SWEETWATER COUNTY — The Rock Springs Stallions came up just short twice on the road Wednesday, dropping a doubleheader to the Jackson Giants as both teams continued to search for their first conference wins of the American Legion AA baseball season.
Jackson walked off Rock Springs in the opener, 4-3, on a two-out RBI double in the bottom of the seventh by Wyatt Moore. The Giants (9-31-1, 2-12) rallied from a 3-2 deficit in their final at-bat after the Stallions (14-23, 0-10) had briefly taken the lead on a wild pitch in the top of the inning.
The nightcap saw Jackson take control early and hold on for a 6-3 victory, handing Rock Springs its 10th straight conference loss.
In Game 1, Rock Springs grabbed an early lead in the second inning and tied the game again in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Griffen Garner. Starter Damian Valerio turned in a solid outing on the mound, striking out six over 4 1/3 innings. Garner took the loss in relief after Jackson’s two-run rally in the seventh.
The Stallions again scored first in Game 2, thanks to an RBI single by Steve Harmon in the first inning, but Jackson answered with three runs in the bottom half and never trailed again. Ryan Zotti led Rock Springs with two hits and an RBI at the plate, though he also took the loss on the mound after allowing six runs (five earned) over 4 1/3 innings.
The Stallions are set to travel to face Laramie in another conference matchup Friday.
Knights Open Postseason Tonight
While the Stallions continue to fight through AA conference play, the postseason has arrived for Green River’s Single-A squad.
The Green River Knights open their best-of-three state play-in series Thursday against the Lovell Mustangs on the road. Game 1 is scheduled for 5 p.m., with Game 2 to follow at approximately 7 p.m. If necessary, a deciding Game 3 will be played Friday at 10 a.m. in Lovell.
The winner of the series clinches a spot in the state tournament, which begins July 24 in Sheridan. Sheridan, as host, has already qualified, while Cody and Powell earned the top two seeds in the West Conference and have also secured automatic bids.
Cody won the West with a 7-3 conference mark, sweeping Powell head-to-head to claim the tiebreaker.
Green River enters the series looking to continue its season and make a return to the state stage after facing the Mustangs in regular-season play earlier this summer.
