NEW ORLEANS - The Jefferson City Post 5 Seniors were cruising through the first five innings Thursday night against Bryant (Ark.) Post 298, the defending Mid-South Regional champion.
That all changed in the sixth inning.
Bryant tied the game in that inning, then took the lead in the top of the seventh to beat Jefferson City 3-2 at Kirsch Rooney Stadium in winner's bracket play.
Jefferson City held a 2-0 lead after one inning. Zach Woehr opened the first with a single, while Parker Schnieders reached on an error by the shortstop. Woehr would score on the error to give Post 5 a 1-0 lead.
Later in the inning, Joseph Travis singled and advanced to second base on a passed ball. The next batter, Mason Hansen, singled to score Travis to make it a 2-0 advantage.
Travis held Bryant to two hits through the first five innings on the mound. Then in the sixth, Logan Catton hit a leadoff single and Jacob Wright followed with a two-run home run to left field, tying the game at 2.
Wright came through again in the seventh for Bryant, which collected three straight hits off Jefferson City relief pitcher Gage Bax. Wright singled to score Logan Chambers, putting Post 298 on top 3-2.
Bryant relief pitcher Coby Greiner retired Jefferson City in order in the bottom of the seventh. He earned the win, pitching four shutout innings while allowing two walks and one hit. Greiner also struck out four.
Post 5 only stranded five runners on base but left the bases loaded in the bottom of the fifth.
Hansen went 2-for-3 with one single and one double, while Travis collected a pair of singles. Jefferson City finished with six hits, getting singles from Woehr and Jacob Adrian.
In 5 innings, Travis allowed two runs on four hits with three walks and one strikeout. Bax was credited with the loss, giving up one run on four hits while striking out one in the final 1 innings.
Jefferson City (25-10) will play an elimination game at 3:30 p.m. today against Columbia (Tenn.) Post 19 (25-7-3). Columbia won 9-8 against Cape Girardeau Post 63 in an elimination game Thursday.