SHELBY — The Randolph County Post 45 baseball team will have to wait at least another year to get a shot a the American Legion World Series championship.
The Asheboro-based squad, making its third straight trip to the Legion Series, was eliminated on Monday with a weather-delayed 4-3 loss to Idaho Falls, Idaho Post 56 at Keeter Stadium in a game originally scheduled for Sunday night.
The loss left Post 45 with a 1-2 record in pool play. Post 56, meanwhile, remained undefeated by winning a semifinal matchup later in the day and will play Fargo, N.D. Post 2 on Tuesday in the championship game.
Idaho had a few chances early against Randolph County. In the top of the first, a runner reached third with one out but a popout and a strikeout by Trevor Marsh got North Carolina out of trouble.
North Carolina got a leadoff hit from Harris Jackson to start the bottom of the frame and Trevor Marsh lined a double to move him to third. Spencer Lanier’s sacrifice fly brought home Jackson and gave the game its first run.
Idaho left two on in the top of the third and the offense was busy again in the fourth.
They tied it up, then with runners on second and third and one out, a fly ball into foul ground forced first baseman Spencer Lanier to range over and make an over-the-shoulder grab. He wheeled and fired home to barely get the runner at home, keeping the lead 1-0.
In the fifth, Idaho broke through for two more to take the lead. Bruer Webster hit a one-out double to the right-field wall and came around on an Alex Cortez single. Randon Hostert and Tavyn Lords hit consecutive singles to bring home Cortez.
Pinch hitter Kai Howell, Webster and Cortez hit consecutive singles to bring home another run to make the lead 4-1.
North Carolina made it interesting in the bottom of the frame, getting two hits, a wild pitch, ground out and sacrifice fly to make the lead 4-3.
Idaho closed the door to seal the win, however. Jace Hanson’s five innings of one-run ball were followed by two innings from Andrew Gregersen.
