HAMLET — A comeback attempt for the Hamlet American Legion Junior baseball team came up a few runs short Tuesday.
Closing its two-game non-conference series with Hope Mills Post 32, Hamlet suffered a 6-3 loss. All of Hamlet’s runs were scored in the fourth inning or later.
Hope Mills jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first, and added its other three runs in the top of the fourth.
All six runs were charged to starting pitcher Colton Brown, who threw three innings. He started the fourth and was replaced by Nate Culbreth with no outs and the bases loaded.
Culbreth and Tristan Chavis each threw two innings of scoreless baseball for Post 49. Pitching the fourth and fifth frames was Culbreth, who had three strikeouts, and Chavis struck out two batters across the sixth and seventh innings.
Post 32 scored its first run on an RBI single in the top of the first, and a throwing error in the same inning allowed two more runs to score.
Hamlet’s bats were quiet through the first several innings and its first hit wasn’t recorded until the bottom of the fifth by Sam O’Neal.
Post 49 did score a run in the bottom of the fourth when Jaxton Watson was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Scoring on the play was Chavis, who drew the first of three straight two-out walks to load the bases.
Hamlet eliminated a pair of base runners at second base in the top of the fifth, starting with Culbreth picking off a runner. That was followed by catcher Colton Nelson nabbing a would-be base stealer.
O’Neal’s fly ball single to right field in the home half was followed by a walk to Nelson. With two on and one out, Post 49 struck out and grounded out in the next two at-bats.
Chavis gave Hamlet a chance to stay in the game when he recorded 1-2-3 innings in the sixth and seventh.
Both of Hamlet’s remaining two runs were scored in the bottom of the sixth. Chavis led it off with a single and later scored on a throwing error while he attempted to steal third base.
Moving up to second base on that miscue was Jake Veach (walk), who scored a couple pitches later when Julius Bowden recorded Hamlet ‘s third and final hit of the game. Hitting a line drive to center field, Bowden scored Veach to collect the RBI.
Despite O’Neal drawing a one-out walk in the seventh and moving to third base, Hamlet wasn’t able to close its deficit.
The Junior 49ers (3-7, 0-1 Area 3 Conference) will travel to Eastern Randolph Post 81 Thursday. The Area 3 Conference game will start at 5 p.m., followed by the Hamlet Senior team at 7 p.m.
The Richmond Observer will publish a photo gallery of Tuesday’s game soon.
