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It looked for awhile like the streak of shutouts on opening day at the American Legion World Series would continue.

While Midland (Mich.) Post 165 was struggling for hits, Randolph County (N.C.) Post 45 took advantage of timely hitting to take a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the fourth inning in Game 3 Thursday.

But with two outs in the bottom of the fourth, Midland scored twice. The Michigan squad scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the fifth and tacked on four more in the sixth to win 7-2.

The first two games at the 92nd ALWS were shutouts, with Wilmington (Del.) Post 1 winning 3-0 in Game 1 and Gonzales (La.) Post 81 notching a 1-0 victory in Game 2.

Randolph County, the designated away team in Game 3, didn’t get a hit until Braxton Davis singled with one out in the top of the third. But Blake Marsh followed with a single, and after Davis was thrown out at second, Tristan Marsh walked and Dawson Painter doubled to drive in Blake Marsh to make it 1-0.

Randolph County added a run in the top of the fourth when Spencer Lanier’s double drove in Trevor Marsh.

Meanwhile, Midland had mustered just one hit at that point, a single by Adam Randall in the bottom of the second. But after Midland’s first two batters in the fourth struck out and grounded out, Seth Gower reached on an error, Brandon Smith drew a walk and Randall doubled to drive in Gower. Jeff Allen and Logan LaCourse each were hit by pitches, with LaCourse’s free base pushing Smith across home plate to tie the game 2-2.

Randolph County’s Tristan Marsh doubled and Painter drew a walk in the top of the fifth, but Midland pitcher Garrett Willis forced a groundout and a flyout to end the threat.

In the bottom of the fifth, leadoff batter Nick Dardas was hit by a pitch, and after a sacrifice bunt by Tyler David, Martin Money singled to score Dardas for a 3-2 lead.

Midland added to their lead in the sixth, as LaCourse scored on a wild pitch, Nelson scored on a single by David, and Dardas and David scored on a single by Smith.

Willis allowed five hits and struck out six in 6 1 / 3 innings to earn the victory. Randolph County’s Bryce Marsh tied a record with four hit batters in the loss.

When pool play continues in the Stripes Division on Saturday, Randolph County will face Meridian (Idaho) Post 113 while Midland takes on Las Vegas Post 40.

Follow the American Legion World Series on Twitter, Facebook and use the hashtag #ALWS18. And follow along here. The ALWS mobile app makes it easy to follow game coverage. The app, available through the Apple Store and Google Play, keeps baseball fans connected with game schedules, pairings, scores, video highlights, photos and more.

The decisive play in the pitchers’ duel between Gonzales (La.) Post 81 and Braintree (Mass.) Post 86 came, fittingly enough, with a pitcher at the plate.

Gonzales ace Jack Merrifield singled in the only run he and his team would need as he outdueled Braintree’s Kyle Gray 1-0 Thursday in Game 2 of the American Legion World Series.

“He pitched great, our defense is great, their defense was great, it was just a fun, good game,” Merrifield said after he and reliever Preston Thrash combined to hold Braintree to four hits.

Merrifield’s heroics at the plate came one batter after Brayden Caskey was tagged out at home on Zane Zeppuhar’s flyout in the bottom of the fourth inning.

“In a game like that, you just want to make sure you score first,” Gonzales coach Martin Luquet said. “You get the guy thrown out at home and you think the inning is gonna disintegrate. Then Jack comes out with a two-out hit, and he’s been fabulous all year with two outs.”

Merrifield’s two-out single drove in Thrash, who reached on an error after Caskey’s leadoff single.

“I knew he was kind of working me outside, and I knew that he was going to give me a little bit more off-speed,” Merrifield said of his at-bat against Gray, who allowed five hits in six innings to take the loss. “I kept pulling it; I wanted to go the other way but it just didn’t end up working out that way.”

It worked out well enough, though, to send Gonzales into Friday’s pool play matchup with fellow Thursday winner Wilmington (Del.) Post 1. Braintree (0-1) will face Dubuque County (Iowa) Post 137, which lost to Wilmington 3-0 in Game 1.

The back-to-back shutouts were the first on opening day of the ALWS since 1967, and Gonzales’ win came in the 24th 1-0 decision in Series history.

“Our team batting average is pretty gaudy, but we have played these before. Matter of fact, the (victory) to get here was 1-0. We’ve been here, we understand what it takes, we didn’t panic. Sure, we’d like to win 6-0, but it’s baseball; things don’t always work like that,” Luquet said.

Luquet pulled Merrifield for Thrash when the starter reached 80 pitches, thereby keeping him available for Monday’s semifinals based on American Legion Baseball pitch count rules.

“We were hoping he’d throw that last pitch for a strike, and he bounced it, so we had to go to the reliever, who’s been great for us all year,” Luquet said.

Follow the American Legion World Series on Twitter, Facebook and use the hashtag #ALWS18. And follow along here. The ALWS mobile app makes it easy to follow game coverage. The app, available through the Apple Store and Google Play, keeps baseball fans connected with game schedules, pairings, scores, video highlights, photos and more.