Davidson tops Eastern Randolph in Area III Legion play

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LEXINGTON — Johnathan Conway hurled a complete-game five-hitter here on Tuesday night at Holt-Moffit Field to lift Davidson Post 8 to a 7-2 victory over Eastern Randolph in Area III Northern Division play.

With the loss, Post 81 falls to 1-1 inside the Northern Division and to 2-8 overall.

Conway used just 74 pitches Tuesday evening to down Eastern Randolph with 68 percent of them going for strikes while allowing five hits, two runs (one earned) and no walks while striking out three.

Eastern Randolph opened the contest with a run in the top of the first to go up 1-0 early. Chris Morgan reached on a leadoff Post 8 error before Connor Murphy singled to left one out later, and Morgan scored on an RBI-ground out by Camden Fuquay to short.

Trailing 1-0, Davidson came in and answered the ER early run with two of its own in the home half of the frame. The game got off to an inauspicious start for Fuquay, who started the contest on the mound for Eastern Randolph and was greeted immediately by a pair of singles from Carson Simpson and Landon Hilbourn, a walk to Jake Brown, a Post 81 error, and an RBI-single from Zack Cates to right to send the hosts up 2-1.

Fuquay bowed his neck, however, and got out of the jam with a pair of strikeouts and then a pop out to the mound.

The contest turned into a pitchers’ duel over the next few frames with Eastern Randolph only managing a single by Samuel Murchison in the second and a single by Matt Canoy in the fourth.

Davidson would strike again in the bottom of the fourth with a pair of runs behind a one-out double to left by Simpson, and RBI-single by Hilbourn to center, a wild pitch, and an RBI-single to left by Taylor Stewart, which chased Fuquay from the hill.

Colton Craven came in to fan Cates on four strikes to halt the Post 8 uprising.

Eastern Randolph would go in order in the fifth before Morgan singled to center to lead off the sixth with the locals trailing 4-1. That momentum was quickly wiped out with a double play in which Murphy lined a shot right at Stewart at first base who easily stepped on the bag to get Morgan as well who was left in no man’s land.

Post 8 would deliver the knock-out punch in the bottom of the sixth in the form of three runs to go up 7-1. Simpson was hit by a pitch to start things off before stealing second and then scoring on an RBI-single to right by Canoy. Brown would single to left before Stewart bunted Hilbourn and Brown into scoring position, before the two scored on walks to Kaden Swaim and Jake Craver, and a Post 81 error.

Staring at a 7-1 deficit, Eastern Randolph finally scratched again against Conway in the seventh when Fuquay reached on a dropped third strike wild pitch, moved to third on a single by Canoy to right, and scored on an RBI-sacrifice fly by Murchison to center.

Canoy paced the Eastern Randolph offense with a 2-for-3 outing while Morgan was 1-for-3 with a run, Murchison 1-for-2 with an RBI, and Murphy 1-for-3.

Davidson was led at the plate by Hilbourn who was 3-for-4 with three runs and three RBI in the win while Simpson was 2-for-3 with three runs, a double, a stolen base, and was hit by a pitch.

Also, Post 8 saw Jackson McAllister go 1-for-4 and Noah Coleman 1-for-3 with a walk.

Fuquay suffered the loss on the mound for Post 81 after going 3.2 innings and allowing four hits, three runs (two earned), three walks and fanning three. Craven added 1.1 innings in relief and yielded four hits, one run, no walks and whiffed one while Murchison worked the final inning and allowed two hits, three runs (two earned), two walks and whiffed a pair.

Eastern Randolph if off due to graduation until Monday, June 17 when Post 81 entertains Stanly County Post 76 in Ramseur in a 7 p.m. contest.