Chris Daniels blasts a home run in the fourth inning against Goose Creek. Despite towering home runs from Chris Daniels and Mo Holler and six strong innings from pitcher Will Freeman, the Richland Post 6 Pathfinders dropped their first game of the S.C. American Legion State Tournament in Florence to Goose Creek 7- 5 Wednesday, July 30.

The tone was set in the bottom of the first inning when Kyle Strasburger was thrown out at home trying to beat out a throw from left field on Kirk Sims's single.

Richland then committed three errors in the top of the second inning. Goose Creek's Damon Ardis reached second base on one of those, then took third when Freeman's pick- off attempt sailed into center field. Josh Kubisz's infield hit then scored Ardis.

Richland answered back in the bottom of the fourth inning when Daniels took Nick Jonason's 3- 1 offering over the left field fence to tie the game at 1- 1.

Richland head coach Ray Der r ick talks strateg y between innings. Goose Creek regained the lead in the next inning when Jonason scored on Brent Perry's ground- out to second base. Richland would tie the game again with Mo Holler's solo shot over the left field fence in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Freeman had recovered from the second inning and had only allowed two hits until the seventh inning. Aaron Preston started things off for Goose Creek with a double to center field. That was followed by Perry's bunt single advancing Preston to third. Perry was then thrown out trying to steal second base, but Strasburger's throw was not in time to catch Preston stealing home. Ryan Hines then doubled to center field and scored when Kenny Bryant reached on the fourth Richland error.

Richland fought back in the bottom half of the inning when Robert Gibbes' bases loaded grounder to shortstop scored Strauss from third base making the score 4- 3.

Goose Creek took a 5- 3 lead in the top of the eighth when Preston again knocked a double off Richland reliever Joseph Osteen scoring Yamil Perez.

Richland again fought back when Mo Holler scored on a Goose Creek error. Then with Strauss at first base and Kevin O'Quinn at third base, Coach Ray Derrick called for delayed double steal. Strauss hesitated long enough to draw the throw of the Goose Creek catcher and O'Quinn beat the ensuing throw home knotting the score at 5- 5.

Goose Creek added two in the top of the ninth. Tyler Hill reached base on the fifth Richland error and scored when Bryant ripped a triple to center field. Then Bryant scored on Kubisz's single to center field.

Richland could not answer and was forced to fight from the losers' bracket where they faced Spartanburg once again July 31.