---

ATTLEBORO - Greg Najarian delivered the go-ahead run in the sixth inning and then delivered the game-winning run with a two-out, RBI-single in the bottom of the seventh inning Tuesday at Beach Field as South Attleboro American Legion Post 312 rallied twice for a 5-4 verdict over Easton.

Post 312 (19-2-1 in Zone 9) rallied from a 3-1 deficit, tying the score with a pair of sixth-inning runs and then touching Easton right-handed reliever Mike Cole for an imponderable game-winning run when a potential frame-ending flyball into left field was dropped.

That flyball, off the bat of Lucas Gagne set the stage for Najarian, the Bishop Feehan High product and now a sophomore at Bryant University. Another ex-Shamrock, Lonny Bornstein was hit by a pitch and Najarian strode to the plate.

South Attleboro didn't have to wait long as Najarian hammered Cole's first-pitch fastball into left field allowing Gagne ample time to cross the plate with the game-winning run from third base.

Post 312 didn't seem to rebound from Monday's three-run loss at Seekonk, having just two hits, one run and four baserunners through five innings. But as fate would have it, Easton starting pitcher Tom Herron was relieved by Cole in the sixth and the door to victory was opened for Post 312.

Herron had issued a one-out walk to Bornstein and a single off the bat of Najarian. Cole came to the mound, walked Matt Boulter, the first batter that he faced, and threw a wild pitch to allow the tying run to score. Then Najarian put Post 312 ahead for the first time by scoring on Greg Dusel's RBI-single into left field.

However, just as quickly, South Attleboro surrendered the lead. Najarian, who relieved starting pitcher Sam Dodge, yielded three hits to the first four Easton batters that he faced atop the seventh inning, yielding the game-tying run.

Enter North Attleboro High Rocketeer Greg Dusel, bound for Northeastern University. With the go-ahead run at second base, Dusel notched a strikeout for the second out. But, then the right-hander issued a walk to jam the bags. Dusel then extricated South Attleboro out of danger with a frame-ending strikeout.

Easton had jumped ahead 2-0 on long balls, out of the park off of Dodge, the Shamrock junior right-hander. Trevor Lawson uncorked a two-out solo shot in the first inning and Stephan Capobianco unloaded a leadoff solo shot in the third inning.

Paul Piatelli, the No. 9 batter in the order for Post 312, manufactured South Attleboro's first pair of runs. In the third, Piatelli was hit by a pitch, was balked to second base and went to third on wild pitch - scoring on a two-out, opposite-field, pop-single into left field by Gagne.

Then Piatelli belted a two-out, opposite-field solo homer over the left field fence in the fifth inning.

Through five innings, though, Post 312 did not have a leadoff batter on base and recorded five strikeouts, while Easton had runners on base in every frame and a half-dozen runners stranded in scoring position.

South Attleboro returns to the Shamrock diamond tonight against Berkley.

Easton 101 010 1-4 11 2

South Attleboro 001 012 1-5 5 0

Herron, Cole (6) and Piretti; Dodge, Najarian (7), Dusel (7) and Kelly; W-Dusel. L-Cole.