HAMLET — The Hamlet Middle School baseball team became the third Richmond County ball club to make into the semifinal round of the Southeastern Middle School Athletic Conference playoffs.
The No. 3 Red Rams hosted No. 6 Anson Middle School Blue Thursday, and came away with a 5-4 walk-off victory over the Bearcats to advance to the next round. Head coach Josh Peele called the matchup a “nail-biter.”
Hamlet (8-2) joined fellow Richmond County team Ellerbe Middle School (6-4) in picking up a win in the first round, and will face off against No. 2 Rockingham Middle School in the semis. The Rockets (8-1) had a first-round bye.
Alan Taylor got the start on the mound for Hamlet, and allowed just one hit in 2.1 innings. He struck out five batters, but ran into some trouble with three walks and hit three batters with a pitch.
Peele elected to go with Ethan Locklear in relief, as he threw the remaining 4.2 innings to help notch the win. Locklear allowed two hits and three walks, and sat down 12 Bearcats via the punch out.
Locklear helped keep a tied ball game in check when he struck out the side in the top of the fourth and fifth innings.
After five complete innings, the game was tied 2-2. Hamlet’s Timothy Crowder came through with a two-RBI double in the sixth that put the Red Rams up by a pair heading into the seventh.
Anson would get two runs off of Locklear with two hits in the top half of the final inning, but Red Ram Cain Hunsucker had other plans.
Hunsucker would walk the game off with an RBI infield single, his lone hit of the game, to help end the Bearcats’ season.
Crowder had the team’s only extra-base hit, and led Hamlet with a pair of RBIs. Locklear helped his cause going 1-for-2 with two walks, and Hunsucker added a walk to his performance.
Jabari Douglas collected a single in his only at-bat and drew a walk, as Taylor went 1-for-3 with a walk.
Hamlet will travel to rival Rockingham on Monday. During the regular season, the Rockets run-ruled the Red Rams. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.
