ALWS Game 8: Nebraska shuts out New Jersey

Lincoln (Neb.) Post 3 pitcher Paul Shortridge sure picked a good time for his first shutout this season.

After losing its opener, Lincoln evened its pool play record at 1-1 with a five-hit shutout of Brooklawn (N.J.) Post 72 in a 3-0 victory in Saturday’s Game 8 of the American Legion World Series at Veterans Field at Keeter Stadium in Shelby, N.C.

“Paul’s got as big a heart as anybody we’ve ever put out on the mound,” Lincoln coach Mychal Lanik said. “We knew he’d give us everything he had.

“I think they were hitting .373 as a team and have scored double digits in nine of their last 10 games so it’s one of the most incredible performances I’ve ever seen.”

Shortridge also survived rallies by Brooklawn in the first, second, sixth and seventh innings to take the victory that throws the Stripes division of the ALWS into some disarray. Entering Sunday’s final day of pool play, only Florence (S.C.) Post 1 (2-0) is unbeaten while Lincoln and Brooklawn are 1-1 each and Cedar Rapids, (Iowa) Post 671 is 0-2.

In Sunday’s games, Lincoln meets Cedar Rapids at 4 p.m. and Brooklawn meets Florence at 7 p.m. Florence clinches a berth to Monday’s semifinals with a victory but a Florence loss could create the need for tiebreakers to determine the two semifinalists.

If three teams are tied, the first tiebreaker is fewest runs allowed overall. Through the first two games, Lincoln has allowed 3 runs; Florence has allowed 4; Brooklawn has allowed 5; and Cedar Rapids has allowed 14. But none of the teams are officially eliminated yet.

To keep its season alive, Post 3 survived missed scoring opportunities in the first, third and fourth innings before scoring twice in the fifth and once more in the sixth.

“We had second and third and nobody out in the first and didn’t score,” Lanik said. “We had first and third and nobody out in the third and didn’t score. So for us to give Paul the lead (in the fifth) was really nice.

“I told the guys before the game that I expected a 2 1/2-hour war and that's what it was.”

Tanner Peterson’s RBI single and Owen Laessig’s RBI groundout accounted for the two fifth-inning runs and Garrett Springer’s two-out RBI single made it 3-0 in the sixth.

Springer, Kai Burkey and A.J. Evasco had two hits apiece to lead Lincoln’s nine-hit offense.

The rest was up to Shortridge, a rising senior at Lincoln East High School.

“Honestly, everything was going pretty good,” said Shortridge, who struck out two and walked five. “I was feeling my change up and my curveball. I lost it a little bit there at the end but my defense was incredible and bailed me out.

“Mason Gaines in center field was incredible saving so many runs and Tanner Peterson at third base got the last out there for us at the end.”

For Brooklawn, R.J. Mustaro had two of Post 72’s five hits.

“I knew they were a good hitting team and one of the greatest Legion programs ever so I respected them,” Shortridge said of Brooklawn, which is making its ALWS-record 17th appearance in the event.