By Brad Greer

Cody Harbour tripled and singled and drove in five runs to help the Red Sox hold off a fourth-inning Yankee rally for a 12-9 victory Thursday night in American Legion baseball action. In the second game of the evening, Will Daughtery and Taylor Scott combined on a two-hit shutout as the A’s blanked the Royals 5-0.

In the opening game, the Red Sox jumped to a 5-0 lead in the top of the first on Harbour’s bases-clearing triple. Cameron Brown later followed with a two-run double that drove in Harbour and Gage Aldison.

The Sox tacked on a pair of runs in the second and third innings to take a 7-0 lead on a RBI double by Adam Cook and a Payton Douglas infield single that drove in Austin Towles.

The Yankees got on the board with four runs in bottom of the third on three walks, four wild pitches and a RBI double by Jobie Ellington to narrow the margin to 7-4. The Red Sox responded however with five runs in top of the fourth on a pair of two-run singles by Harbour and Towles.

The Yankees answered with five runs of their own in the bottom half of the frame as Nathan Gabbard led off the inning with a triple and later stole home. Chris Cassidy added a RBI single to score Tyler Pogue to make the score 12-7.

After Ellington and Tubbs later scored, the Yankees put runners on second and third before David Sheley grounded out to end the game.

Each team used four pitchers in the game as Brown picked up the win on the mound for the Red Sox. Clay Harbour, Cody Harbour and Chase Durham were used in relief. Gabbard, Ellington, Cassidy and Sheley towed the rubber for the Yankees.

In the nightcap, the A’s plated four runs in the top of the sixth to break open a 1-0 game as Daughtery’s RBI triple and Ethan Calvert’s run-scoring single keyed the inning. Scott added a RBI groundout while Ridge Simmerman’s sacrifice fly scored Ty Campbell to extend the lead to 3-0.

The A’s broke open a scoreless game in top of the fourth as Daughtery led off the inning with a double then scored on a RBI groundout by Austin Jones. Tyler Beard and Simmerman both singled in the victory.

 J. C. Harper’s two singles accounted for the only Royal hits on the night.