Gamecocks’ Rally Falls Short in Walk-Off Loss to Norton

The Colby Gamecocks American Legion baseball team slipped to the backside of the bracket at Norton in the Zone tournament against Norton, falling 4-3 in a nail-biting semifinal matchup at the Zone Tournament. Despite a late-game rally that gave Colby a lead in the top of the seventh, Norton answered with two runs in the bottom half to walk off with the win.

After three scoreless innings, Colby broke through in the top of the fourth. Brayden Foss reached base and came around to score when Keegan Glassman delivered a hard-hit ground ball to left field. The RBI single gave the Gamecocks a 1-0 lead and put Glassman on second base after the throw home.

Norton responded immediately in the bottom of the inning. Max Carter reached and advanced on a wild pitch before Jack Carter laced a line-drive double to right field to tie the game at 1-1. Moments later, a routine ground ball off the bat of Eli Springer was mishandled at third base, allowing another run to score and giving Norton a 2-1 advantage.

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Both teams remained scoreless over the next two innings as pitchers and defenses tightened up. But in the top of the seventh, Colby came alive.

Maguire Franz advanced to second on a passed ball and was promptly brought home by Eloy Ruelas, who ripped a line drive to center field to tie the game 2-2. Ruelas moved up to second on the throw. Next up, Talon Andreasen put a ball in play that proved costly for Norton’s infield. A misplay at shortstop allowed Ruelas to race home, giving the Gamecocks a 3-2 lead and putting Andreasen in scoring position.

However, the momentum would not hold.

In the bottom of the seventh, Norton loaded the bases on a single, walk, and hit-by-pitch, which brought home the tying run. With the game knotted at 3-3, Tyler Stewart hit a grounder to third, and Colby was able to get a force out but couldn’t complete a double play. Caden Seems crossed the plate to end the game in walk-off fashion, lifting Norton to the zone championship and sending Colby to the backside of the tournament.

Despite the loss, Colby’s showcased their resilience and competitive spirit. Timely hits from Glassman, Ruelas, and Andreasen, along with aggressive baserunning, kept the Gamecocks in contention until the final out.

Next, the Gamecocks will play Gove County for a chance to play back into the semi-final.