LEXINGTON — Off to its best start to begin a season in the past four summers, the Hamlet American Legion baseball team won its third straight game Thursday.
Playing its second of five games in a five-day stretch, Post 49 tackled another road contest against Davidson Post 8.
Behind a two-homer, five RBI performance by JD Scarbrough (Pitt Community College), Hamlet won by a final score of 7-3.
Similar to their first win, the 49ers plated five runs in the second inning to give starting pitcher Jason Walker (Richmond) a comfortable cushion.
Walker improved to 2-0 this season with a four-inning shutout performance. He surrendered just two hits with four strikeouts and stranded five base runners.
Head coach Chip Gordon relied on three relievers to close out the win, all pitching one inning. John Carre (Pinecrest) pitched the fifth and allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits.
Fellow lefty Landon Taylor (Richmond) followed with a 1-2-3 sixth inning and James Eason (Richmond) struck out a batter and allowed an unearned run in the seventh.
Hamlet left the bases loaded in the first, but Walker answered by retiring the side in order in the home half.
Scarbrough got the offense started with one out in the top of the second. On a 2-0 offering from losing pitcher Carson Daniels (two innings, five runs, three walks), Scarbrough cleared the fence in right for a three-run shot.
Trotting home ahead of him were Riley Brown (Richmond) and Taylor, both of whom drew one-out free passes.
With two away, Isaac Hinshaw (Richmond) roped an RBI single on a liner to right field to score courtesy runner Jeremiah Ritter (Richmond), who was running for Evan Hodges (Richmond, fielder’s choice).
Eason closed the productive inning with a double to the alley in left-center, the first of his two hits. Austin Mooring (Union Pines, error) scored.
Two singles and a walk loaded the bases in the bottom of the second. Walker worked out of the jam with a 6-4-3 double play started by Eason. Maddox Locklear (Scotland) threw to Hinshaw, who made a nice extension to scoop a short hop at first.
Walker threw to just four batters in both the third and fourth innings to preserve the 5-0 lead. Hinshaw flashed the leather again for the final out in the fourth, leaning over the dugout railing to snag a foul ball.
Scarbrough struck lightning again in the top of the fifth, powering a two-run blast over the right field wall to pad the lead to 7-0. Brady Fowler (Scotland), who was courtesy running for Carre (walk), also scored.
Davidson scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth thanks to a sacrifice fly and a passed ball.
Taylor got some defensive help in the sixth after an error allowed the leadoff runner to reach. Locklear, who recorded a team-high three hits, made a diving catch in foul territory for the first out.
The runner on first tagged up and advanced safely, but Hodges and Taylor appealed that he left early and the call was reversed. In the next at-bat, a high pop fly in front of the mound was hauled in by Hodges.
Post 8 scored its final run in the seventh when a two-out double was followed by an error.
Hamlet registered 10 hits, led by Locklear’s three singles. Scarbrough, Hinshaw and Eason each had two hits and Mooring had one. Hinshaw and Eason each had one RBI.
Improving to 3-0 to start the season, Hamlet will play on its home diamond for the first time this summer Friday. Post 49 will close its non-conference series with Chatham Post 182 starting at 7 p.m.
Ahead of the action, local officials will be on hand as the 1987 Hamlet baseball team will be recognized. Coached by Ronnie Yarbrough, the 1987 squad was the last Post 49 team to win the state championship. Those festivities will begin at 6:30 p.m.
The Richmond Observer will publish a photo gallery of Thursday’s win soon.
