By Bret Strelow
bstrelow@salisburypost.com
FARGO, N.D. ó Rowan County lost 6-5 to Festus (Mo.) on Saturday in the final opening-round game of the American Legion World Series.
Ryan Yuengel’s bloop single near the foul line in right field with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning knocked in two runs for Festus.
Rowan (37-9) will play again at approximately 5 p.m. EST against Mt. Airy (38-16) out of Maryland. Forrest Buchanan (9-0) will start on the mound.
Rain has delayed the start of the day’s second game.
Rowan trailed 3-0 against Festus before scoring four times in the top of the eighth inning. It took leads to the bottom of the eighth and ninth innings.
Rowan had the bases loaded with nobody out in the ninth and scored one run on Jon Crucitti’s sacrifice fly to go ahead 5-4.
Festus’ Brendon Neel singled on an 0-2 pitch against Billy Veal to open the bottom of the ninth, and Owen Conway drew a walk. A wild pitch pushed runners to second and third.
Preston Troutman moved to the mound with Tommie Branham facing a 2-0 count, threw a ball, then intentionally walked Branham.
A shallow flyout to left field and strikeout put Rowan in position to escape with a win, but Yuengel delivered a clutch hit.