ASHEBORO — The Hamlet Junior American Legion baseball team lost its Area 3 Conference game Sunday.
Playing a Father’s Day game on the road at Randolph County Post 45, Hamlet came up short 8-3.
Post 45 scored two runs in the first and another in the second inning to take a three-run lead. The Junior 49ers answered with two runs in the top of the third to cut their deficit to 3-2.
Two runs in the fifth and three more runs in the sixth for Randolph County opened its lead to 8-2. Hamlet’s final run came in the top of the seventh.
Post 49 had four hits in the game, with three of them coming off the bat of Jaxton Watson. He went 3-for-4 with a triple, two singles and three runs batted in.
Drew Moree had Hamlet’s only other hit in the game, which was a single.
Over five innings, starting pitcher Noah Trexler allowed eight runs (five earned) on seven hits. He finished his outing with five strikeouts.
Relief pitcher Colton Trexler threw one scoreless inning in the sixth frame and gave up just one hit.
Trailing 3-0 in the top of the third, Watson stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs. Getting Hamlet on the board, Watson hit a single to left field for the team’s first two runs.
Scoring on the base hit were Brody Bryant and Noah Wilson, both of whom reached via a base on balls.
Watson kept his bat hot in the top of the seventh when he tripled home Jake Smith (walk) for his third and final RBI.
Trying to stretch the three-bagger into an inside-the-park home run, Watson was thrown out at the plate for the final out of the game.
Hamlet (2-4, 1-4 Area 3) returns to Memorial Park Monday to play Pittsboro Post 238 for a non-conference game Monday. The game will start at 7 p.m.
