August 13, 2021

ALWS Game 5: 'Road warriors' from Tupelo roll to win

By Richard Walker
Baseball

Tupelo, Miss., Post 49 cruises to win over Fargo, N.D., Post 400.

Tupelo, Miss., Post 49 coach McKinley Holland has lost 10 straight coin flips for home team in American Legion Baseball games.

Given Tupelo's recent success, being "road warriors" hasn't been a problem for Post 49.

It certainly wasn't on Friday afternoon as Tupelo scored three in the top of the first inning and scored in every inning of a 11-1, 6-inning victory over Fargo, N.D., Post 400, at the American Legion World Series at Keeter Stadium in Shelby, N.C.

"We preach it every day: How do you respond?" said Holland, whose team lost 6-1 in its Thursday tournament opener to Ridge, Md. "We were pleased with the way we came out and the sense of urgency that we played with."

Noah Foster (three hits, two RBIs), Ben Davis (two hits, one RBI), Davis Oswalt (one hit, three RBIs), Stone Collier (one hit, two RBIs), Jackson McCoy (one hit, one RBI) and Alex Marshall (one hit, one RBI) led a 10-hit offense that tacked on two runs in the second, one each in the third and fourth, three in the fifth and one in the sixth.

It improved Tupelo's record in the last 10 games to 8-2, all after losing pregame coin flips to determine the home team.

“You know, it's nothing we're not used to now," Holland said of being the road team in so many games. "We obviously like it when we get on the board first like we did today."

The rest was up to Tupelo starter and winner Caleb Goddard and reliever Hayden Donahue. Goddard yielded two hits and five walks in five innings with four strikeouts and Hayden Donahue benefitted from a double play grounder to retire all three batters he faced.

"He (Goddard) was getting tired out there but he gave us everything he had," Holland said. "He gave us exactly what we needed, and that's a quality start."

A fielding error, Foster's RBI single and Oswalt's RBI groundout accounted for the first inning runs.

Collier's sacrifice fly and Foster's RBI single made it 5-0 in the second. Marshall's RBI single made it 6-1 in the third. Davis' RBI single made it 7-1 in the fourth. Oswalt's home run and back-to-back RBI doubles by McCoy and Collier made it 10-1 in the fifth. And Oswalt's sacrifice fly to score Davis after his leadoff double made it 11-1 in the sixth.

Fargo, which fell to 0-2 in the tournament, scored its only run in the second on Tate Gustafson's two-out RBI triple.

Tupelo will face Honolulu, Haw., at 7:30 p.m. Saturday while Fargo faces Ridge, Md., at 4 p.m. Sunday.

A Tupelo 49ers player looks onto the field during the game between Fargo, North Dakota, and Tupelo, Mississippi, at Keeter Stadium in Shelby, North Carolina, on Aug. 13, 2021. Photo by Ben Mikesell/The American Legion
Tupelo 49ers catcher Ben Davis waits for his pitch during the game between Fargo, North Dakota, and Tupelo, Mississippi, at Keeter Stadium in Shelby, North Carolina, on Aug. 13, 2021.Photo by Ben Mikesell/The American Legion
Fargo Post 400 catcher Tate Gustafson drives in a run during the game between Fargo, North Dakota, and Tupelo, Mississippi, at Keeter Stadium in Shelby, North Carolina, on Aug. 13, 2021. Photo by Ben Mikesell/The American Legion
Tupelo 49ers shortstop Khi Holiday celebrates making an out during the game between Fargo, North Dakota, and Tupelo, Mississippi, at Keeter Stadium in Shelby, North Carolina, on Aug. 13, 2021. Photo by Ben Mikesell/The American Legion
Fargo Post 400 third baseman Eli Mach makes an error during the game between Fargo, North Dakota, and Tupelo, Mississippi, at Keeter Stadium in Shelby, North Carolina, on Aug. 13, 2021. Photo by Ben Mikesell/The American Legion
Ridge Post 255 stands for the national anthem before game 6 of the American Legion World Series between Honolulu, Hawaii, and Ridge, Maryland, at Keeter Stadium in Shelby, North Carolina, on Aug. 13, 2021. Photo by Ben Mikesell/The American Legion
Hawaii Team Central right fielder Alohi Arecchi runs to second base in game 6 of the American Legion World Series between Honolulu, Hawaii, and Ridge, Maryland, at Keeter Stadium in Shelby, North Carolina, on Aug. 13, 2021. Photo by Ben Mikesell/The American Legion
Ridge Post 255 left fielder Philip McCarthy swings at a pitch in game 6 of the American Legion World Series between Honolulu, Hawaii, and Ridge, Maryland, at Keeter Stadium in Shelby, North Carolina, on Aug. 13, 2021. Photo by Ben Mikesell/The American Legion
Hawaii Team Central shortstop Hunter Hirayama celebrates scoring a run in game 6 of the American Legion World Series between Honolulu, Hawaii, and Ridge, Maryland, at Keeter Stadium in Shelby, North Carolina, on Aug. 13, 2021.
Ridge Post 255 pitcher Allen Miller delivers a pitch in game 6 of the American Legion World Series between Honolulu, Hawaii, and Ridge, Maryland, at Keeter Stadium in Shelby, North Carolina, on Aug. 13, 2021. Photo by Ben Mikesell/The American Legion
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