Sports

Colchester, Columbia remain unbeaten in BP Invitational

Two Outside clubs remained unbeaten Saturday in the BP Exploration Invitational Tournament for American Legion baseball teams at Mulcahy Stadium.

The Colchester Cannons of Vermont improved to 3-0 and Columbia Post 19 of Tennessee, the 2012 tournament champion, notched a victory and a tie to improve to 2-0-1.

Colchester, coming off two wins Friday, advanced to Sunday's semifinals with an 8-2 victory over Eagle River. Columbia likewise qualified for the semis, as did the Strathmore Reds of Canada and South Post 4.

Jared Rylant furnished Colchester a two-run triple in its three-run fourth inning and Brett McAllister, who drove in three runs, contributed a two-run double in a four-run seventh inning. Nick Lamphere earned the win with five innings of two-run relief.

Colchester shortstop Jacob Cunningham, who was born in Palmer and grew up there before his family moved to Vermont three years ago, went 2 for 4 with an RBI.

Cameron Fabacher and Mike Rosenberg drove in runs for Eagle River. R.J. Dirscherl stole three bases.

Columbia of Tennessee in its first game Saturday tied South, 4-4, in a game halted after 10½ innings — all games are scheduled for seven innings — by the tournament time limit of 2 hours, 15 minutes. Each team scored a run in the ninth inning — Nick Jensen rapped an RBI double for South and Columbia's Jake Usher answered with a sacrifice fly.

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Columbia's Ben Wright scattered 12 hits in nine innings, struck out seven, did not walk a batter and threw 120 pitches.

Columbia followed with a 6-1 victory over the Team Avenue Academy of California. Carter Blair furnished a two-run triple in a three-run third inning and scored on Ben Wright's double.

Columbia's David Looney pitched a seven-inning complete game, striking out 11, walking seven in his 128 pitches. He stranded 11 runners, including six in scoring position.

Chugiak Post 33 earned its first tournament win on the strength of Blake Kutch's complete-game four-hitter in a 9-0 victory over Team Avenue.

Kutch struck out four, walked one and required only 79 pitches. Deven Ferriss and Matthew Hess each drove in two runs for Chugiak.

In the late game, Strathmore reliever Aaron McCarty stranded runners at first and third bases in the bottom of the seventh to preserve a 5-4 victory over Dimond Post 21.

Dustin Caplett furnished Strathmore with a three-run double in the second inning.

BP Exploration Invitational Tournament

At Mulcahy Stadium

Saturday's results

Colchester (Vt.) 8, Eagle River 2

Columbia (Tenn.) 4, South 4 (time limit)

Columbia (Tenn.) 6, Team Avenue (Calif.) 1

Chugiak 9, Team Avenue (Calif.) 0

Dimond 5, Strathmore (Canada) 4

Sunday's games

9:15 a.m. — Dimond vs. Team Avenue (Calif.)

11:45 a.m. semifinal — Strathmore (Canada) vs. Columbia (Tenn.)

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2:15 p.m. semifinal — South vs. Colchester (Vt.)

5 p.m. — Eagle River vs. Chugiak.

7:30 p.m. championship — Semfinal winners

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