GASTONIA - Early Thursday morning wasn't Colin Parker's time to shine. It wasn't Brad Fletcher's either. But, oh, how a few extra ticks of the clocks can change things.

Parker and Fletcher, a pair of rising college sophomores, helped keep Johnston County-based Post 71's season alive Wednesday, pacing their team's rally by Wilmington Post 10 with a 6-5 victory in an elimination game of the N.C. American Legion Baseball Championships.

Clayton (20-12) moved on to face Hope Mills (20-9) in another loser goes home battle on Thursday evening. Post 10 finishes its season with an 18-14 record.

Early on, it looked like Wilmington would be staying around for another day. Post 10 scored six runs in the first two innings off of Parker, the lefty starter for Post 71. But then the Bulldog drive of the former Princeton Bulldog took over the contest.

Parker, who helped lead Princeton High School to the 2007 N.C. High School Athletic Association 1-A State Championship, held Post 10 scoreless - and to just four hits - the rest of the way. It took him 43 pitches to get through the first two innings but just 65 to finish the game.

"The first couple of innings I guess I was just too jacked up," Parker said. "But once I settled down and got into the game, I started getting my fastball down."

The Campbell University student worked through 10 consecutive batters without a hit from the last out of the second to the start of the sixth, giving his team a chance to finally get their offense going.

Good thing Parker was so consistent because it took a while for the offense to come around.

"He's been our workhorse all year," said Post 71 assistant coach Brandon Lusk of Parker. "He had a rough couple of innings but then went out there and put up zeroes the rest of the way.

"Colin's a really smart kid, once he gets through the lineup one time, he's going to make some adjustments."

After going 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position in their opening round loss to Randolph County, the Sabres were still hitting just .125 (2-for-16) with runners in scoring position in the tournament when Brad Fletcher stepped to the plate in the bottom of the sixth inning.

After Ryan Daughtry started the sixth with an infield single, Brad Fletcher started his single-handed turnaround of the Post 71 offense. Fletcher rocketed the second pitch he saw from Post 10 starter Josh Whitesell over the left field wall, cutting Wilmington's lead to 5-3.

An inning later, the Louisburg College student and former Smithfield-Selma standout got another chance with runners on base. Singles by Kyle Cummings and Daughtry brought Fletcher to the plate with two outs and his team down just two runs. He drilled the first pitch he saw over the left field wall again, putting his team on top for good, at 6-5.

"Brad did the job for me, he saved us," Parker said of his teammate. "He came up with two really big hits, give him all of the credit."

Fletcher's ability to single-handedly turn the game in Post 71's favor was reminiscent of his days in the heart of the Smithfield-Selma High batting order. He's been restricted to designated hitter duties this summer after undergoing yet another operation on his right (throwing) shoulder. This one, which was ordered after an issue that probably was missed during his first two operations was found to be the root of his problems, appears to have taken.

"Brad came up big time," Lusk said. "He got the big hits we've been looking for with runners in scoring position for the past two days. He's only been swinging the bat for about a month because of his surgery in May but he's a force in the lineup."

Parker kept Post 10 in check for two more innings and kept the Sabres around for another day at Sims Legion Park.

"The biggest thing with Colin is that you just know he's going to go out and compete," Lusk said. "He's the guy we want on the mound when it's on the line."

Brian Mills, who was 2-for-3 with a double and reached twice after being hit by pitches, Cummings and Daughtry all had pairs of hits as well for the Sabres.