RAMSEUR — Overcoming an early deficit in Thursday’s regular-season finale, the Hamlet Junior American Legion baseball team ended the summer with a win.
The Junior 49ers completed the season sweep of their Area 3 Conference opponent, defeating Liberty Post 81 by a final score of 13-6.
Hamlet started and ended the season with victories against Post 81, outscoring Liberty 21-8 in those two games.
Trailing 5-3 after two innings, Hamlet lit up the scoreboard with five runs in the top of the third inning to take the lead.
The Junior 49ers added an insurance run in the fifth, two more in the sixth and two final runs in the seventh.
It was a big night at the plate for Riley Fields, who finished with three singles and a game-high four runs batted in.
Cooper Perkins also had three base hits in the win. Noah Wilson drove in two RBI on a single, while Jake Smith and Willie Hooks each had two hits and one RBI.
Dean Cottle recorded Hamlet’s final RBI on a hit, with Emery Owens and Jeffery Dieffenbach each connecting for one hit.
A strong outing by lefty starting pitcher Colton Trexler saw him pitch five innings. Just one of his six runs allowed was earned, as he held Post 81 to only five hits.
Pitching two innings of relief, fellow southpaw Noah Trexler kept Liberty scoreless and allowed just three hits.
Starting the top of the first by scoring their first three runs, the Junior 49ers got on the board with two outs when Smith (single) scored on a passed ball. Perkins (single) later scored as the result of an error.
Fields got his night started with an RBI line drive single to center, which scored Hooks (walk) to make it 3-0.
Liberty answered in the home half of the first with five runs to take a 5-3 advantage.
Back-to-back singles from Perkins and Owens to start the top of the third got Hamlet’s five-run inning started. In the first pitch of his at-bat, Cottle brought home Perkins with a line drive base hit to left field.
Tying the game 5-5 was Owens, who raced home on a wild pitch. Later, with two outs, Cottle also scored on a wild pitch.
Wilson capped the high-scoring inning when he laced a two-out, two-RBI single to the grass in center. Scoring to make it 8-5 were Hooks (single) and Fields (walk).
Finding his groove in the middle innings, Colton Trexler surrendered his final run of the game in the bottom of the fourth to cut Hamlet’s lead to two runs.
Smith padded Hamlet’s lead with two gone in the fifth when he roped a single to left field. Crossing home plate safely was Fields (single) to put the visitors ahead 9-6.
Fields reached on an error at second base with one out in the sixth, and the miscue allowed Owens (walk) and Hooks (fielder’s choice) to score.
For good measure with two outs in the seventh, Hooks barreled an RBI triple for Hamlet’s only extra-base hit of the game. Cottle, who reached via a base on balls, scored.
Hamlet ended its scoring in the next at-bat when Fields hustled out an infield single to the shortstop, bringing in Hooks.
Noah Trexler allowed a leadoff single in the home half of the seventh, but answered by retiring the next three batters in order.
The Junior 49ers finished the regular season with a 4-7 overall record and a 2-7 mark against Area 3 opponents.
