WICHITA, Kansas — The Everett Merchants opened National Baseball Congress World Series play with a 5-4 win over the Liberal (Kansas) Bee Jays on Saturday at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.
The Merchants led for most of the game and held off a ninth-inning Bee Jays rally to post the victory.
Everett will continue pool play at 5 p.m. Monday against the Kansas Stars.
Ty Holm led the Merchants with three hits, while Jake Levin, Austin Aluko, Kevin Olmstead and Connor O’Brien added two hits apiece.
Everett starting pitcher Pete Irvin allowed two runs, one walk and eight hits while striking out six in 41/3 innings.
Merchants reliever Max Dwyer walked three batters and gave up a run-scoring double in the ninth inning, but coaxed a fly-ball out with the bases loaded to end the contest.
Everett took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Holm singled and eventually scored on a fielder’s choice by Austin Atwell.
The Merchants scored three runs in the fourth inning on singles by Levin and Aluko to take a 4-2 advantage.
In the eighth frame, Everett scored its final run when Colton McCluskey, pinch-running for Matt Thompson, who doubled, came home on a single by Kevin Olmstead.
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