SCHENECTADY — Bobby McLaughlin's controversial two-out, two-run double in the top of the eighth inning broke a 4-all tie Saturday night and sent the defending state champion Anaconda Indians to a 9-4 victory over the Clinton County Mariners in the American Legion District IV Playoffs.

The host Indians improved to 2-0 in the double-elimination event, while the Mariners fell to 1-1. Clinton County will play an elimination game today at 11 a.m. against St. Johnsville.

"My heart is broken for our team because we had them (Anaconda) on the ropes," said Mariners head coach John Flynn.

"My kids played their best game of the season intensity-wise. They gave it everything they had and it was a blown call that made the difference."

The Mariners, who dropped a 10-0 decision to Anaconda earlier in the season in the Colchester Cannons Tournament, took a 4-3 lead into the top of the eighth inning.

But, Dante Shafer led off the frame with a triple and would later score on a single to tie the contest.

Then came the biggest controversy of the game. McLaughlin lofted the ball down the right-field line for his two-out, two-run double.

Flynn, however, saw it a different way.

"It was clearly a foul ball when it landed," he said. "But, the home-plate umpire called it fair and that was it. It killed us. We weren't able to re-group after that."

The Indians then opened it up with three more runs in the ninth.

Frank Buksa accounted for two of the Mariners' seven hits off winning pitcher Ryan Zielinski, who went the first eight innings.

Clinton County (16-11 overall) took the lead with two runs in the bottom of the first when Pat Shaughnessy walked, Jordan Keysor sacrificed, Buksa delivered a RBI single and Brett Bosley rapped a RBI single.

It was tied at 2-all in the fifth when the Mariners pushed across two runs for a 4-2 advantage. Shaughnessy walked, stole second and scored on a throwing error to give Clinton County the lead and Buksa then added his second RBI single of the game.

Keysor started on the mound and Matt Seymour took the loss in relief as the Mariners used five pitchers in all.

"Keysor battled while he was in there and Seymour gave us some good innings in relief," Flynn said.

"I can't believe how well we played and still lost the game."

Flynn said Matt Brown will get the start today against St. Johnsville. Should the Mariners win, they won't play again in the tournament until Wednesday.

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Anaconda 9, Mariners 4

Anaconda 002 001 033 — 9 8 0

Mariners 200 020 000 — 4 7 0

Zielinski, Griesche (9) and Borowski. Keysor, Seymour (5), Powers (8), Shaughnessy (9), Flynn (9) and Buksa. WP- Zielinski. LP- Seymour. 2B- McLaughlin (A). 3B- Shafer (A) 2, Krasodomski (A).