HAMLET — A season-long stretch of wins came to an end for the Hamlet American Legion baseball team Friday.
Taking a break from Area 3 Conference play, Post 49 hosted Union County Post 535. Despite a rally attempt in the later innings, Hamlet came up short 5-3.
The loss ended Post 49’s four-game winning streak. Hamlet faced a five-run deficit after four and a half innings and scored all three of its runs between the fifth and sixth frames.
Union County spread its scoring across four different innings. Post 535 scored two runs in the first and solo runs in the third through fifth innings.
Making his first start of the summer was Garret Manning (Scotland). He threw three innings and allowed three runs (one earned) on four hits with five strikeouts.
John Carre (North Moore) tossed three innings of relief. His two runs given up were earned on four hits with three Ks. Throwing the seventh inning was Brady Fowler (Montgomery Central), who had one strikeout and allowed one hit.
Union County scored a pair of runs in the first inning as a result of a fielding error and an RBI single with two outs.
Manning stranded a runner at third in the second inning thanks in part to a sliding catch down the right field line by Collin Hill (Richmond).
Hamlet’s first hit of the game off starter J. Long (four innings, two hits) was a leadoff double to the wall in center by Caden Nolan (Richmond) in the home half of the second. Despite moving to third, Nolan was stranded.
Post 535 capitalized on an error and later an RBI groundout in the top of the third to increase its lead to 3-0.
Carre took over in the fourth and allowed a run on an RBI single. He limited the damage by leaving runners on the corners.
Nolan knocked his second hit of the game in the home half, but again was left on base.
Similar to the inning prior, Union County used an RBI base hit to make it 5-0 in the fifth.
Getting the offense going for Hamlet in the fifth were nine straight balls thrown by reliever S. Mellor, which loaded the bases for Hamlet on two free passes and a hit-by-pitch.
Isaac Hinshaw (Richmond), pinch hitting, recorded an RBI on a 4-3 putout. Scoring from third was Carre, who led off with a walk.
Hamlet wasn’t able to capitalize on the potential big inning, however, as a pair of strikeouts stranded Jabari Douglas (HBP) and Hill (walk) in scoring position.
Carre was efficient in the sixth with a four-batter inning and erased a leadoff double with some defensive help. After a failed squeeze attempt, catcher Jacob Williams (Union Pines) threw down to Nolan at third base who tagged the runner out.
A fast start to the bottom of the sixth yielded two more runs for Post 49, its final two of the game. Evan Hodges (Richmond) reached on a leadoff single to center field, one of Hamlet’s four hits in the game.
Nolan, who was a 3-for-3 and a homer shy of the cycle, smoked an RBI triple to the alley in left-center field three pitches later to bring in Hodges from first.
Williams made it a two-run deficit in the next plate appearance with a sacrifice fly to right field. Tagging up on the deep fly ball and sliding safely ahead of the throw was Nolan.
Fowler gave Hamlet a chance after a quick top of the seventh. He faced four batters and stranded a runner at third.
Hill made a loud first out of the bottom half when he powered a fly out to the warning track in right field. Hinshaw got on base in the next plate appearance when he was hit by a pitch by reliever C. Pawl.
But Hamlet’s comeback attempt left pinch runner Conner Phifer (Richmond) on base when a strikeout and a fielder’s choice ended the game.
Hamlet had just four hits — three by Nolan and one from Hodges. Nolan, Williams and Hinshaw each had one RBI.
Hamlet (6-7, 2-4 Area 3) has four games remaining in the regular season, all of which will be against conference opponents in the coming week.
Next up for the 49ers will be a home game Sunday against Eastern Randolph Post 81. Hamlet will try to even the season series starting at 7 p.m.
