In the 5th inning, Retif Oil pitcher Mason Mayfield can’t get in position to cover home plate after a wild throw scooted past catcher Trent Forshag, allowing the runner to score from 3B. That’s when the wheels started to come apart for Retif as Refuel scored four more runs in the inning to take a commanding lead, 8-1.

Retif Oil went slipping and sliding in Monday night’s winners’ bracket game against Refuel (Shaw) in the American Legion’s State Tournament at Kirsch-Rooney Stadium. When it was over, Retif was dealt its first loss of the tournament by Refuel, 11-2.

The loss results in Retif playing a 4 p.m game on Tuesday, July 22 against the Gulf Coast Bank ’29ers (Abbeville High School). The winner remains in the double-elimination tournament with a shot at the title.

Against Refuel, Retif was missing some of its snap seen in the two opening games the team won. Lacking focus, Retif made mental mistakes. But the team was keeping it close as of the top of the 5th inning when Harrison Daste scored the first run to narrow Refuel’s leads to 3-1. But in the bottom of the 5th, Refuel pounced, knocking the wheels off Retif by scoring 5 runs to take an 8-1 lead. By the end of the game, Retif had given Refuel 7 unearned “gift-wrapped” runs. Retif also stranded 10 runners, six fewer than in Sunday night’s game against Deanie’s Seafood.

Retif starting pitcher Mason Mayfield (3-3) took the loss. He pitched 4.2 innings, allowed 7 hits, and struck out 2. Of the 6 runs he gave up, 2 were earned. Myles Blunt pitched 3.2 innings in relief, giving up 5 runs (3 earned). He was forced to come off the mound in the 8th after injuring his elbow.

As he did against Deanie’s Seafood the night before, 3B Nick Ray singled to start the game. Ray ended up with two singles and Blunt hit a double before his injury. Four Retif batters scattered singles.

“I need you guys to keep your poise and composure,” Coach Joey Latino told his players after the game. “You need to take care of business on Tuesday in order to play on Wednesday.”

Retif’s record is 17-9.

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