SHERIDAN -- On the brink of advancing, Malvern National Bank let a third-straight tournament win slip away.
Sheridan scored four sixth-inning runs, the last three on a four-base error with two outs, and won 5-4 in the American Legion Class AA tournament Friday.
Sheridan advance to a late game against River Valley Tropics, which defeated Harrison 4-1. The winner plays at 2:30 p.m. today for a spot in the championship game.
Malvern led Sheridan 4-1 after scoring three times in the fifth. Tashaun Hart and Logan Wright had RBI singles, the last run coming home on T.J. Johnson's groundout to first base.
Ashton Holyfield pitched a perfect bottom half and retired the first two batters in the sixth before issuing his second walk of the game to Brady Bibb. Nick Whitley followed with a run-scoring double on a 3-2 pitch.
After Hunter Hicks walked, Nathan Kirkpatrick hit a soft drive to center. Jake Golden charged in to make the catch, but the ball glanced off his glove and rolled all the way to the fence, all three runners scoring.
Winning pitcher Jace Phillips escaped a two-out threat in the seventh, retiring Johnson on a grounder to Hicks at shortstop after Holyfield singled and Wright reached on an error.
Phillips went 2 2-3 innings, allowing no runs and two hits, in relief of Bibb. The starter gave up five hits and walked two batters.
Holyfield took the loss, pitching six innings and giving up two earned runs and four hits. He struck out eight.
Malvern;010;030;0 - 4;7;2
Sheridan;100;004;x - 5;4;2
WP-Phillips. LP-Holyfield. 2B-Sher: Whitley. SB-Mal: Collie; Sher: Thompson.
* Jace Hudson threw a complete game for River Valley Tropics, allowing four hits and striking out eight.
Sports on 08/01/2015