The divisional races in the Sixth District East American Legion baseball league is tight with just one day of action left to decide who goes to the playoffs.

Tuesday’s match ups could have a major impact on who plays in the postseason and whose summer will come to an end.

The team that wins its division automatically advances to the regional tournament. The second and third place teams in each division play each other on the runner-up’s home field. The winner of that game gets a regional berth, but plays against the division’s first-place team for the division title at the first-place team’s field.

Laneco Construction (Pope John Paul II) second baseman Zack Pohto charges a ball and throws to first on the run during a game at Slidell that called due to darkness on June 24. The contest was resumed on Wednesday with Laneco Construction winning, 5-4, at SHS. Laneco Construction is in first place in the East Division with Tuesday'€™s game with Advantage Ford (Salmen High) remaining. (File Photo by Chris Kinkaid)

The East Division regional will be in New Orleans, while the West Division will head to Gonzales.

Everything in the East Division is still up for grabs.

Laneco Construction (Pope John Paul II) is in first place with a 5-2-divisional record after wrapping up a 5-4 win over Thomas Pump (Slidell High) Wednesday. That game was called due to darkness on June 24 in the eighth inning.

Laneco Construction has Tuesday’s home game left against Advantage Ford (Salmen High), which is 1-6 against the East.

Laneco Construction coach Mark Homburg likes the spot his team is in, but expects a tough game with Advantage Ford.

“It always feels good to control your own destiny,” Homburg said. “I like playing the game at home. We expect a dogfight. I expect nothing less from Salmen than to come out ready to play. I hope our guys do the same.”

Laneco Construction won the first meeting, 9-2.

Hood Chevrolet (Fontainebleau High) sits in second place with a 4-3-division record and will play at Home One Homes (Northlake Christian School), who is in fourth place at 3-3-1 in division play, Tuesday.

Thomas Pump is in third place with a 4-3-1 divisional mark. Thomas Pump has just the finish of a game with Home One Homes that was called after eight innings on June 3 because of darkness. At Thursday’s press time, no makeup date had been announced.

In the West Division, Piggly Wiggly (Loranger High) sits atop at 7-2 in division play with just one game left against Team Hammond (Hammond High), who is 0-9 in division competition.

Hammond coach Steve Labbe said there is a real good possibility Hammond could end up forfeiting Tuesday’s game due to a lack of players.

Peake BMW (St. Paul’s School) and LLOG Exploration (Mandeville High) are tied for second at 6-3 in the division and Pevey Realtors (Ponchatoula High) has a division mark of 5-4. LLOG Exploration and Pevey Realtors are scheduled to play each other on Tuesday in Ponchatoula.

If Pevey wins, there will be a tie for second or third place, depending on what Peake BMW does against American Legion Post 16 (Covington High) at CHS. Post 16 is 3-6 in the division.

Sixth District East American Legion chairman Jay Felker said he is thrilled about the close races.

“I’m excited,” Felker said. “The more teams that have the opportunity to make the playoffs, that will mean we will send more battle tested teams to the playoffs with a better chance to get to state.”