Post 232, 6-3, in their opener at Trojan Park. Max Gagnon led the Post 297 pitching effort, which held Post 232 to just five hits.

Game 2 is set for Millbrook High School tonight at 7 p.m.

Garner Post 232 vs. North Raleigh Post 297

Game 1: Tuesday at Garner High School in Garner, 7 p.m.

Game 2: Wednesday at Millbrook High School in Garner, 7 p.m.

Game 3: Thursday at Garner High School in Garner, 7 p.m. 

Game 4 (if necessary): Friday at Millbrook High School in Garner, 7 p.m.

Game 5 (if necessary): Saturday at Garner High School in Garner, TBA 

Post 71 Sabres vs. Raleigh Post 1

Game 1: Tuesday at Smithfield-Selma High School, 7 p.m.

Game 2: Wednesday at Smithfield-Selma High School, 7 p.m.

Game 3: Thursday at Leesville Road High School, 7 p.m. 

Game 4 (if necessary): Friday at Leesville Road High School, 7 p.m.

Game 5 (if necessary): Saturday at Smithfield-Selma High School, 7 p.m.

Here are the first round pairings for the Area I West American Legion Baseball Playoffs. All series are best-of-five. With the higher seeded team having home field advantage. Play begins Tuesday night.

No. 6 seed North Raleigh Post 297 faces No. 3 seed Garner Post 232. Garner will host games 1, 3 and 5.

No. 4 seed Post 71 of Clayton faces No. 5 seed Raleigh Post 1 in the opening round. No. 2 Cary will meet No. 7 Apex.

No. 1 seed Durham Post 7 has a bye; eight place finisher Benson Banner Post 109 missed the playoffs.

From correspondent Jay Mumford:

Wednesday night's American Legion senior baseball game between Are One, Western Division rivals Benson Post 109 and Garner Post 232 was called in the bottom of the fourth inning due to rain, which made the Bruce Coats field diamond unplayable.

Benson led, 6-2, but Garner had runners on first and second with no one out when the storm chased the teams off the field.

To the disappointment of Post 109 and coach Earl Stephenson, the game, which will be made up June 26, will start anew as five innings were not completed, washing away all of Wednesday's statistics, including 2-for-2 nights at the plate by Benson's Preston Major and Chris Sanders and a 2-for-3 effort by Michael Johnson.

Tonight's American Legion Baseball battle between Garner Post 232 and Benson Banner Post 109 will be played at South Johnston High School instead of Garner. Game time is 7:30 p.m.

The area American Legion Baseball season gets rolling this weekend.
Garner kicks things off tonight (Thursday) at Trojan Park. Post 232
will also host a Legion Baseball Expo featuring four games with Apex,
Winston-Salem and Garner on Saturday and Sunday.

Clayton-based Post 71, which finished in the top-five in last year's state tournament, opens its season Saturday in Greenville. Benson Post 109 also debuts Saturday
at North Raleigh Post 297.

Here's at look at the first week of area Legion action: