ALWS Game 9: Louisiana edges Montana in rain-delayed matchup
Navigating the rules after Mother Nature altered the schedule eliminated the starting pitcher for Bossier City (La.) Post 202 after Game 9 of the American Legion World Series was suspended from Saturday night to Sunday morning.
Despite facing a situation that caused a strategy change, Bossier City did what it needed to do to give itself a chance later Sunday to advance to Monday’s semifinals with a 1-0 victory over Billings Scarlets (Mont.) Post 4 at Veterans Field at Keeter Stadium in Shelby, N.C.
“We’ve positioned ourselves with our pitching and feel good about where we’re at,” said Bossier City coach Dane Peavy, whose team faces Wilmington Delvets (Del.) Post 1 later Sunday in a “winner-move-on” matchup in each team’s final Stripes division pool play contest. “We know Delaware is a great opponent.”
To get into that position, Bossier City had to find out how to scratch across a run against Scarlets pitcher Drew McDowell.
McDowell, who had pitched a no-hitter last week in Post 4’s Northwest Regional title run in his previous start, had thrown only 28 pitches on Saturday before a torrential rain soaked the field and suspended the scoreless contest to Sunday at 11 a.m.
A South Dakota State signee, McDowell yielded only two hits in his six innings of work and had a no-hitter until two outs in the fifth inning.
But each hit he yielded was game-changing.
Jackson Jones’ single to centerfield snapped the no-hit bid and after Tucker McCabe was hit by a pitch, Hudson Brignac’s single to center drove in Jones with the game’s only run.
“That guy was really good,” Peavy said of McDowell, who threw 97 pitches (51 strikes) against a Bossier City lineup determined to be patient.
“We just needed to battle at the plate and I thought our guys had a really good plan at the plate and they just stayed with it. We stayed with our approach and, fortunately enough, it worked out for us,” Peavy said.
Peavy was just happy his No. 2 hitter Brignac got another chance after he flew out to right field in the third with two runners aboard due to walks.
“There’s no better guy that we want in that situation than Brignac,” Peavy said. “He had that same opportunity earlier in the game and he flew out and was kind of mad at himself. So he capitalized when he got another chance.”
On the mound, each of Bossier City’s three pitchers yielded one in hit in 2 1/3 innings of work - starter Brody Bower and relievers Jones and Cade Moore.
The Scarlets, whose loss eliminated them from the semifinals entering their pool play finale against Midland (Mich.) later on Sunday, left runners on first and second in the first, at third in the third and left the bases loaded in the fourth in the loss to Bossier City.
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