SCOTLAND -- Spring Grove finally ran out of comebacks on Monday.

The York-Adams American Legion champions suffered a 7-3 loss to Franklin County champion Waynesboro in the Region 4 Tournament.

Both teams had entered the winners' bracket contest with 2-0 records in the double-elimination tournament.

Entering the game, Spring Grove had gone 6-0 in the postseason, including a 4-0 mark en route to the York-Adams title. Five of those victories had been comeback triumphs.

On Monday, Waynesboro pitcher Alex Cline made sure there would be no comeback, pitching a complete-game eight hitter. He allowed two earned runs with three strikeouts and one walk. Waynesboro improved to 22-4 overall, while Spring Grove fell to 19-3.

Against Waynesboro, Spring Grove couldn't overcome nine walks and 12 hits allowed by its three pitchers and three costly errors.

"Defensively, we didn't play well. It should've been 4-3 going into last (half) inning (instead it was 7-3)," Spring Grove manager Matt Spangler said. "We gave up a lot of hits and walks, but we were still in the ballgame, but we just lost focus a little bit. We may have been tired from the night before, playing a 31/2-hour game (in an 11-7 win over Campbelltown). We looked a little sluggish. We didn't have the intensity, but give credit to Cline for his pitching."

Spring Grove had entered the game averaging nine runs per contest in the postseason, but had little success vs. Cline.

Spring Grove scored all of its runs in a three-run fifth inning, which pulled the local team to within 4-3. Waynesboro, however, scored single runs in each of the last three innings, thanks to some shoddy defense by Spring Grove.

Colby Murphy and Brandon Warner had RBI singles for Spring Grove, while Dalton Hoiles belted a sacrifice fly. Hoiles also pitched 52/3 innings in relief, allowing four runs, 10 hits and five walks, to go with three strikeouts. Jake Molison went 2-for-4 for Spring Grove with a double.

The York County team still has a shot to win the regional crown, but it will nedd to come back through the losers' bracket. Spring Grove will face Hummelstown in an elimination game at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday at Greene Township Field No. 1. If Spring Grove wins that game, it will advance to the finals on Wednesday. Hummelstown beat Campbelltown on Monday, 8-6.

"We've rebounded all year long after we lost," Spangler said. "Every time we lost we put together a nice run. Hopefully we can battle Hummelstown and get back to the championship game on Wednesday."

-- Reach Steve Heiser at sheiser@yorkdis patch.com.