RAMSEUR, N.C. — Getting back in the win column Thursday, the Hamlet American Legion Junior baseball team also earned its first conference win of the summer.
On the road at Eastern Randolph Post 81, Hamlet held on for a 4-3 victory. It marked Post 49’s first W against an Area 3 Conference opponent.
Erasing a one-run deficit after the first inning, Hamlet scored all of its runs in the top of the second.
Noah Stubbs got the nod on the mound and pitched 4.1 innings to get the win. Limiting Post 81 to solo runs in the first, second and third frames, he allowed three earned runs on six hits and struck out five batters.
Set-up pitcher Tristan Chavis preserved the victory with 2.2 innings of work. He stranded two runners on bases without allowing a run when he took over in the fourth.
An inning later, Chavis worked out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam. He got the first out to center on a fly ball and ended it with a 7-2 double play.
Making the game-saving play, Colson Smith caught the second out and threw a line to catcher Colton Nelson, who tagged out the tagging runner.
Chavis stranded the tying run at second base an inning later. He had two Ks and allowed three hits.
Post 81 scored a run in the bottom of the first on a two-out base hit.
Hamlet’s bats answered in the next half-inning, starting with back-to-back RBI singles to right field by Smith and Jakob Trexler. Both coming with one out, the line drive singles scored Stubbs and Julius Bowden (both singles).
Nelson recorded an RBI two at-bats later when he grounded into a 6-4 fielder’s choice, which plated Smith. On the double play attempt, a throwing error to first sailed high and brought in Trexler, which proved to be the eventual game-winning run.
Eastern Randolph’s other two runs came in the third and fourth on an RBI groundout and fielder’s choice, respectively.
Hamlet connected for seven hits — all singles — including two each from Stubbs and Smith. Bowden, Trexler and Dean Cottle all had a base hit.
The Junior 49ers (4-7, 1-1 Area 3) host Eastern Randolph Monday at Memorial Park. First pitch is set for 7 p.m.
The Richmond Observer will publish a photo gallery of Thursday’s conference game soon.
