HAMLET — Facing its toughest test yet early in the season, the Hamlet American Legion baseball team didn’t back down Friday.
Hosting Chatham Post 182 in its home opener, Post 49 strung together two strong pitching performances to keep its hot start going.
Winning its fourth straight game to begin the summer, Hamlet defeated Chatham 5-4, completing the non-conference series sweep.
Using its fewest number of pitchers in a game this season, Hamlet relied on the arms of Mason Konen (Pinecrest) and Riley Brown (Richmond) to hold off Post 182.
Making his first start, Konen threw four innings and collected the win. He allowed three earned runs on four hits and struck out six batters.
Konen retired Post 182 in order in the first inning, striking out the side. He faced just four batters in both the third and fourth frames.
Brown inherited a 5-3 lead when he took over in the fifth. Dialed in, he punched out five batters and surrendered just one earned run on three hits in three innings.
Sitting down the first six batters he faced in order, Brown also struck out the side in the sixth. He worked out of a two-on, two-out jam in the seventh with his final strikeout to preserve the save.
With Konen setting the tone in the top half of the first, Hamlet’s offense got to work in the bottom half by scoring two runs.
A night after hitting two homers and recording five runs batted in, JD Scarbrough (Pitt Community College) led off with a walk against losing pitcher Luke Johnson (five innings, five runs, seven hits).
Using his speed, Scarbrough swiped second and moved to third on a wild pitch in the dirt. An errant pickoff attempt by the catcher sailed into left field, clearing the way for Scarbrough to score.
Austin Mooring (Union Pines) and Isaac Hinshaw (Richmond) kept the inning going with a single each, two of Hamlet’s eight hits. In the next at-bat, James Eason (Richmond) recorded an RBI with a line drive single to center, scoring Mooring.
Despite getting two quick outs in the top of the second, Konen allowed all three of his runs to give Chatham a 3-2 lead.
Post 182 used two RBI singles and a bases-loaded walk to jump ahead by a run, but Hamlet answered a half an inning later.
With one away, Landon Taylor (Richmond) hustled down the line to beat the throw for an infield single to the right side. Moving to third following a walk and a fielder’s choice, Taylor tied the game 3-3 when Evan Hodges (Richmond) barreled a two-out line drive RBI single to center.
Eason made two stellar grabs on lineouts at shortstop in the top of the third, with Hinshaw recording the other out with an athletic catch in foul territory near first base.
Hamlet scored its final two runs in the bottom of the third, starting with a sacrifice fly to center field by Taylor. Tagging up from third following the second out was Eason, who was plunked in the back with a pitch.
With runners on the corners, Johnson balked, which afforded both runners to move 90 feet. John Carre (Pinecrest), who singled earlier in the inning, trotted home from third for what became the eventual game-winning run.
Both teams traded quick innings for the remainder of the game until the top of the seventh. Konen struck out his final two batters in the fourth and Brown sandwiched a pop out and a ground out around his first K in the fifth.
A 14-pitch top of the sixth from Brown yielded three more strikeouts, with catcher Jacob Williams (Union Pines) throwing to first on a dropped third strike for the final out.
Chatham (2-3) made things interesting in the top of the seventh, starting with a leadoff double that was lost in the lights. A one-out RBI single cut Richmond’s lead to one run, but Brown left the tying run at second base with his fifth punchout.
Hodges and Hinshaw led Hamlet with two hits apiece, with one of Hodges’ going for two bases. Mooring, Eason, Carre and Taylor all had one single. Hodges, Eason and Taylor each recorded one RBI.
Hamlet (4-0) will end its five-game stretch in five days with a doubleheader at home in the George Whitfield Sunday Showdown. Post 49 will host Kannapolis Post 115 (1 p.m.) and Garner Nationals (7 p.m.).
The Richmond Observer will publish a photo gallery of Friday’s win soon.
