By Brad Greer

Drew Hurst and D.G. Arnold combined for a five-inning two-hitter as the A’s handed the Red Sox their first loss of the season by the score of 4-0 Tuesday night in 13-15 year-old American Legion play.

In the opener, the Royals held off a furious seventh-inning Yankee rally to take a 5-4 victory.

The A’s (3-2) scored three runs in the top of the third without the benefit of a hit while taking advantage of three walks and a pair of errors. The A’s added another run in the fourth as Lane Massey led off the inning with a walk and later scored on Taylor Meek’s RBI groundout.

Hurst struck out eight batters over four innings of work while giving up one hit and walking one. Arnold fanned two and walked one in the fifth and final inning. Will Dickens and Taylor Rattenberry singled for the A’s while Blake Snider and Austin Smith singled for the Red Sox. Chris Brown took the  pitching loss for the Sox.

In the first game of the day, the Royals took a 5-1 lead into the top of the sixth inning only to see the Yankees rally. Leadoff batter Cameron Brown drew a one- out walk, following a groundout, Bobby Epps was hit by a pitch. Colby Gammill then blooped a two-RBI double into center that plated both runners. Chase Whitten and J.J. Kilpatrick followed with singles to put runners on first and second.

Taylor Morris smashed what looked to be a game-tying single, but the ball hit Kilpatrick in the foot and ended the game.

The Royals scored a pair of runs in the first and third innnig and one in the bottom of the fifth on Eric Weaver’s RBI single and scored Blake Darby. Colby Runnels and Mitch Helms each scored a pair of runs in the winning effort. Helms led the way with a pair of singles while Chris Townsend singled. Darby earned the win with the distance on the mound.

Mitch Mansfield and Zack Robison  each recorded singles for the Yankees while Epps suffered the loss.