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It took until the final game of the 2010 regular season, but the field for this week's Montgomery Division American Legion baseball tournament was finally set Sunday afternoon.

Sandy Spring Post 68 (18-7) and Laurel Post 60 (16-9) locked up the top two seeds, respectively, in Saturday's games. Damascus Post 171 (16-9) punched its ticket with an 11-0 win against Post 68 on Sunday.

That left the fourth and final seed. A win by Cissel Saxon Post 41 (14-11) against La Plata Post 82 on Sunday would have put it into the playoffs for the first time since 2008. Instead, Post 41 fell, 6-2, allowing two-time defending champion Gaithersburg Post 295 (14-11) to slip into that final slot.

"We picked a bad time to hit a little losing streak," said Post 41 manager Scott Dunlap, whose squad dropped four of six games to end the season. "Things didn't shake out for us this year. We weren't getting key hits at the right times."

Post 295 won two of its three games against Cissel Saxon this season to break the tie. As the host of next week's Maryland State American Legion tournament at the University of Maryland's Shipley Field, Gaithersburg was already guaranteed a spot in states.

If Post 295 wins the Montgomery Division title, the team it beats in the final will also advance to the state tournament. Otherwise, the winner of the division tournament will join Gaithersburg in College Park.

The double-elimination division tournament begins Tuesday and is slated to conclude with Friday's championship game.

"We were fortunate on the last day to get some help from La Plata," Gaithersburg coach Rick Price said. "The last time [Post 295 failed to reach the playoffs] was in 1991. It's been almost 20 years, so it definitely would have been disappointing. Our guys are playing a lot better. We'll see what we can do in the playoffs."

Gaithersburg's reward for making the playoffs is to face top-seeded Post 68, which won five of its final six games. The lone loss in that time was the setback to Damascus on Sunday in a game Sandy Spring did not need for playoff seeding.

Because Post 68 finished up the bulk of its season during the middle of last week, Sandy Spring's vaunted pitching staff — led by Jimmy Belfont, Stephen Bonser, and Zack Lawhorn — is well-rested going into tournament play. The hosted Post 295 in the first round Tuesday.

"That's probably the biggest thing we have going for us," Post 68 manager Jeremy Hannan said. "Every pitcher has had at least five days of rest. All five starters are rested."

Laurel Post 60 hosted Damascus in the other first-round game 5 p.m. Tuesday at Good Counsel. Post 60 won two of three from Post 171, including a 4-3 decision Saturday.

Laurel, the lone team from outside of the county in the Montgomery Division, is guided by Kevin Kratochwill (.447, 15 RBI), Kory Britton (.527, 16 RBI) and Christian Laidley (.557, 15 RBI).

Post 171, which negated a slow start with a great finish, is paced by A.J. Bowman, Chris Betts, Ryan McGuigan and Anthony Papio and on the mound largely by Bobby Whalen, Brody Heflin and Cody Jacobs.

Joey Saah has given Damascus a big lift with his versatile play, including at catcher. He's also recently seen action at shortstop and third base.

"I think you've got the right four teams in the playoffs," Post 171 manager Tommy Davis said. "We're very comfortable with the group we put on the field."