LEXINGTON, N.C. — Knocking on the door of a comeback win Wednesday, the Hamlet American Legion baseball team came up a run shy.
Trying to even its season series with Davidson County Post 8, Post 49 rallied in the final couple of innings but left the tying run at second base.
Trailing by as many as four runs in the Area 3 Conference game, Hamlet fell to the Hawgs by a final score of 9-8.
Tied 3-3, Davidson County went ahead 7-3 thanks to a four-run bottom of the fourth. Both teams scored a run in the fifth to make it 8-4.
Hamlet’s biggest rally attempt came in the top of the sixth when the 49ers scored four runs to tie the game 8-8. Post 8 scored the eventual game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth.
Maddox Locklear (Richmond) and Jayden Hollingsworth (Hoke County) finished the game with a team-high two hits apiece. Both of Locklear’s hits were singles, Hollingsworth had a double and a base hit, and both drove in one run.
Caden Nolan (Belmont Abbey College) connected for a single and drove in a team-high two RBI. Driving in a run apiece were Evan Hodges (Lenoir Community College) and Nate Culbreth (Richmond), the latter of whom also had a single.
Rounding out Hamlet’s seven-hit effort as a team was Julius Bowden (Richmond), who singled.
Locklear started the game on the mound for Hamlet and pitched five innings. He allowed eight runs (four earned) on 10 hits and struck out three batters.
Pitching the final inning for Hamlet was Jabari Douglas (Johnson & Wales University). His one run allowed was unearned and he picked up one strikeout.
Hamlet took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning on back-to-back RBI singles by Nolan and Locklear.
Tying the game 3-3 an inning later, Culbreth singled home Hollingsworth, who doubled to leadoff the inning.
Two errors and a two-RBI double accounted for Davidson County’s four runs in the bottom of the fourth.
Getting a run back in the fifth, Locklear led off by reaching on an error and later scored on a wild pitch to cut Hamlet’s deficit to 7-4.
Chipping away at an 8-4 hole to start the sixth, Hodges recorded his RBI on a sacrifice fly to center, which scored Culbreth (error).
Nolan followed in the next at-bat and also hit a sacrifice fly to center field. Scoring from third was Miken Concepcion (Christ the Cornerstone Academy), who was hit by a pitch.
Locklear singled to keep the inning going and Bradley Hogan (Christ the Cornerstone Academy, walk) pulled Hamlet within a run when he scored on a wild pitch.
Hollingsworth made it a new ball game with two outs when he hit a ground ball single back up the middle to plate Locklear to make it 8-8. Despite having the bases loaded, Hamlet left all three stranded.
A hit-by-pitch, a wild pitch, a stolen base and a passed ball were part of the sequence that resulted in Post 8’s game-winning run in the home half.
Hogan was hit by a pitch with one out in the top of the seventh and Nolan reached via an intentional two-out walk to put two runners on base. But Hamlet’s comeback attempt ended on a 6-3 putout.
Hamlet (2-6, 2-6 Area 3) hosts HiToms Post 87 Sunday at Memorial Park. First pitch is at 7 p.m.
