NEW CASTLE — Delaware Post-1 started strong and ended even stronger in the winners bracket final of the American Legion baseball state tournament.

Fox Post-2 fell to top-seeded Post-1 10-0 on Thursday afternoon at Wilson Field. The game was pushed back multiple days due to rain.

It was Fox Post-2’s first loss of the double-elimination tourney. The Dover-area squad will play the Post-10 Generals in an elimination game today at noon, also at Wilson Field.

The other semifinal game will be Delaware Post-1, the only unbeaten team remaining, against Canal Post-25 Middletown. If Delaware Post-1 wins, Canal Post-25 Middletown will be eliminated and the winner of Fox Post-2 vs. Post-10 Generals will face Delaware Post-1 for the championship on Saturday at noon.

If Post-1 loses today, three teams will advance to Saturday’s championship round with the first game at noon and the championship at 4 p.m. The exact schedule in that scenario has not been announced yet.

Post-1 used a three-run first inning to take an early lead. It scored five more in the fifth to end the game early due to the 10-run mercy rule.

Chris Ludman, who just finished his freshman season with the University of Delaware, pitched all five innings for Delaware Post-1 and held Fox Post-2 to only two hits.

Ludman, a St. Mark’s product, needed just 62 pitches to record the shutout. He struck out six and walked one.

Dom Velazquez (Dover High) and Evan Harris (Polytech High) each had a single to lead the Fox Post-2 offense. Noah Lanouette (Dover) was the only other Fox Post-2 player to reach base with a walk.

The first three batters of the contest reached base for Delaware Post-1, which is made up of players from the Hockessin-Pike Creek area. Mike Cautillo led off with a hit by pitch, Austin Colmery singled and Nate Thomas walked to load the bases.

Marshall Awtry then launched a deep fly to rightfield which struck the top of the fence before ricocheting back into play as two runs scored on his double. Ryan Williams added a sacrifice fly later in the inning.

Delaware Post-1 combined for seven runs in the final two innings.

Matt Poma singled before Cautillo drove him in with a single in the bottom of the fourth. Jacques Dubecq scored the second run when he stole home off a double-steal.

Delaware Post-1 had the first three batters reach again in the bottom of the fifth. All three walked before Williams singled in a pair.

Two more walks followed while two runs scored on two wild pitches.

Colmery ended the game by poking a single into right to score the ninth and 10th runs. Eight of Post-1’s starters scored at least one run.