Rally attempt empty for Hamlet in Game 2

HAMLET — For the first time in nearly a month, the Hamlet American Legion baseball team suffered a loss Tuesday.

Playing game two in the second round of the Area 2 Conference playoffs, Post 49 couldn’t complete a comeback attempt against Beaufort Post 99.

Hamlet’s 13-game winning streak came to an end in a 6-5 loss to Beaufort, which saw Post 49 nearly erase a five-run deficit.

Following Post 49’s two-run win Monday, the best-of-five game series is now tied at one game apiece.

Hamlet took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning. But two runs in the third, three runs in the fourth and one run in the fifth made it a 6-1 lead for Beaufort.

Post 49 rallied with four runs in the home half of the fifth to pull within a run. In the final two innings, Hamlet got several bus runners aboard but failed to score.

Facing starting pitcher Ryland Howell (four innings, one run, three hits, two walks), Post 49 scored a run following an error to take an early advantage.

James Eason (Richmond) reached safely with the first of Hamlet’s eight hits in the game, a single to right field. He scored when a failed double play attempt hit the brick wall along the first base line.

Riley Brown (Richmond) was efficient through his first two innings of work on the mound. He tossed a total of 3.1 innings and allowed five runs (two earned) on six hits with one strikeout.

Brown faced just four batters in the first frame and retired Post 99 in order in the second inning on a groundout and two flyouts.

In the top of the third, a throwing error allowed Beaufort to tie the game and an infield single later scored another run to make it 2-1.

Hamlet left runners at first and second base in the home half and Beaufort added three more runs to its lead. Post 99 used a sacrifice fly, an RBI single and another error to jump ahead 5-1.

JD Scarbrough (Pitt Community College) did save a run in the fourth, completing a relay from right field to catcher Jacob Williams (Union Pines) to nab a runner trying to score on the error.

Brady Fowler, the first of Hamlet’s two relief pitchers, entered the game in the fourth. He pitched 1.2 innings and allowed an earned run on two hits and struck out a batter.

Howell singled home a run with one out in the fifth inning to plate Beaufort’s final run, which put Hamlet down 6-1.

Post 49’s four-run bottom of the fifth started with a one-out single by Eason and a walk to Evan Hodges (Richmond). Both runners advanced 90 feet and Eason scored Hamlet’s second run on a wild pitch by Howell.

Austin Mooring (Union Pines) recorded Hamlet’s only run batted in during the next at-bat, barreling an RBI double to the corner in right field to score Hodges.

Trying to stretch a triple, Mooring was thrown out on the relay, a play that head coach Chip Gordon said was his coaching mistake.

Trailing 6-3, Isaac Hinshaw (Richmond) reached on an error and John Carre (Pinecrest) slapped a pinch-hit single on a liner to center.

A pair of throwing errors by Post 99’s infielders allowed both Hinshaw and Carre to score. Maddox Locklear (Scotland) hit a grounder to short and reached safely when the throw sailed high, which scored Hinshaw.

Locklear, taking off for second, kept the inning alive by forcing another errant throw, this time by the first baseman. The ball trickled into the outfield and scored Carre to make it a one-run game.

Moving to third base, Locklear was left on board when Landon Taylor (Richmond) was robbed of an infield single in a foot race to first base.

Robbie Peed (Scotland) took over on the mound in the sixth and pitched two scoreless innings for Hamlet. He allowed three hits and a walk, while working out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh.

Hodges helped keep the deficit at one run entering the final half inning with a diving play at short. Taking away a single deep in the six-hole, Hodges popped up and threw to Mooring at first for the final out to leave the bases loaded.

Hamlet stranded Scarbrough (walk) and Hodges (single) on base in the sixth against reliever Brian Hadder.

Jason Walker (Richmond) connected for a one-out pinch-hit single in the seventh, but a 6-3 double play ended Hamlet’s rally attempt.

Both Eason and Hodges led the way with two hits apiece for Hamlet. Mooring, Carre, Walker and Locklear all had one hit.

The series will move to East Carteret High School Wednesday as No. 1 Hamlet (20-5) will try to retake a lead in the series against No. 2 Beaufort (11-5) in game three.

Walker is expected to make the start for Hamlet. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.

The Richmond Observer will publish a photo gallery of Tuesday’s playoff game soon.