By Brad Greer

The Batesville 13-15 year-old American Legion baseball regular season came to an exciting conclusion Monday night as the Red Sox edged the regular season champion Royals 7-6 while the Yankees pounded the A’s 15-5 in four innings to claim the number three spot in final standings.

The league’s post-season tournament will kick off Monday with the Royals taking on the A’s while the Red Sox square off against the Yankees with the two winners meeting in the championship game Thursday night.

Gage Aldison’s two-out single in the bottom of the fourth inning scored Braiden Scott to give the Red Sox the victory as the game was called due to time limit rules. Aldison led the Sox at the plate by driving in three runs on a single, double and triple. Aldison tossed the first two innings on the mound before giving way to Cameron Brown and Chase Durham, who picked up the win in relief.

Trailing 2-1 in the third inning, the Red Sox exploded for five runs to take a 6-2 lead. Aldison’s two-run triple that scored Brown and Carter Aven was the only hit in the inning as the Sox took advantage of three walks and two hit-by- pitches in the frame. Nathan Gabbard got the Red Sox on the board in the second with a double and later scored on a wild pitch.

The Royals plated two runs in each of the first, third and fourth innings as Hunter Bryant doubled while Ryan McCurdy, Justin Bolton and Pez McGee added singles. Bryant, McGee and Hunter Darby all saw time on the hill for the Royals.

D. C. Sheley drove in four runs on three singles to power the Yankees to the win in the opening game of the day. Six players scored two runs each as the Yankees used a six-run second followed by a seven-run third inning to record the victory. Trey McGovern doubled while Chris Cassidy, Nathan Gabbard and Morgan Montgomery added singles.

Ethan Calvert, Colton Cook and Hunter Bryant singled for the A’s in the losing effort.