Rally kids strike again, take title

Call them Columbia's comeback kids.

The Tennessee state champions erased a seven-run deficit in the seventh inning and held on for a 12-11 victory over the Bryant Blacksox in the championship game of the American Legion Mid-South Regional at Curran Conway Park in Little Rock on Monday.

Having defeated Bryant 8-3 earlier in the day to force a deciding game, Columbia rallied from a 9-2 deficit in the second game by scoring 10 runs in the seventh inning on seven singles and four Blacksox errors.

It was an inning that left both teams' managers perplexed.

"I've never ever been apart of anything like that," Bryant Manager Darren Hurt said. "That's one that's going to eat at us for a long time."

"I'm not sure if I've ever seen a tournament like this," Columbia Manager Scott Beasley said. "It was just a crazy weekend."

Columbia (44-10) advances to the American Legion World Series, which begins Thursday in Shelby, N.C.

Konner Ambros, a designated hitter who batted .462 for the tournament, was selected as the tournament's MVP. Ambros went 3 for 4 in the Monday's opener and was 2 for 5 in the championship game.

The Tennessee champions banged out 32 hits in Monday's doubleheader -- 17 in the first game, 15 in the second. Twenty-nine of their hits were singles. The other three were doubles by Ambrose and Ryan Helgren in the first game and by Alex McKelvy to lead off the second game.

Columbia was involved in four come-from-behind games during its six-game week. It rallied from a 6-0 deficit with two outs in the ninth inning to defeat Tupelo, Miss., on Friday. They squandered a two-run lead against Bryant on Saturday in the winners' bracket final and scored two runs in the eighth to eliminate Retif Oil of New Orleans on Sunday.

In Monday's second game, Columbia's seventh-inning rally came after five quiet innings at the plate.

"You just got to stay in it," Beasley said. "These are long nine-inning games. We knew [Bryant] was getting low on pitching. So we just had to battle and we came out on top in the end."

The seventh-inning started with a controversial call at first when McKelvy was called safe after a high throw by third baseman Brandon Warner. Six of the next eight batters singled.

With the game tied at 9-9, Columbia had the bases loaded when Will Norwood's ground ball to shortstop Trevor Ezell was thrown low for Bryant's third error of the inning. All three base runners scored when first baseman Hayden Lessenberry threw wildly to second.

Bryant (46-6) attempted a rally of its own in the eighth inning. Ezell, who had four doubles in the two games, hit a double to left-center to drive in Trey Breeding, who had started the inning with a single. Chase Tucker picked up an RBI with a sacrifice fly to cut Columbia's lead to 12-11, but the Blacksox left Lessenberry stranded at third when pinch hitter Justin Emmerling flew out to center.

Warner singled off Taylor Gilbert to start the ninth. Beasley brought in reliever Dylan Stewart and another controversial play followed.

Dalton Holt hit a sharp ground ball to Helgren at third base. Holt threw low to second baseman Peyton Sockwell, and second base umpire Jon Jones ruled Sockwell had the ball long enough to record the out.

Hurt disagreed and was eventually ejected.

"The kid never had control of the ball," said Hurt, who said he was also upset the the seventh-inning call at first base. "[The umpire] argued he was out because he tried to pull the ball out of his glove, but he never reached for the ball. He tried to scoop it off the turf and then he tried to catch it with his bare hand and missed it. ... I was upset about both calls because they played a big role in the game."

Breeding popped out to first for the second out and the game ended when Korey Thompson grounded out to third.

Warner finished 3 for 5 in the second game to pace Bryant's 12-hit attack, while Ezell and Blake Patterson each had two hits.

William Pilkinton had three of Columbia's 15 hits. Sockwell had two hits and drove in two runs.

Bryant;005 003 120 -- 11 12 5

Columbia;200 000 (10)0x -- 12 15 1

Lee, Patterson (5), Caldwell (7), Holt (7) and Breeding. Looney, Bair (5), Gilbert (8), Stewart (9) and Norwood. W -- Bair. L -- Caldwell. S -- Stewart.

COLUMBIA 8, BRYANT 3

In the first game, Jace Brewer pitched a complete game, throwing 141 pitches and allowing nine hits, to help Columbia force the deciding game.

Ambrose and Sockwell each had three hits for Columbia, which took advantage of four Bryant errors. Ezell had two doubles and drove in two runs for Bryant. Tucker also had two hits and drove in a run.

Bryant pitcher Nate Rutherford struck out eight but suffered his first loss of the season.

Columbia;030 110 111 -- 8 17 2

Bryant;001 000 001 -- 3 9 4

Brewer and Hornick. Rutherford, Breeding (7), Phillips (9) and Lessenberry. W -- Brewer. L -- Rutherford.

Sports on 08/12/2014

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