CHERRYVILLE, N.C. — The opening weekend of the season didn’t end the way the Hamlet American Legion baseball team wanted.
On the road for a doubleheader at Cherryville Post 100, Hamlet lost both games.
The first game resulted in a 9-4 loss to Cherryville, and the second game ended in a 6-2 loss for Post 49.
Head coach Chip Gordon said the opening two games weren’t the brand of baseball he expects Hamlet to play, but added there were some bright spots.
“There’s a lot we’ve got to work on,” Gordon said after game two. “We have to work on competing on the mound and in the batter’s box. We have to work on our intensity as a team.
“Today’s games weren’t complete efforts on our part and they weren’t the style of baseball I expect us to play,” he added. “When we don’t compete in any facet of the game, we’re going to get beat.”
Similar to the first game, Hamlet went with a platoon of pitchers in game two. Making the start was Riley Brown (Richmond), who made his first pitching appearance since an arm injury in early March.
Brown threw 24 pitches in two innings and held Post 100 to two earned runs on three hits. He also had two strikeouts.
Caden Nolan (Richmond) tossed three innings of relief. His line consisted of three runs (two earned) on two hits with three Ks. Pitching the final inning was Gavin Jones (Purnell Swett), who allowed one earned run on two hits.
Cherryville scored solo runs in the first and second innings to take a 2-0 lead. The first run came on an RBI double and the other was on a sacrifice fly.
Post 49 cut its deficit in half with its first run in the top of the third inning. A one-out walk to Garrett Manning (Scotland) and back-to-back singles by Evan Hodges (Richmond) and Nolan loaded the bases.
Jacob Williams kept his hot bat to start the season going when he hustled out a ground ball up the middle in the next at-bat. Beating the throw on the double play attempt at first, Williams plated Manning on the RBI fielder’s choice.
Post 100 added a run in the bottom of the fourth on a passed ball. Hamlet’s final run of the game came in the top of the fifth inning.
This time Manning was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and moved to third when Hodges reached on an infield single coupled with an error. A couple of pitches later, Nolan recorded an RBI to help himself out with a chopper to third base that scored Manning.
Two runs in the fifth and another in the sixth built Cherryville’s lead.
Trailing 6-2 and down to its final three outs, Hamlet showed a little life with singles by Manning and Hodges to start the top of the seventh. But they were erased with a strikeout and a game-ending double play.
Hamlet outhit Cherryville 8-7, with all of Post 49’s hits going as singles. Hodges had three base knocks, Manning and Nolan had two each and Collin Hill (Richmond) had one single.
“There were some spurts today where we pounded the strike zone or strung together some hits,” Gordon said. “But then we wouldn’t win at-bats on the mound or get hits with runners in scoring position.
“Today was a good measuring stick for us. I hope it opened some eyes to show that no position is safe and that we’re going to play the guys who go after it.
“We’ll get back to practice this week and work on the things we need to,” he closed. “Our goal is to get ready for Friday night and give our home fans a better showing.”
Hamlet (0-2) hosts non-conference Anson County Post 446 for its home opener Friday. First pitch is set for 7 p.m.
