CONWAY, S.C. — Unlike the first meeting earlier this season, the Hamlet American Legion baseball team couldn’t complete the comeback against Horry County Post 111 on Wednesday.
Making the trip toward the coast, Post 49 suffered a 7-3 loss.
Playing each other last week, Post 49 erased a four-run hole to win that non-conference matchup 12-6.
On Wednesday, Post 111 scored two runs in the top of the first inning against starter Skyler Mathis (5 IP, eight hits, four runs, two Ks).
Those runs came courtesy on an RBI single and a fielder’s choice.
Hamlet left one runner on base in both the second and third frames before scoring its first run in the top of the fourth.
Back-to-back doubles from Jackson Kuhn and Hunter Honeycutt put both hitters in scoring position. Following a pair of outs, Honeycutt trotted home safely when a balk was called.
Mathis loaded the bases to start the home half, but a strikeout and a double play kept the deficit at a run. Left fielder Ashton Phifer caught a fly ball for the second out before doubling off a runner trying to tag up to third.
With two away in the top of the fifth, J.D. Scarbrough singled to left and Kuhn reached on an error. Digging in was Huneycutt, who roped an RBI single to center to make it a new ball game.
Post 111 regained the lead in the bottom half, using an RBI double and an RBI single to build a two-run cushion.
Continuing to chip away in the sixth, Phifer brought in a run on an RBI base knock to the left side. Scoring from third was Markey Purvis (hit-by-pitch).
Tristan Hunt (0.1 IP, one run) and Huneycutt (0.2 IP, two runs, one hit) split the pitching responsibilities in the bottom of the sixth.
Horry County added to its lead with three more runs.
Trailing 7-3, the first two Hamlet batters went down on strikes to start the seventh. Ryley Norton singled to left field, the final of Hamlet’s eight hits, but was stranded to end the game.
Huneycutt’s two hits were a team-high and six other players had one hit. They were Hunt, Scarbrough, Kuhn (double), Norton, Carter Bean and Phifer.
Phifer and Huneycutt each had one RBI.
Post 49 (4-3, 1-0 Area 2) will return home on Thursday for another conference game. Ashley Post 129 will visit Memorial Park with play set for 7 p.m.
