HAMLET — The bats didn’t produce when they needed to despite strong pitching for the Hamlet American Legion baseball team Thursday.
Back on their home field to continue Area 3 Conference action, Post 49 suffered a 2-1 loss to Chatham Post 305.
Hamlet had chances to score against Chatham, but left a total of five runners on base.
Struggling to make solid contact against Post 305’s two pitchers, Post 49 recorded six pop outs in the infield and three fly outs in the outfield.
Scoring its lone run in the second inning, Hamlet led 1-0 until Chatham tied the score in the top of the third. Post 305 scored the game-winning run in the top of the sixth inning.
It was also an off night for Hamlet’s defense, which committed four errors in the field. Errors preceded both of Chatham’s runs being scored.
Making a quality start for Post 49 was Caden Nolan (Belmont Abbey College), who pitched 6.1 innings. Both of his runs allowed were unearned on six hits, and he struck out eight batters.
Jabari Douglas (Johnson & Wales University) faced just two batters to record the final two outs of the seventh in order for his two-thirds of an inning of relief.
Nolan started the game with a 1-2-3 top of the first and stranded a one-out triple to keep the game scoreless in the top of the second. He followed the three-bagger with a pair of Ks.
Evan Hodges (Lenoir Community College) started the home half of the second with a hard ground ball single to left field. Courtesy runner Miken Concepcion (Christ the Cornerstone Academy) advanced to second when Drew Gause (Richmond) was hit by a pitch,
With two on, Noah Stubbs (Richmond) did a job and moved both runners into scoring position on a groundout to the right side of the infield.
Digging in for the next at-bat was shortstop Colton Nelson (Richmond), who made his first start of the summer. On the fourth offering from pitcher Calvin Tourville (3.0 innings, one earned run), Nelson connected for a line drive RBI single to right field to plate Concepcion.
Up 1-0, Hamlet couldn’t score Gause as the next two outs were made on a caught stealing and a strikeout, respectively.
Chatham got its first two batters of the third inning on base thanks to an error and a single. With one gone, Post 305 tied the game 1-1 on an RBI single. Nolan stranded a runner at third to keep the game tied.
Hamlet got runners on base with one out in the home half when Jayden Hollingsworth (Hoke County) and Maddox Locklear (Richmond) reached on a hit-by-pitch and a single. But both runners were left on base following a pop out in foul territory and a fielder’s choice.
Dialed in, Nolan bounced back from a leadoff single in the top of the fourth and retired the next three batters in order via the punchout.
Gause (single) and Nate Culbreth (Richmond, walk) reached scoring position in the bottom of the fourth with two outs. But one of Hamlet’s fly outs ended the potential scoring threat.
Another 1-2-3 inning was on deck for Nolan in the fifth, who got some help from his defense for the second out. Following a leadoff single and a sacrifice bunt, Nolan started a 1-6-5-4 pickoff that resulted in the runner being tagged out by Locklear.
The game’s final run for either team came in the sixth with two gone. After a pair of groundouts to the first two batters, a single and an error put two runners on. A single to right field that was nearly caught by a diving Hollingsworth plated the game-winning run for Chatham.
Inheriting runners at first and second base after Hamlet’s defense committed two errors in the seventh, Douglas needed one pitch to get the second out on a fly ball to center fielder Julius Bowden (Richmond).
Ending the threat and giving Post 49’s bats a chance, Douglas got a swinging strikeout to the next batter.
Facing reliever Brett Phillips (4.0 innings), Hamlet was retired in order to end the game in the seventh.
Locklear, Hodges, Gause and Nelson each had a single, which combined for Hamlet’s four hits.
Post 49 (1-2, 1-2 Area 3) are set to return to the diamond Friday for an away conference game against Chatham. The game will be played at Jordan Matthews High School and start at 7 p.m.
