SILER CITY — Checking off a crucial second box as part of a late-season push Monday, the Hamlet American Legion baseball team kept its hope of earning the top seed in its conference alive.
Needing to win out the final four games of the regular season to finish as the No. 1 team in the North Pod 2 of the Area 3 Conference, Post 49 secured the second of those four needed victories with a season sweep.
Although the 49ers had to erase an early deficit, and hold off a comeback attempt, they swept Chatham County Post 305 by a final score of 9-7.
An uncharacteristic start for pitcher Jason Walker (Richmond) yielded all five of his charged runs in the first two frames. But he settled in to get the win, finishing with four earned runs and six strikeouts in five innings.
Post 305 scored four runs on four hits and two errors in the bottom of the first after Hamlet went down in order to start the game.
Brady Fowler (Montgomery Central) and Dylan Tilson (Scotland) rounded out the final two innings of relief. Fowler tossed 1.2 innings and gave up two earned runs on four hits with two strikeouts.
Taking over with two away in the seventh, Tilson faced two batters and stranded the tying run at first base.
Responding with its bats in the top of the second, Hamlet scored a trio of runs to cut its deficit to 4-3. Caden Nolan (Richmond) poked a leadoff double down the left field line and later scored on a successful double steal initiated by Jacob Williams (Union Pines), who reached on an error.
Maddox Locklear (Richmond) was hit by a pitch by starter Zach Cartrett (four innings, nine hits, eight runs) to extend the inning. Later with one out and two runners in scoring position, Collin Hill (Richmond) barreled a two-RBI single on a line drive to right field. Racing home were Williams and Locklear.
Hamlet had a chance to add on but left runners on second and third.
Post 305 added another run in the home half of the second, but Walker left two runners on base.
Nolan helped get Hamlet another run closer in the third to make it a 5-4 game. He doubled on a line drive to the corner in left with one away and advanced to third when Williams hustled out an infield single.
In the next plate appearance, Riley Brown (Richmond) powered a sacrifice fly to left field, giving Nolan time to slide safely across the plate.
Walker continued to get into a groove by facing just four batters in the third and five batters in the fourth, stranding three total runners in the process.
Hodges started a four-run top of the fifth that gave Hamlet an 8-5 lead when he unhitched the trailer and hustled to third on a leadoff triple to the alley in right center.
Staying hot, Nolan wasted no time and smacked his third extra-base hit of the game a few pitches later. This time he smoked a two-run homer over the fence in straightaway left field to give Hamlet its first lead of the game. Courtesy runner Conner Phifer scored ahead of him.
Cartrette gave up an infield single to Williams and walked pinch hitter Isaac Hinshaw (Richmond) to end his night. Locklear brought in Williams on the first pitch from reliever Ian McMillan with a double down the line to right field.
Hill capped the pivotal inning with his third RBI of the game when he skied a sac fly to right field, plating John Carre (North Moore, fielder’s choice).
In his final inning, Walker faced five batters and got a pop out to Locklear at second base to leave two more potential runs on base.
A chopper by Hodges in the sixth found its way into shallow left field for an RBI base knock, which brought Garrett Manning (Scotland, walk) in from second. That play increased the lead to 9-5, Hamlet’s final run.
Fowler saw just four batters in the six and left a runner stranded. He was charged with his two runs in the bottom of the seventh.
Tilson entered the game with two runners on and got the final out on a fly ball to Hill in right field.
Finishing with a dozen hits, Hamlet was led by Nolan’s three extra-base hits. Manning, Hodges, Williams and Locklear each swatted two hits and Hill had a single.
In addition to the five combined RBI from Hill and Nolan, Hodges, Brown and Locklear each drove in a run apiece.
Hamlet (8-7, 4-4 Area 3) plays at Aberdeen Post 72 Tuesday. Looking to even the season series, Hamlet will play in Pine Bluff beginning at 7 p.m.
