LV Knights drop World Series opener

SUN STAFF REPORTS

The Las Vegas Knights - Bishop Gorman's American Legion team - saw what appeared to be a convincing lead slip away on Friday night.

Ahead by as many as seven runs at one point in the game, the Knights gave up eight runs in the seventh to Danville, Calif., to be defeated 14-13 in their first game of the American Legion World Series at Cashman Field.

The Knights, only the fourth team from Nevada to qualify for the event, scored two runs in the second and four in the third to take an early 6-2 lead.

J.C. Sibley, batting in the No. 9 spot in the order, had a two-run double to highlight the second and Nino Mantico ripped a two-run single to cap the third.

Las Vegas eventually stretched its lead to 9-2 as the Knights plated three more runs in the fourth. Cooper Fouts had a two-run single in the frame and Ryan Lee added a sacrifice fly.

The seventh inning started out promising for the Knights. They scored three runs on two hits, including a RBI single from Lee.

In the bottom half of the seventh, however, the Knights had their worst inning of the year. Danville scored eight times, sending 12 batters to the plate as Las Vegas reliever Paul Wurtz was hit hard.

Nick Walsh had a two-run single for Danville in the rally to tie the game at 13 and eventually scored the go ahead run on an infield error.

The Knights hit into two double plays in the final two innings to kill any chances of staging a comeback of their own.

Wurtz took the loss for the Knights as he failed to make it out of the seventh inning.

Van Meetren, the Knights' star, has continued to struggle, batting .125 for the series and regional combined. Despite going 0-for-3, Van Meetren had two walks, two runs scored and a RBI.

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