HAMLET — For the first time this season, the Hamlet American Legion baseball team mercy-ruled an opponent Friday.
Bouncing back from a loss the night before, Post 49 completed its non-conference series sweep of Mocksville Post 174.
Behind a four-inning performance from starting pitcher Riley Brown (Richmond), coupled with a combined five hits and eight runs batted in by Isaac Hinshaw (Richmond) and John Carre (Pinecrest), Hamlet rolled to a 13-1 win in five innings.
Brown earned his second win of the summer in his second straight start for Hamlet. He struck out four batters while giving up one earned run on four hits.
Closing out the final inning in relief was Dylan Tilson (Scotland), who gave up a hit but only faced four batters to end it early.
Mocksville scored its only run of the game with its leadoff batter in the top of the first. A triple to right field by Aundray Russell resulted in a run when the relay throw was off its mark at third base.
Hamlet dotted the scoreboard with four runs in the first inning, five runs in the second, three more runs in the third and added its final run in the home half of the fourth.
Starting pitcher Jay Brookshire lasted just an inning for Post 174, surrendering nine earned runs on five hits and three walks.
Hinshaw, who was a homer shy of hitting for the cycle, started his three-hit, five-RBI game with an RBI single to tie the score at a run apiece in the bottom of the first. His fly ball to left field scored Maddox Locklear (double), who was one of three players to score three times. Brown drew a bases-loaded walk to score Evan Hodges (Richmond), who reached safely via a fielder’s choice. Hodges, along with Hinshaw, were the other two 49ers to score three runs each. Carre kept the inning going with one out, barreling a two-RBI base hit to right field. Finishing with a pair of singles and three RBI, Carre drove in Hinshaw and James Eason (Richmond, hit-by-pitch). Brown left two runners on base in the top of the second, which gave Hamlet a chance to add onto its lead. Carter Bean (Pinecrest) kept his bat hot with a single to lead off the second for Hamlet, which was followed by Landon Taylor (Richmond) reaching on a fielder’s choice and Locklear loading the bases (HBP). Hodges recorded his lone RBI on a four-pitch free pass and Hinshaw scored two more runners with a hot shot double down the right field line to make it 7-1. That ended Brookshire’s night and he was replaced by Sean Doty (two innings, three runs, two hits, four walks). Carre was responsible for Hamlet’s next run courtesy of an RBI line drive single to center to plate Hodges. Capping the five-run inning was Jacob Williams (Union Pines), who lifted a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Hinshaw. Brown threw just 12 pitches for a quick top of the third inning and Hamlet added on in the home half. Hinshaw put an exclamation point on his best outing of the season with a two-RBI triple to the corner in right field. Hustling in to score were Locklear and Hodges, both of whom drew a one-out walk. Later, Hinshaw scored with two outs, which was the result of an error on a Carre grounder to second base. With the large lead, head coach Chip Gordon mixed up the lineup in the fourth. Facing Russell in relief, Bean led off with a walk and scored Hamlet’s final run two batters later when Robbie Peed (Scotland) connected for a sacrifice fly to right field. Tilson entered in the seventh and allowed runners on first and second with no outs. But Hamlet’s defense eliminated the threat when Bean caught a liner to left field and doubled off the runner at second base. Eason fielded a grounder and stepped on second for a fielder’s choice to end the game. Improving to 8-4 this season, Hamlet will host non-conference Wilmington Post 10 Saturday. First pitch is slated for 7 p.m.
