Chicago Metro won a 14-inning marathon game, 5-4, against previously undefeated New Brunswick Matrix on Thursday morning at Roxbury Park.
Logan Beaman threw out the potential game-winning run at the plate in the bottom of the ninth, and Marco Melgoza hit a run-producing single in the top of the 14th as Chicago Metro (3-1) earned a berth in Friday’s semifinal round against the Zanesville Junior Pioneers.
New Brunswick (3-1) tied the game in the ninth on run-scoring singles by Austin Chaszar and Alex Christian.
The Zanesville Junior Pioneers (2-2) had an historic victory over the defending tournament champion New Orleans Boosters, 4-2, at Point Stadium to enable the franchise to finish at least tied for fourth in the final standings for the second time and first since tying for fourth with a 3-2 mark in the 1973 tournament.
Dyson Bowman pitched six innings in the win as his teammates turned three double plays. Dylan McDermott hit a run-scoring triple in the fifth, and Vayden Wood and Caden Mumaw drove in runs.
Spencer Miller, Justin Nussbaum and Joseph LaGreco each had two hits for New Orleans (2-2).