One out away from a close victory, things went haywire defensively for the Neosho Nightriders American Legion “AA” team against Aurora Post 126 Monday night.
Then, given a second life thanks to some key hits in the last inning, Neosho still was unable to pull out a victory.
All told, Neosho lost 6-4 to Aurora, giving up three runs in the top of the seventh inning in District 15 action.
Aurora trailed 4-3 in the top of the seventh inning, but scored the game-tying run on a fielding error in the infield. Andrew Hood, who singled, and Jason Hicks, who reached on the error, then scored when another error, this one throwing, allowed two runs to score to make it 6-4.
Neosho (12-6 overall, 3-4 in District 15) had an opportune scoring chance in the bottom of the seventh — the final inning — but couldn’t capitalize on the gift of a bases-loaded situation with one out.
Jacob Barnes went the opposite way with a single with one out in the bottom of the inning. Then, Keith Geller hit an infield single to shortstop to put two men on. Ethan Pogue drew walk on five pitches to load the bases for Neosho.
Aurora starter Cody Thornton buckled down in this situation. He fell behind a batter, with three balls and one strike, but came back to get the strikeout. He got his sixth strikeout to end the game.
Both Thornton and Neosho starter Silas ‘Sibo’ Bohannon each had six strikeouts in the game.
Neosho took a 4-3 lead in the sixth inning on Nick Potter’s double that broke the 3-3 tie.
“We gave this one away, of our six losses, five of them we just have lost, I didn’t feel the other team beat us, we lost,” Neosho Nightriders coach Garrett Crane said.
The Nightriders host Seneca at 6 p.m. Thursday.
Neosho, Mo. —
