CAMERON — The message this postseason has been to “take care of business” for the Hamlet American Legion baseball team, which checked off its first box Tuesday.
Post 49 combined to throw a no-hitter, the team’s second in its last four games, and extended its winning streak to an even dozen games.
On the road at Union Pines High School, No. 1 Hamlet eliminated No. 4 Moore County Post 12 in a two-game sweep in the opening round of the Area 2 playoffs.
Riley Brown (Richmond) and Brady Fowler (Scotland) teamed up for the no-hit bid as Hamlet cruised to an 11-0 mercy-rule win in five innings.
The win was Hamlet’s fourth of the season over Moore County, which was also the victim of Post 49’s other non-hitter on June 25.
Throwing four innings and facing just one batter over the minimum, Brown recorded seven strikeouts, a single-game season-high in his four starts this summer.
He allowed one walk in a four-batter first inning and followed that with three consecutive 1-2-3 innings. Brown stuck out the side in order in the second and also had two Ks in the fourth.
Fowler, who closed out the other no-hitter, also closed the door on Tuesday’s playoff win. He faced five batters and got some defensive help to end the game at the plate.
Post 49 dotted the scoreboard in all five innings, starting with two runs in the first and four more runs in the second. Leading 6-0, Hamlet added two runs in the third, one in the fourth and its final two runs in the fifth.
Despite only recording four hits as a team, Hamlet used eight base on balls from pitchers Dominic Inocencio (three innings, eight runs, four walks) and Seth Norris (two innings, three runs, four walks).
Leading off with a walk in the top of the first, JD Scarbrough (Pitt Community College) scored the first run on a passed ball. It was the first of his three walks and three runs scored.
James Eason (Richmond), who was hit by a pitch, scored to make it 2-0 when Evan Hodges (Richmond) recorded an RBI groundout to short. Hodges finished the night with one of Hamlet’s hits and a game-high three runs batted in.
Maddox Locklear (Scotland) kept his bat hot and led off the four-run second inning with a triple that bounced around in the left field corner. In the next at-bat, and playing at his high school field, Jacob Williams (Union Pines) connected on an RBI single to left field.
Free passes to Landon Taylor (Richmond) and Scarbrough loaded the bases. With two away, Hodges added to Hamlet’s lead with a two-RBI base knock on a line drive to left field. Scoring were Williams and Taylor to make it 5-0.
Scarbrough took advantage of a passed ball in the next at-bat and raced home for another run.
Needing just 15 pitches in the top of the second, Brown struck out the side in order, two of which were swinging.
Austin Mooring (Union Pines) was hit by a pitch to start the third and he later moved to third base courtesy of a wild pitch and an errant pickoff attempt at second base. Another errant pickoff attempt by Inocencio plated Mooring.
Taylor recorded an RBI later in the inning when he reached safely on a fielder’s choice. Jeremiah Ritter (Richmond, HBP) slid safely into second base to beat the throw and Locklear (walk) scored from third.
Twelve pitches from Brown in the bottom of the third resulted in a strikeout, a fly out and a pop out to Locklear at second base for another efficient inning.
With two outs in the fourth, Locklear sent a grounder back up the middle for an RBI base hit, which scored Hodges, who led off the inning with a walk from Norris.
In his final inning of work, Brown dealt 13 pitches to get two swinging strikeouts and a lazy fly ball to Taylor in left field.
Hamlet’s final two runs were scored when Taylor (walk) trotted home on a passed ball and Eason notched an RBI groundout to short to plate Scarbrough (walk).
Brown, who lowered his season earned run average to 1.105, was replaced by Fowler in the fifth. Two quick outs were followed by a walk and an error to put runners on the corners.
Moore County swiped second base but sent the runner from third, who was nabbed at the plate on a throw by Hodges to Williams for the final out.
No. 1 Hamlet (19-4) is set to face No. 2 Beaufort Post 99 (10-4) in the second round of the Area 2 playoffs. Hamlet won the West Division title in the regular season and Beaufort took second in the East Division standings.
It will be the second straight summer the two programs will meet in the second round. Hamlet was eliminated by Post 99 last year.
The best-of-five game series will start Monday at Memorial Park in Hamlet. Action will get underway at 7 p.m.
The Richmond Observer will publish a photo gallery of Tuesday’s playoff win soon.
