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In the Hunt: Clutch defense, pitching lifts Post 49 over Patriots in playoff opener

Tristan Hunt, throwing a pitch in the third inning, provided 4 innings of relief in Thursday's win. (Kyle Pillar, sports editor)

HAMLET — Trusty defense and a three-pitcher effort fueled the Hamlet American Legion baseball team’s playoff win on Thursday.

Taking game one of a best-of-three series against the Wilmington Post 10 Patriots, Hamlet secured a 2-1 victory.

Relying on the arms of Tanner Cheek, Tristan Hunt and Finley Spicer, it was Post 49’s first playoff victory since restarting the program last summer.

Heading into the postseason, head coach Chip Gordon said the key would be for the 49ers to stay ahead in the count and use its defense to create outs. And the team answered the call.

Cheek provided 2.0 innings to start the game and surrendered just one earned run on two hits and added a strikeout.

To limit Cheek’s pitch count and keep him fresh for the playoffs, Gordon inserted Hunt in the top of the third. Hunt tossed 4.0 innings of scoreless baseball, struck out three batters and stranded four runners.

Spicer collected the save with a quick top of the seventh, sitting Post 10 (4-10) down in order. Ra’Nik Little hauled in a line drive for the final out in right field.

Wilmington scored the game’s first run in the top of the first, using a leadoff single by Nick Disanti. He later scored on a wild pitch with two outs before Grady Swinson grounded out to Cheek to end the inning.

Cheek faced just four batters in the top of the second, paving the way for Hamlet’s bats to tie the game in the home half.

Walker Lambeth barreled up a one-out single to center field and moved into scoring position thanks to a sacrifice bunt by Ra’Nes Little. Cooper Sessoms knotted the game with an RBI double, slicing it the opposite way to right field down the line.

Cooper Sessoms connects with his RBI double during Hamlet’s playoff victory. (Kyle Pillar/The Richmond Observer)

With Hunt on the mound to start the third, Cameron Way started a string of crucial defensive plays to keep Wilmington scoreless the rest of the game. 

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On a line drive from Oakley Rempel, Way snagged it at short to end the inning, the first of back-to-back frames that Hunt retired the side in order.

Hamlet scored the eventual game-winning run in the bottom of the third. With one out, Hunt reached safely on an error at short, and moved to third on a throwing error on a pickoff attempt.

Cheek dug in and hit a hard ground ball to short, and another one of Wilmington’s five errors in the game allowed Hunt to score.

Ryder Whitacre reached on an error to leadoff the top of the fourth, but Hunt, Lambeth and Way combined to pick him off and tag him out trying to swipe second.

Cameron Way applies a tag to Ryder Whitacre during a rundown in the top of the fourth. (Kyle Pillar/The Richmond Observer)

Isaac Henry drew a leadoff walk in the top of the fifth, but Hunt helped his cause with consecutive plays for outs, first firing a bunt back to the mound to Cheek at second to get Henry.

Post 10 threatened with runners on second and third with just one away, but Hunt saved a run when he fielded a safety squeeze attempt by Hunter Payne. Using his glove, Hunt flipped the ball to Sessoms at the plate, who tagged out Davis Hinshaw (fielder’s choice).

Hamlet left two more runners on base in the fifth, and Hunt worked out of a two-on, two-out jam in the sixth with a strikeout to Henry. 

Ayden Allen, who led Post 49 with two hits, laced a double in the bottom of the sixth with two away. Hamlet couldn’t bring him home, but a pair of strikeouts and a fly out by Spicer notched the win.

Improving to 13-7 on the season, and 10-5 against conference opponents, Hamlet will look to take the opening series on Friday. First pitch at Wilmington Christian Academy is set for 5 p.m.

VIDEO INTERVIEW: Tristan Hunt and coach Chip Gordon discuss Thursday’s game one win over Wilmington Post 10.



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Kyle Pillar is a 22-time North Carolina Press Association award-winning sports editor with The Richmond Observer. Follow the sports department on X @ROSports_ for the best in-depth coverage of Richmond County sports.