Sports Editor

MONTGOMERY – A basehit single by Post 70’s Drew Kilpatrick provided the margin of victory over Northview as Troy won 4-3 over the Dothan team to advance without a loss in the American Legion Junior Varsity State Tournament on Friday.

Troy also beat West Alabama on Thursday and was set to take on the winner of the Hartselle-Montgomery contest in the Winner’s Bracket at Auburn University-Montgomery’s Senator Field on Saturday night.

"This puts us right where we want to be," said Post 70 head coach Russ Jinright.

A win on Saturday night would put Troy in the championship game on Sunday at 4 p.m.

Kilpatrick’s hit came in the fifth inning just after teammate Wesley Wright came home from third on a wild pitch to tie the game up at 3-3. Clint Pugh scored the go-ahead run after reaching on a single.

The game was deadlocked at two runs apiece for the first three innings of play when Northview’s Hal Senn led off the fourth with a basehit and was driven home by Brian Marsh.

Northview went up 4-3 at that point, but Troy took the lead for good in the fifth.

Clint Robinson was put out by Pugh at third base to start the sixth, but Senn – who was a perfect 3-for-3 on the day for Northview – followed with a single, as did Chad Edwards. Senn was able to advance as far as

third base, but Marsh and Jeff Ferguson popped up and out to end the inning.

In Northview’s last at-bat in the seventh, Martin grounded out and Troy’s Wesley Wright made a running charge on the ball in centerfield to rob Brandon Ward of a basehit. Dustin Pruitt hit a linedrive up the right foul line, but it was knocked down by Post 70 first baseman David Doty. Doty went to the ground to stop the hit and tossed the ball up to pitcher Justin Sims who stepped on the bag for the final out of the game.

Northview used three pitchers against Troy, with the middle man Robinson finding the most success on the day. Robinson came into the game in the second inning, relieving Pruitt. Pruitt had opened the second allowing two hits by Troy’s Blake Phelps and Chase Kelly, but Robinson struck out the next three batters to end the Post 70 threat. After giving up the two runs in the fifth and issuing two walks in the inning, Robinson was replaced by Ward who closed out the game.

Sims went the entire seven innings for Troy, giving up seven hits to Northview while striking out two.

Ward and Jason Hightower opened the first with singles and both runners scored on a ground ball hit by Robinson and a single by Senn, respectively, to give Northview the early 2-0 lead.

Troy countered with three straight hits by the top of the order. Brett Pierce reached base on balls, both Sims and Wright followed with basehits, and Pugh had a single RBI to score a run. Kilpatrick then had a sacrifice fly to send Sims home from third and tie the game up.

Besides Senn’s 3-for-3 effort, Ward, Hightower, Marsh and Edwards all had hits for Northview.

Pugh and Kilpatrick each went 2-for-3 for Troy, while Sims, Wright, Kelly and Phelps also had hits.