SIX-RUN DEFICIT ERASED BY OILERS:

• GameTracker

Retif Oil kept their unbeaten postseason mark intact in dramatic fashion once again in Shelby, North Carolina.

The Jesuit-based squad rallied from a six-run deficit to defeat PI Midwest (Omaha Creighton Prep), 8-7, on Saturday night in a winners' bracket game at the American Legion World Series.

The Saturday drama followed Retif's tournament-opening win in extra innings on Friday evening.

Trailing 7-1 into the bottom of the seventh inning, Retif Oil scored two in the seventh and five in the eighth earn the win. Jonathan Lee's stroked a three-run double in the eighth off losing pitcher McLaine Jonas to cap the rally and give Retif Oil (39-6) their first lead of the game.

Lee finished 2 for 5 with 4 RBI in the win, the second for Retif in the double-elimination tournament. Mathieu Robért, Brady Williamson and Mitchell Alexander each scored a pair of runs for the Oilers. But Alexander's heroics came thanks to his arm in the field.

PI Midwest (50-9) had a chance to tie the game in the top of the ninth when Jon Hechtner reached on an infield error and advanced to second on a sacrifice by Cale Dineen. After the first out, Taylor Elman singled to right field of Retif closer C.J. Avrard, but Hechtner was thrown out at the plate on a terrific throw by Alexander to Robért at the plate for the tag.

Elman went 4 for 4 a home run with five RBI.

The Nebraska champion jumped to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first when Hechtner scored on a balk by Retif Oil starter Cody Migliore. Elman singled home Evan Ryan. That lead grew to 5-0 in the third on a two-run double by Elman and an infield error that scored Hechtner.

Retif winning pitcher Andrew Mitchell relieved Migliore and pitched six solid innings, allowing just two runs on two hits despite four walks and striking out three. Avrard earned his second save in as many World Series games thanks to Alexander's defensive heroics.

After New Orleans got one run back in the bottom of the third, PI Midwest scored twice in the fifth on a two-run homer by Elman.

PI Midwest starter Jeff Albrecht pitched 6 2⁄3 innings for PI Midwest before the Jesuit-based club heated up at the plate. Mitchell Alexander scored on an RBI groundout by Tony Fortier-Bensen. Consecutive singles by Robert and Luke Voiron were followed by an RBI double by Lee.

Retif Oil will next play, weather permitting, on Sunday night at 7 p.m. against the winner of Bellevue, WA (37-13) vs. Brooklawn, NJ (56-3). PI Midwest faces a losers' bracket game on Sunday against Florence, S.C.

FINAL
PI Midwest..............203 020 000 — 7 6 2
Retif Oil...............001 000 25x — 8 11 3

WP--Mitchell (6-1)

LP--Jonas

SV--Avrard (2)

Time of Game:  3:09

Atttendance:  7,753

American Legion World Series

FRIDAY AMERICAN LEGION RESULTS:

Omaha, NE 8  Lakewood, CA 4

Bellevue, WA 11  Moline, ILL 5

RETIF OIL 5  Milford, CT 3

Brooklawn, NJ 9  Florence, SC 6

SATURDAY AMERICAN LEGION RESULTS:

Lakewood, CA 4, Milford, CT 0  (Milford eliminated)

Florence, SC 10, Moline, ILL 8 (Moline eliminated)

RETIF OIL 8, Omaha, NE 7

Bellevue, WA (37-13) vs. Brooklawn, NJ (56-3)--RAIN DELAY

• UPDATE: Rain Plays Havoc Sunday with Retif at World Series