By Chris Dell, Staff Writer
Nathan Flanagan hit for the cycle and notched seven RBI, guiding the Tupelo, Miss., 49ers past the Oklahoma Outlaws 13-7 Sunday afternoon in an American Legion Mid-South Regional Tournament elimination game at David Allen Memorial Ballpark.
Flanagan put the 49ers ahead 5-3 in the bottom of the first with a three-run triple to right field, then smacked an RBI double in the third, a single in the fifth and a three-run home run to left field in the eighth.
The 49ers drilled Outlaws pitchers with 17 hits — four by Flanagan and four by nine-hole hitter Philip Matthews.
“I thought about (the possibility of the cycle) in the last at bat,” said Flanagan. “That was my first time to hit for the cycle, but I wouldn’t say I was aiming to hit a home run.”
It was that kind of day for Tupelo, which faces the Jonesboro, Ark. at 3 p.m. today.
The winner will play League City, Texas at 8 p.m. in the championhsip game and a berth in the American Legion World Series.
The Outlaws’ loss ends their season at 52-22 and knocks out the last remaining Oklahoma team in the tournament.
Tupelo starting pitcher Chris Stratton, who has signed to play at Mississippi State, benefited from his team’s hot sticks. A day after giving up three hits and a run in two-thirds of an inning against League City, Stratton tossed seven innings and picked up the win. He scattered six hits, struck out six and walked four.
The Outlaws, however, did not go out quietly in the ninth. Chad Carman blasted a deep home run to left, which the Tupelo left fielder didn’t even turn and run for. Three batters later, Jordan Price hit a two-run bomb off Jolly.
TUPELO (MISS.) 13,
OKLAHOMA OUTLAWS 7
OUTLAWS TUPELO
Halbert 3b 4 0 0 0 Alford 3b 6 0 0 0
Glenn 2b 3 1 1 0 Kngsley ss 5 1 1 0
Ferrell cf 1 1 1 0 McCllgh 1b 4 1 1 0
Realmto ss 3 2 1 2 Richey lf 3 2 1 0
Murphy p 5 0 1 0 Thrntn dh 3 3 2 1
Price rf 5 1 2 3 Weibel c 3 2 2 0
Miner lf 4 0 0 0 Flnagan cf 4 3 4 7
Moore 1b 2 1 0 0 Walker rf 5 0 1 0
Hendrsn c 4 0 1 1 Mttews 2b 5 0 4 2
Treaster ph 2 0 1 0 Koon ph 1 0 0 0
Carman ph 1 1 1 1 Emison ph 0 1 0 0
Total 34 7 9 7 Total 39 13 16 10
Outlaws 300 000 013 - 7
Tupelo 502 021 03x - 13
E—Halbert, Treaster and Stratton. DP—Outlaws 1, Tupelo 2. LOB—Outlaws 8, Tupelo 9. 2B—Ferrell, Realmuto, Price, Weibel, Flanagan, Thornton, Matthews. 3B—Flanagan. HR—Carman, Price and Flanagan.
IP H R ER BB SO
Outlaws
Murphy L 1/3 3 5 5 2 0
Treaster 62/3 11 6 3 1 2
Halbert 1 2 2 2 2 1
Tupelo
Stratton W 7 6 3 3 4 6
Jolly 2 3 3 3 2 1
WP—Murphy, Treaster, Halbert, Jolly. PB—Henderson (3). HBP—Glenn (by Stratton) and McCullough (by Murphy). T—2:40.
