By Brad Greer

Blake Snyder’s complete-game two hitter highlighted Monday night’s  13-15 year-old  baseball action at American Legion Field.

In the first game, Jesse Pearson’s two-out RBI single in the top of the sixth inning scored Will Dickins to give the A’s a 6-4 victory over the first-place Royals. Dickins also picked up the save by working the final two innings in relief of   Pearson. Dickins  wiggled  out of a second and third no-out jam in the bottom of the sixth  by getting Ethan Waldrip to ground out to end the game.

Pearson pitched the first four innings to garner the win on the mound. The right-hander gave up four runs (two earned) on five hits while striking out two.

The A’s (7-5), took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first as Dickins led off by reaching on an error and later scored on Andy Linder’s groundout. The A’s expanded the lead to 5-0 in the top of the second by scoring four runs on three hits.

Scotty Daughtery led off the inning with a single and later scored on a bases loaded walk. Dickins and Linder  added RBI singles to plate Ryne Hitchcock and Austin Epps.

The Royals (10-2), got on the board  with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second as  Taylor Karr, Tevis Flowers and J.J. Kilpatrick delivered three straight singles.

The Royals closed the gap to 5-4 in the bottom of the fourth on one hit and a pair of errors. Hunter Ivy singled to lead off  the inning and scored when the A’s center fielder dropped Hunter Hynum’s  fly ball. Hynum later scored on a two-out error.

Ivy’s two singles led the Royals at the plate while Hynum added a double. Lane Massey also contributed with a single. Ivy was tagged with the pitching loss as he went 1.1 innings, giving up four runs on one hit. Waldrip pitched a strong five innings of relief work by fanning 10 while giving up one run.

In the nightcap, the White Sox (7-5) scored two unearned runs to squeak past the Yankees 2-1 in a pitchers’ duel between Snyder and  Yankees starter Erik Weaver.

Calvin Hawkins scored both runs for the Sox after reaching on errors in the first and third innings.

Austin Smith drove in both runs with a RBI single and a groundout. Sergio Alvarado’s single in the fifth was the only other hit Weaver allowed in the game. Weaver suffered the tough-luck loss by giving up a pair of hits while striking out eight and walking three. Snyder meanwhile fanned 12 while walking three.

The Yankees (1-11), scored their only run in the bottom of the first as Scott Taylor walked and scored on Blake Darby’s single. Darby later doubled in the fourth for the Yankees’ only other hit.

American Legion ended regular season play Tuesday night.

Double elimination playoff tournament will be played Monday, June 22, Thursday, June 25 and the championship game will be played Monday, June 29.