Reporter: Union Leader 8/9/11

OLD ORCHARD BEACH, Maine — Bedford’s Stevens-Buswell Post 54 completed its sweep of the American Legion Baseball New England Regional today, earning a berth in the Legion World Series with a 10-0 victory over Whitestown, N.Y., at The Ballpark.

Lucas Olen continued his dominant postseason pitching for Bedford, shutting Whitestown down on four hits over eight innings before the game ended under the 10-run “mercy” rule. The right-hander went 2-0 in the regional, allowing one run in 17 innings, after pitching a complete-game shutout in the New Hampshire state final against Dover Post 8.

Bedford, which went 5-0 in the regional, will travel to Shelby, N.C., for the World Series, which opens Friday and concludes on Tuesday, Aug. 16.

Post 54 is the first New Hampshire team to reach the Series since Manchester’s Sweeney Post in 2002.