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TENNERTON -- A quick start and a strong finish allowed Buckhannon Post 7 to stay alive in the American Legion Area 5 tourney best-of-three series with a 7-2 victory over Elkins Post 29 Wednesday night at William E. Phillips Memorial Field.
The deciding game is set for 7 p.m. today at Robin Harvey Memorial Field, with the victor advancing to the state tournament. Post 29 has won 14 straight area titles.
Post 7, coming off a 4-2 setback in Tuesday's Game 1, plated three runs in the first and added four more in the sixth in backing a strong pitching effort from Brady Hurst, who allowed just two runs on two hits over five-plus innings.
Tucker Burr pitched two scoreless frames, giving up two hits.
Zach Calef-Boring gave Buckhannon a 2-0 lead in the first when he laced a single to plate Ryder Aman and Grant Mealey.
Calef-Boring later scored on Ian Donnen's single to make it 3-0.
Elkins (7-15) got on the board in the fifth when starting pitcher Matthew Pratt plated Ethan Humphrey with a single to center. Post 29 cut the lead to 3-2 the following inning as Albert Gonzales trotted home on Gavin Carr's single.
Post 7, however, tacked on four insurance runs in the sixth on the strength of a two-run double by Ryan Snyder, an RBI single from Aman and an error.
Pratt worked the first 5 1/3 innings in taking the loss. He gave up six runs on seven hits, fanning six and walking two.
Miles Hutzler finished in relief.
Aman, Snyder and Donnen each had two hits for Buckhannon (12-17).
Cody Cooper and Cameron Biller had doubles in the loss.
Elkins Post 29 (2)
Cody Cooper ss 4 0 1 0, Cameron Biller 2b-cf 4 0 1 0, Matthew Pratt p-2b 3 0 1 1, Lincoln Scott c 4 0 0 0, Albert Gonzales 3b 0 1 0 0, Brayden Hamer cf 2 0 0 0, Gavin Carr rf 3 0 1 1, Ethan Humphrey 1b 2 1 0 0, Austin Bolyard lf 2 0 0 0. Totals 24 2 4 2
Buckhannon Post 7 (7)
Ryder Aman cf 3 1 2 1, Eli Bryant rf 4 0 1 0, Landon Marple ss 3 0 0 0, Grant Mealey 3b 2 2 1 0, Zach Calef-Boring 2b 3 1 1 2, Ian Donnen c 2 1 2 1, Ryan Snyder 1b 3 1 2 2, Brady Hurst p 1 0 0 0, Tucker Burr p 1 0 0 0, Payton Bennett lf 2 1 0 0. Totals 24 7 9 6
Elkins 000 011 0 -- 2 4 2
Buckhannon 300 004 x -- 7 9 1
WP -- Hurst ( 5 innings, 2R, 2H, 1K, 5BB). LP -- Pratt (5 1/3 innings, 6R, 7H, 6K, 2BB). 2B -- Cooper, Biller and Snyder