Home Local Sports Post 49 opens season with 10-run win over Concord

Post 49 opens season with 10-run win over Concord

Kole Dutton crosses home plate after his two-run homer.
Kyle Pillar — Sports Editor.

MOCKSVILLE — The second summer of Hamlet American Legion baseball started on Saturday with a 10-run win.

Post 49 played a doubleheader on the road at Mando Park, starting the day with a 13-3 win over Concord Post 51.

Using a nine-run top of the second inning, Post 49 gave starting pitcher Michael Norris an early cushion. Norris earned the win, tossing 5.0 innings and gave up just three runs (two earned) on three hits. 

After stranding a pair of runners in the top of the first inning, the Post 49 bats went to work in the second. Sending 13 batters to the dish, Hamlet used five hits, three hit batters and two errors to take a 9-0 lead.

Kole Dutton got Post 49 on the board with a two-run homer over the left field wall off starting pitcher Amor’ee Faggart (5.0 innings, 11 hits, 11 runs). Crossing the plate ahead of Dutton was Jake Clemmons, who led off the inning with a walk.

Ayden Allen (walk) made it a three-run lead when he scored on a passed ball, and Cameron Way drove in a run on an RBI groundout to the pitcher, scoring Ra’Nes Little (hit-by-ptich).

Norris kept the inning going by reaching on an error, bringing home leadoff batter Tristan Hunt (hit-by-pitch). Tanner Cheek joined the scoring parade with a two-RBI double in the next at-bat down the right field line, bringing in Little and Norris.

Clemmons recorded an RBI single back up the middle, and capping the big inning was Ra’Nik Little with a line drive single to right field.

Michael Norris throws a pitch during the third inning of Saturday’s win. (Kyle Pillar/The Richmond Observer)

Norris sat down the first seven batters he faced in order, and stranded runners on the corners in the third. 

Hamlet added a solo run in each inning from the fourth through seventh frames. Dutton registered his team-leading third RBI of the game in the fourth, a one-out single to center. Scoring was Cheek, who led off with his second double of the game.

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Leading 10-0, Norris allowed a solo homer to Brennan Williams in the bottom half. Way started an inning-ending double play, diving to his right to make a catch at short, before throwing to Clemmons at first to nab the runner.

Post 49 answered with a run in the fifth, courtesy of a Norris RBI groundout to short off relief pitcher Owen Platt. Making it an 11-1 lead, Way scored after starting the inning with a three-bagger.

Concord scored its final two runs of the game in the bottom half, using an error and a double. Hunt ended the inning by throwing out a runner trying to swipe second.

Ra’Nik Little scored the 12th run for Hamlet in the top of the sixth, reaching base on a walk and later scoring on a wild pitch by Richie Hunter.

Way relieved Norris in the bottom of the sixth, and faced just four batters. Clemmons registered another RBI in the top of the seventh, a double to the wall in left center. Norris (fielder’s choice) scored.

Ra’Nik Little connects on one of his two hits during Hamlet’s win over Concord. (Kyle Pillar/The Richmond Observer)

Post 49 collected 12 hits in the win, six for extra bases, using two each from Cheek, Clemmons,  Dutton, Ra’Nik Little and Way. 

Dutton’s three RBIs were a team-high, followed by two apiece from Cheek, Clemmons and Norris. Adding one run were Ra’Nik Little and Way.

Post 49 (1-0) played a second game against Mocksville Post 174. That game article will be published soon.

VIDEO INTERVIEW: Kole Dutton, who had a homer and team-high three RBIs, and head coach Chip Gordon break down Hamlet’s win over Concord.



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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.