After advancing out of pool play with a 3-0 record, the Johnny Mac U-16 baseball team dropped a 5-3 decision to Kinect National of Ohio in the Sweet 16 of the National Amateur Baseball Federation’s U-17 World Series in Greensboro, N.C.

“They (Kinect National) scored one run in five different innings, so they manufactured some runs,” Johnny Mac head coach Tim Seymour told the Call. “We just couldn’t get a timely hit through the course of the game. Our thing throughout the season was that we were able to manufacture runs.”

Johnny Mac (44-7) advanced out of pool play with a 2-0 win over a Florida team, a 10-5 win over a Virginia team and an 11-1 win over a Greensboro team.

Johnny Mac center fielder Mike Young went 1-2 against Kinect National with one run batted in. Young batted .437 during the regular season with 22 runs batted in and a team-leading 28 stolen bases.

“Mike had probably the best numbers in the tournament,” Seymour said. “He really had some good solid hits.”

Third baseman Adam Belgeri also had a solid day at the plate with a three hit performance that included one run batted in. Belgeri has been on fire for most of the season with a .446 batting average and 21 runs batted in.

“Adam had a really nice game,” Seymour said. “He really had their pitcher figured out.”

Johnny Mac qualified for the NABF World Series by winning the St. Louis Amateur Baseball Association’s Junior South Conference with a 23-3 mark in league play.