FAYETTEVILLE — The Hamlet American Legion baseball team was credited with a win Tuesday morning following a weather postponement the night before.
Post 49 played the first of its two meetings this week against Hope Mills Post 32 at Terry Sanford High School.
At the time of the suspension due to lightning, Hamlet was leading 8-6 in the top of the sixth inning.
Head coach Chip Gordon explained that the decision was made to finalize the game as of the end of the fifth inning. That gave Hamlet a 7-6 win over its Area 2 conference opponent.
Hamlet scored its first two runs in the top of the first inning off starter Keithyn Hunt (4 IP, 7 runs, 5 hits).
Jackson Kuhn helped himself with an RBI groundout to third base, scoring J.D. Scarbrough (fielder’s choice).
Tristan Hunt, who singled earlier in the inning, made it 2-0 when a passed ball went to the backstop.
Post 32 got a run back in the home half, capitalizing on three Hamlet errors. Kuhn (4 IP, 4 runs, 6 hits, 5 Ks) escaped the big inning with a strikeout and left a runner on second.
In the bottom of the second, Hope Mills used three straight two-out singles to plate three runs and take a 4-2 advantage. A relay from Scarbrough in right caught a base runner between first and second for the final out.
Both teams went scoreless until Hamlet chipped away at its deficit in the top of the fourth. Jon Westbay dropped an RBI single into left-center, scoring Kuhn, who led off the frame with a walk.
An error loaded the bases but a pop out to shortstop kept Hope Mills’ lead at a run.
Kuhn was efficient in the bottom of the fourth, retiring three straight batters after allowing a leadoff single.
The quick turnaround led to a four-run top of the fifth for Hamlet, which saw nine batters visit the plate.
Scarbrough (walk) and Hunt (hit-by-pitch) reached safely, and both moved up on a double steal. Pinch hitter Ryley Norton tied the game 4-4 with an RBI single to left field.
A walk to Markey Purvis loaded the bases and Hunter Meeds used his speed to beat out an infield single to short to give Hamlet the lead.
An error on an Eythan Reynolds grounder to third extended the lead to two runs. Westbay delivered again in the next at-bat, hitting a sac fly to center field off reliever Davis McLamb (1 IP) for Hamlet’s final run.
Hope Mills walked Ashton Phifer to reload the bases, but used a 4-3 double play to stop the scoring.
Hunt took over on the mound in the bottom of the fifth, and after three singles loaded the bases, Ryan Seagroves tallied Post 32’s last two runs on a base knock to left.
Still with the bases loaded and one out, Hunt struck out McLamb and got Wayden McMillian to ground out back to the mound to preserve the win.
Hamlet registered just five hits to Hope Mills’ 10. Scarbrough, Meeds, Westbay, Norton and Hunt each had a single.
Westbay’s two RBI led the team. Kuhn, Norton, Meeds and Reynolds all drove in a run.
The start of a three-game homestand to end the regular season for Hamlet (9-6, 5-1 Area 2) begins Tuesday. Up first will be non-conference Matthews Post 235 at 7 p.m.
PHOTOS: Click here to view a photo gallery on Monday’s win.
