HAMLET — Chipping away at an eight-run deficit, the Hamlet American Legion junior baseball team almost completed the comeback Wednesday.
Opening its two-game Area 2 Conference series with the Hope Mills Post 32 Tigers, Hamlet lost 14-11.
Hope Mills erased a 4-2 Hamlet lead in the top of the fourth, scoring 10 runs. Post 49 allowed just two more runs in the final three innings and scored seven runs of its own.
Preston Fann had three hits and three runs batted in for Hamlet, and Steve James also had three hits with two RBI.
Michael Osentowski (three innings) and Cooper Gainey (four innings) started on the mound and threw in relief, respectively.
The game came to an end on a fly ball with the tying run at the plate for Post 49.
For more from Wednesday’s game, click here.
The Hamlet juniors (1-5, 1-2 Area 2) will travel to Hope Mills Post 32 Friday. The game will be played at South View High School at 7 p.m.
Below are photos of Wednesday’s game, taken by sports editor Kyle Pillar.
