HAMLET — Everything went in favor of the Hamlet American Legion baseball team until the final inning in Saturday’s playoff opener.
Starting its best-of-three game series against Eastern Randolph Post 81, Hamlet dropped game one to begin the Area 3 Conference tournament.
What proved to be a pitchers’ duel between Jason Walker (Richmond) and Lucas Smith (Post 81) through the first six innings ended in a 4-1 loss for Post 49.
The game remained scoreless through the first five innings until both teams scored a run in the sixth frame. Eastern Randolph plated its final three runs in the seventh.
Walker threw 6.2 innings for Hamlet and allowed two earned runs on seven hits. He struck out four batters in the process.
Recording the final third of an inning for Hamlet was Brady Fowler (Montgomery Central). He allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits.
Smith pitched a complete game and limited Post 49 to just two hits. The one run he was charged with was unearned.
Walker set the tone in the field early, facing just four batters in the first inning and stranding a two-out walk at first base. He did the same in the top of the second, getting the final out thanks to a caught stealing by catcher Jacob Williams (Union Pines).
Hamlet’s bats were quiet through the first two frames, save for a two-out line drive single to right field by Evan Hodges (Richmond), who had both of Hamlet’s hits.
Two pitches yielded two fly ball outs to start the top of the third inning for Walker. After loading the bases on a trio of base hits, he kept Post 81 off the board with a fly out to John Carre (North Moore) in right field.
Garrett Manning (Scotland) became Hamlet’s first base runner to reach scoring position thanks to a two-out error in the third, but Hamlet wasn’t able to bring him in.
Walker stayed in his groove to start the fourth, retiring Eastern Randolph in order for the first time in the game. He sandwiched a pair of Ks around a 6-3 putout to Hodges at short.
Hodges reached safely again with his second base hit to start the fourth. But two groundouts and a strikeout left him stranded at second base.
Eastern Randolph got runners on first and second base with two outs in the fifth, but Walker escaped the inning with a fly ball out to Jabari Douglas (Richmond) in left field. In his near complete game, Walker left seven runners on base.
A leadoff single by Eastern Randolph, followed by a sacrifice bunt and a base hit, gave Post 81 a 1-0 lead in the sixth. Walker worked out of a jam with a 6-4-3 inning-ending double play.
Hamlet answered with a run of its own in the home half. Manning reached again via an error at third base and moved to second on the errant throw. Maddox Locklear (Richmond) nearly hustled out a bunt single but did his job by moving Manning to third.
With two outs, Carre hit a hard ground ball to the second baseman, who booted it into shallow right field. That error gave Manning time to trot in from third and tie the game.
A walk and a single for Post 81 is how the top of the seventh started. Williams eliminated the lead runner when he sniped him trying to swipe third base for the first out. Hodges completed a 6-3 put out for the second out, which ended Walker’s night (pitch count).
Eastern Randolph singled and doubled with its first two batters against Fowler for two runs, and a throwing error on a grounder made it 4-1.
Down to its final three outs, Hamlet got a runner on second when Collin Hill (Richmond) drew a two-out walk and stole second. But the rally attempt was short-lived as Post 49 went down in order otherwise.
Looking to even the series and force a game three, No. 2 Hamlet (11-7) will travel to No. 3 Eastern Randolph (8-10) Sunday for game two. First pitch from Eastern Randolph High School is set for 7 p.m.
