Blue Sox move to 2-0 in American Legion regional

The Southern Nevada Blue Sox couldn’t match the offensive onslaught from their regional opener.

But they still had more than enough offense to move to 2-0 in the American Legion Western Regional in Denver.

Jesse Fonteboa was 4 for 4 with a double, two runs scored and two RBIs as the Blue Sox rolled to a 9-1 triumph over Chico (California) on Thursday.

A day after scoring 14 runs in the first inning en route to a 30-5 win, the Blue Sox scored twice in the first on Thursday and never trailed.

“Everything came together at the right time again,” Blue Sox coach Scott Baker said. “Today we got pitching, defense and offense, so it was a pretty good day.”

Fonteboa drove in a run with an infield single and a second run scored on an error in the Blue Sox first. That proved to be enough for winning pitcher Trever Berg, who allowed one run on five hits in eight innings. Berg struck out 11 and walked one.

“One of the better outings I’ve seen (from him) in all the years through high school and now,” Baker said. “Just total command of all three pitches. He was just kind of doing whatever he wanted to do.”

Fonteboa drove in another run with a single and scored on a wild pitch in the third as the Blue Sox extended their lead to 4-1.

J.J. Smith hit a two-run homer in the fifth to make it 6-1. After adding a run on an error in the sixth, Jack Wold’s RBI triple highlighted a two-run eighth.

Wold went 2 for 3 with two runs. John Howard Bobo and Ryne Nelson each scored twice for Southern Nevada.

Nick Thompson pitched a scoreless ninth.

“You always want to have everything click at the end, and right now is as good as we’ve played all summer,” Baker said. “The stage is a lot bigger, and I think they know what’s at stake here. The focus is high, for sure.”

The Blue Sox play at 6 p.m. Friday. The tournament runs through Sunday with the winner advancing to the American Legion World Series in Shelby, North Carolina.