The Pittsburg Post 64 Patriots continued their run in the American Legion Mid-South Regional, losing to Paragould, Arkansas 8-5 on Thursday but salvaging their season with a 4-2 victory over the Lafayette, Louisiana Drillers on Friday afternoon.
Game One
The game was scoreless until the third inning when Pittsburg broke the deadlock. Kaleb Scales doubled to right field to open the scoring, driving in Ethan Rhodes, followed by RBI singles from Tucker Akins and Connor VanBecelaere.
The wheels fell off in the bottom half of the third, as Paragould scored eight runs to take a commanding lead. Pittsburg gave up runs off a bases-loaded walk followed by a hit batter, and Matt Gardner’s two-RBI single gave Paragould the lead followed by a two-RBI double from Ashton Williams and a two-RBI single from Brooks Nigut.
The Patriots have made late comebacks a habit with seventh inning rallies against Iola in the Super State championship and Shelby County in the first game of regionals, and they nearly came from behind again scoring two runs in the sixth inning to clip the Paragould lead to three. But Pittsburg went down in order in the seventh inning to seal the game.
Pittsburg managed only seven hits and allowed seven walks. Hunter Bennett was tagged with the loss, pitching two innings.
Game Two
It was a fifth inning rally that helped Pittsburg overcome Lafayette and keep its season alive.
The Patriots had to come from behind once again, as singles from Erik Heiken and Dylan Dronet drove in runs in the first inning to give Lafayette the lead, but a single from Connor VanBecelaere cut the lead in half in Pittsburg’s half of the inning.
Pittsburg’s Jonah Sparks and Lafayette’s Cameron Gonzalez pitched gems, as the two teams were held scoreless until the fifth inning. The Bennett brothers broke the deadlock, as Ethan Bennett drove in Tucker Amershek on a line drive to center field followed by Hunter Bennett who drove a single to right field to drive in two runs, scoring Carsen Nickelson and VanBecelaere in what would be the pivotal inning.
Jonah Sparks earned a complete game victory, striking out three batters and allowing just two runs.
Pittsburg advances to Saturday, and will play the winner of Friday’s game between Paragould and Troy, Alabama. Washington, Missouri advanced in the early game on Friday, defeating Panola, Mississippi 1-0 and will face the loser of the Paragould-Troy game.
Pittsburg 003 002 0—5 7 3
Paragould 008 000 x—8 5 0
Hunter Bennett, Carsen Nickelson (3), and Tucker Akins; Camden Farmer, Matt Moore (6), Asher Griffin (6), and Trey Fikes. W—Farmer, L—Bennett. 2B—Pitt: Kaleb Scales; Paragould: Kayson Becker, Ashton Williams.
Lafayette 200 000 0—2 5 2
Pittsburg 100 030 x—4 8 1
Cameron Gonzalez, Cohen Elkins (5), and Erik Heiken; Jonah Sparks and Tucker Akins. W—Sparks, L—Gonzalez. 2B—Pitt: Akins.
