Chapin-Newberry Post 193 rallies in top of ninth inning, Retif Oil does same in bottom of 10th to clinch spots in American Legion World Series championship.
The team that wouldn’t quit showed it had another late-game rally in it. And then its next opponent did the same.
Chapin-Newberry (South Carolina) Post 193 scored twice in the top of the ninth inning to knock off Medford (Ore.) Post 15, 4-3, on Monday to earn a spot in The American Legion World Series championship game. And a few hours later, Retif Oil (New Orleans) scored twice in the bottom of the 10th inning to upend two-time defending champ Brooklawn (N.J.) Post 72, 4-3, for the other championship spot.
The two one-run games were the 10th and 11th of this year’s tournament. Chapin-Newberry and Retif Oil will play at 7 p.m. in tonight’s championship game, which will be broadcast live on ESPNU.
Chapin-Newberry (South Carolina) Post 193 - 4, Medford (Ore.) Post 15 - 3. Danton Hyman’s bunt single brought home the winning run and put Post 193 (31-1) in its first World Series final one day after it overcame a 6-1 deficit in the top of the eighth inning to earn a spot in the semifinals.
Chapin-Newberry tied the game on a deep fly ball from Zach Ziesing that scored Landon Allison, who had singled earlier in the inning. Hyman followed with a perfectly executed bunt that he beat out for a single. Duncan Crotwell, who had singled earlier and advanced to third on Ziesing’s fly ball, came home on the bunt for the winning run.
"I saw the third baseman playing way back behind the game, and I kind of looked at Duncan over there," Hyman said. "I said ‘be ready,’ and he nodded. I bunt all the time, and I knew if I got the pitch I could lay it down.”
Post 193 pitcher Patrick Yoder pitched a perfect ninth for his second save in as many nights. Peyton Spangler got the win in relief, pitching two innings. Kevis Porter started and went the first six innings, allowing two earned runs.
Yoder wasn’t surprised he got the opportunity for the save. “This team has no quit in them,” he said. “I knew that when they started hitting that we had a chance to come back in the ninth. I went out there and did my job. That’s the role I thrive in. That’s what I love doing.”
Jordan Ragan went the first 7.2 innings for Medford (44-14), allowing two earned runs while striking out nine.
Post 193 struck first in the top of the third. Ziesing walked and was forced out at second on Hyman’s fielder’s choice. Spangler then followed with a shot into deep –left center field, and Hyman sprinted all the way around to cross home plate and give his team a 1-0 lead.
But the lead was short-lived. Jared Evans led off the bottom of the third with a single, and Micah Brown then delivered a shot that cleared the leftfield fence and gave Medford a 2-1 lead.
Austin Zavala added an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh for Medford, but Justin Hawkins countered with a solo home run in the top of the eighth to bring Post 193 within a run.
New Orleans Retif Oil - 4, Brooklawn (N.J.) Post 72 - 3, 10 innings. Trent Forshag delivered a two-run single in the bottom of the 10th inning to propel Retif Oil (35-7) past Brooklawn. Brooklawn had won the past two ALWS titles, but Retif Manager Joseph Latino wasn’t surprised when his team was able to rally and knock off the two-time champs.
“That’s just a strong belief in these boys: Watching them do it time and time again this summer, watching their never-quit attitude,” Latino said. “I told the third-base umpire right before the inning started, ‘I can guarantee you one thing: We’re not going to quit.’ And we didn’t.”
Brooklawn (46-7) had taken a 3-2 lead in the top half of the inning when Sean Breen walked, moved over on a single and then scored on an error. But in the bottom half of the inning, Nicholas Ray singled and Brandon Briuglio walked. A single by Ben Hess loaded the bases. Forshag’s sharp single brought home Ray and pinch runner Connor Maginnis for the win.
Forshag committed the error that led to Brooklawn’s run in the top of the 10th. “I just wanted to put the ball in play,” he said of his game-winning at-bat. “After everything that happened today, it’s kind of ironic that it happened to be me. I just wanted to get that run back for my team because I gave up the run.”
Brooklawn drew first blood in the top of the first. Fran Kinsey opened the game with a single and took second on a throwing error. He moved to third on Ray Taylor’s groundout and then scored on Breen’s RBI grounder.
Retif came back in the bottom of the third. Harrison Daste reached on an error, moved to third on Briuglio’s single and then came home on Hess’ groundout.
But Brooklawn countered in the top of the fourth. Lucas Rollins walked, moved to second on a passed ball and then took third on a grounder. An infield error then plated Rollins to give his team a 2-1 lead.
Two innings later, Retif Oil was back in business. Hess singled and then took third when Forshag singled. Scott Crabtree’s deep fly to center field brought Hess home to tie the game at 2.
Mason Mayfield got the final two outs to pick up the win for Retif. David Boh allowed two unearned runs in five innings before being relieved by Hayden Fuentes, who allowed just one unearned run over 4.1 innings of work.
Dante Scafidi pitched 9.1 innings for Brooklawn allowing three earned runs and striking out 10.
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