In the opening game of its season, the American Legion Post 70 Troy baseball had a fight to the finish.

In its game against Wiregrass, which was held at Frazier Field, all that separated Troy for a victory was an error in the seventh inning, as the Cardinals would win 6-5.

“(Coming into the game) I wasn’t familiar with a lot of the players on this team,” head coach Logan Pierce said after the loss. “But I thought they all played pretty well.”

“I thought the guys on the mound did a good job of keeping us in the game and I thought we did a pretty good job at the plate.”

Troy fell behind early, as Wiregrass was able to get a 2-0 lead on Trojan starter Lawson Stewart thanks to situational base running and fielding errors.

At the plate, the Trojans struggled as it was held hit less until the third inning.

In that inning, Jalin Lawson brought Kane Meredith home with a two-out double, to cut the lead to just one run.

The Cardinals would answer back in the next half inning with another run, to bring its lead to 3-1.

An inning and a half later, it was Lawson again who came through for this team, this time getting two runs across the plate thanks to another double, and in the process, giving the Trojans a 4-3 lead. Again, the Cardinals would answer in the next half inning, this time scoring two runs, to reclaim the lead at 5-4.

A scoreless Trojan inning would lead to the top of the seventh, with Lawson on the mound coming in for Blake Hutchinson.

While, Lawson did not give up a hit, he allowed a lead off walk, which ended up being the difference in the ball game. After a stolen base, and a throwing error, Wiregrass had a runner on third, and after Lawson tried a pick-off attempt that got away from third baseman Harrison Reeves, that runner crossed the plate.

“We have to improve on base running,” Pierce said after the game. “That is one part of the game that hurt us a little bit today – that and some little fundamental stuff. But I’m sure these things will get better as the season goes on,” Pierce said. On the mound, Stewart finished with four strikeouts while giving up five hits and three runs in four innings. Hutchinson had three strikeouts while giving up two runs on one hit in an inning and two thirds. Lawson got the loss, while striking out one and giving up one run.

“I was a little bit rusty,” Stewart said. I have to work on my pitching a little bit more, but I think I will be fine.”

Stewart, who played on the Pike Liberal Arts varsity baseball team this past season, joined on with Post 70, which is primarily filled with players from the Charles Henderson baseball program.

“I thought it would be cool to come and play with some of my old friends,” he said about playing on the team.

At the plate, Lawson went 3-4 with three doubles and three RBIs.