In the first year of the designated runner rule in the ALWS, League City Post 554 makes the comeback over Rockport (Ind.).
On a hot and humid Sunday afternoon at Veterans Field at Keeter Stadium in Shelby, N.C., League City (Tex.) Post 554 moved within two wins of their second American Legion World Series title in three years with a 4-3, come-from-behind, 10-inning, win over Rockport (Ind.) Post 254.
“Our team will never give up,” said League City head coach Ronnie Oliver, whose team advanced into Monday’s semifinals. “We’re going to give you a fight and we’ll fight to the end. And it showed up today for sure.
“A great performance by my pitchers. (Starter) Asa (Sampson) did a great job and (reliever and winner) Jarret (Williams) shut it down there in the last few innings.
“It was a great job. That’s a great team over there.”
Jackson Higgins, a three-year veteran and the only player left from League City’s 2023 ALWS championship team, clinched the victory with a hit to open the bottom of the 10th inning.
For the first time in ALWS history, the international rule of placing a runner on second base to open an inning was used in the 10th inning.
And after Williams completed his 3 2/3-inning effort by retiring three straight in the top of the 10th, Higgins drove in Caden Schindler with a sharp single to left on the second pitch of the at bat.
“It’s what I expect to do,” said Higgins, who had left two men on base in the bottom of the seventh with a deep fly ball to right field. “I wish I would’ve done it earlier. I’m just glad I got it done.”
Higgins was quick to praise Williams, League City’s No. 9 hitter whose two-run home run in the fifth inning cut a 3-0 Rockport lead to 3-2. And then Williams relieved starter Sampson after he had reached the pitch count limit at the end of a 6 1/3-inning, 7-strikeout effort.
“I’ve got to give it up to Jarret,” Higgins said of Williams, who had two hits and two RBIs and struck out five. “He hit a bomb and then he stepped up on the mound. He was the MVP for us today.”
Williams clearly had help, and he needed it against a determined Rockport team that scored on Peyton Gray’s two-run first-inning home run and Andersen Smith’s third-inning RBI single for a 3-0 lead.
Williams, Schindler (2 hits), Higgins (2 hits, 1 RBI), Noah Paulson (2 hits, double, 1 RBI) and Tyler Sauers (2 hits) led the 11-hit attack for League City (38-2).
Gray, Smith and Micah Toler had the hits for Rockport, which ended the season 23-8.
- Baseball