Hazel Dell Metro nears bracket round at World Series

The stands at Fireman’s Field in Purcellville, Va., were packed.

The fans were loud.

The home team wasn’t disappointing.

Then Hazel Dell Metro found its stroke and rallied for an 8-6 win Tuesday over Loudoun County, Va., on the next-to-last day of pool play at the Babe Ruth World Series for 14-year-olds.

Metro (2-1) can reach the single-elimination bracket round with a win today over Arlington, Mass. (1-2).

But the Clark County team had to work to get its second win.

Loudoun County (1-3) scored the first three runs of the game in the first inning, Metro answered with four in the second, and then Loudoun County surged ahead 6-4 in the fourth.

“When we were down, it was the same old mentality with this group,” Metro coach Dennis Zyph said. “They got five hits and scored runs.”

James Brooks drove in two runs with a single in the fifth to tie the game. He added an RBI in the two-run sixth.

Jake Lewis, who came on in relief with two outs in the first inning, struck out seven batters including the final two to secure the win. He also went 3 for 4 with two doubles.

Lewis said Metro has come from behind a lot this summer, so this was no surprise.

“It was us just getting on base, finding the gaps and scoring runs,” he said. “We’ve done it a lot. We just never give up and fight back.”

The top three teams in the two pools of five advance to bracket play beginning Thursday. The winners of the pools get a bye into Friday’s semifinals. The championship game is Saturday.