Ledger photo by LARRY HILLIARD Post 109's Jared Mills hustles into third during first inning action on Tuesday against York. Gaffney beat York to capture the regular season league title and the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. There's been no secret to the success of the American Legion Post 109 junior team this season: solid pitching and taking advantage of its opponents' mistakes have carried the team to the top of the League V standings.

That winning formula was on display again in the regular-season finale against York.

Joe Copeland and Nick Smiley allowed a combined nine hits and Post 109 scored five unearned runs in a 13-8 win over York on Tuesday.

Post 109 clinched first place with an 11-4 record.

"I'm proud of the guys," Gaffney coach Travis Clary said. "They fought hard all season. It's a big accomplishment to finish first in our first year."

Top-seeded Gaffney opens the playoffs next week against No. 4 seed York. That series will likely be over quickly if York continues making miscues in the field.

After York scored three runs in the top of the first inning, Gaffney answered with five runs in the bottom of the inning. Jared Mills reached on a walk, then stole second and third. After Josh Mata walked, Michael Wright had an RBI single. Alex Trammell reached on another walk to load the bases before Mills and pinch runner James Martin scored on an error. Copeland tripled home the final run of the inning.

In the second inning, three more errors and a couple of walks led to four more runs for Post 109.

York pulled within 9-6 with three runs in the third.

Gaffney made it 10-6 in the fourth when Dylan Huskey walked and scored on Clay McKowen's groundout.

After York scored a run in the top of the sixth, Post 109 scored its final three runs in the bottom of the inning on Mata's RBI double, McKowen's single and an error.

Copeland went five innings and was charged with six runs. Smiley allowed three hits and two runs in two innings of work.

Gaffney will host game one of the best-of-three series on Monday. York will host game two and game three, if necessary, will be played at Commissioners Field on Wednesday.

"We are looking forward to the playoffs to see what kind of character we have," Clary said.