ALWS Game 11: Delaware edges Louisiana to advance to semifinals
Wilmington Delvets (Del.) Post 1 may be making its first appearance in the American Legion World Series this week.
But after Sunday’s 3-2 win over Bossier City (La.) Post 202 in Game 11, the Delvets are making themselves right at home at Veterans Field at Keeter Stadium in Shelby, N.C.
The victory gave the Delvets a 2-1 pool play record and runner-up finish in the Stripes Division and a 7 p.m. Monday semifinal matchup against the Stars Division champion.
“This whole thing has been a ‘Wow!’ factor for us,” said Delvets coach Mike Buono, whose team improved to 23-7. “The city of Shelby, all the volunteers, the event.... It’s just something you dream about and we’re living that dream. And we want to keep living that dream.
“It really doesn’t matter to us who we’re playing. We’re just going to celebrate this win and get back to business tomorrow.”
To advance to the semifinals, Delvets rallied back from a 1-0 deficit after three innings and got solid pitching from starter and winner Brady Fox (6 innings, 7 strikeouts) and Jack Rossi (1 inning, 2 strikeouts, save).
“These boys are relentless,” Buono said. “I’ll have them in my foxhole all day every day. They just keep coming back. They scratch, they claw, they fight.”
After Bossier City scored in the bottom of the third inning, Michael Smyth hit a leadoff single in the top of the fourth and Tre Villanova reached on a hit batter. After two outs, Hunter DiCarlantonio drove in Smyth and a wild pitch plated Villanova for a 2-1 Delvets lead.
Wilmington added a run in the fifth when Smyth hit a two-out double and scored on Villanova’s RBI single.
Bossier City scored an unearned run in the fifth before Fox stranded runners on second and third.
After Fox stranded a runner on second in the sixth, Buono brought on Rossi for the final three outs; Rossi struck out two of the three batters he faced to wrap up the victory.
Smyth (2 hits, double) led the Delvets’ five-hit offense.
For Bossier City, whose second season after restarting its program ended with a 23-6 overall record and first-ever ALWS appearance, Easton Sanders, Griffin Sibley and Jackson Jones had base hits and Sanders (7 innings, 5 strikeouts) was the hard luck loser.
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