Randolph County tames Shrewsbury, Mass., in World Series opener

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SHELBY — Trevor Marsh continued a torrid post-season with a 3-for-4 effort last Thursday at Veterans Field at Keeter Stadium in Shelby to ignite Randolph County (35-10) to an 8-4 victory over Shrewsbury, Massachusetts (30-8) in opening round action of the 2019 American Legion World Series.

Randolph County trailed 3-2 entering the top of the sixth before exploding for six runs to complete a torrid comeback, with Marsh crushing a key double in the uprising off the right field wall.

Post 45, in the World Series for the third straight year, would allow just a run in the bottom of the seventh to take the win over Post 397, which is in its second World Series in three years.

With one down in the top of the first, Randolph strung together consecutive hits by Trevor Marsh, Spencer Lanier and Austin Curry to take a 1-0 advantage.

Shrewsbury answered in the home half of the frame when John West slapped an RBI-fielder’s choice to the right side to bring home TJ Morgera, who had earlier singled and eventually stole third base.

In the top of the second Braxton Davis send Randolph County back in front by belting a high 1-0 fast ball from Shrewsbury starter Nick McDonald over the wall in left for a solo homerun.

“I took the first pitch because it was kind of quick and I was late on it,” Davis said. “The second pitch I decided to speed up a bit, got my hands through it and hit it well.”

The Post 45 lead stood until the bottom of the fourth when West reached on an error and later scored on a wild pitch to even the game at 2-all.

Shrewsbury was back at it again in the fifth when Post 397 took its first lead of the contest after Morgera walked, stole second and third, and scored on another RBI-ground out from West.

The North Carolina team started the inning with two walks and loading the bases on a sacrifice bunt attempt which Shrewsbury couldn’t find an out on.

Staring at a 3-2 deficit in the top of the sixth, Randolph County loaded the bases behind a pair of walks and Shrewsbury misplaying a Post 45 bunt. Another walk coupled with a wild pitch and a fielder’s choice sent across three runs before Marsh mashed his RBI-double off the wall in right to send the locals up 6-3. Marsh would later score in the inning as Post 45 pushed across two more to race in front 8-3.

“I got behind in the count so I choked up on the bat and stepped in and just put the bat on the ball and he supplied all the power,” said Marsh, one of three players in his third American Legion World Series for Randolph County. “This year I came back more confident and relaxed. It’s always fun to be here with my teammates in front of a big crowd.”

Shrewsbury added a late run when Morgera singled and scored again in the seventh, but the Post 397 comeback bid was snuffed out by Marsh who worked the final inning and allowed two hits and a run.

Marsh added two runs, a stolen base and an RBI to his three hits while Easton Morgan was 2-for-4 with a run, Spencer Lanier 1-for-3 with a run and a walk, Davis 1-for-3 with two runs, two RBI and a walk, Austin Curry 1-for-3 with an RBI and a walk, and Blake Marsh 0-for-2 with a run and two walks.

Bryson Hamlet picked up the win on the mound for Post 45 after working 4.1 innings and allowing one hit, three runs (two earned), four walks and striking out two. Dawson Davis went 1.2 innings and hit one batter.

Morgera led Shrewsbury with a 2-for-3 outing that included three runs, a walk and three stolen bases as Post 397 stole six as a team in as many attempts.

McDonald suffered the loss on the mound for the Massachusetts team after working five innings and allowing seven hits, five runs (three earned), and two walks while striking out two. Carson Hauben went 2/3 of an inning and yielded a hit, three runs (none earned), and three walks while whiffing one. Alex Zidonis went the final 1 1/3 innings and walked two and struck out one.