ASHEBORO — The Eastern Randolph Junior Legion team split a pair of games in Asheboro at McCray Park on Saturday.
Post 81 tangled with Randolph County Red Post 45 at 10 am in the morning and fell hard 12-3 before rebounding in the afternoon contest with an 8-2 triumph over Randolph County White Post 45.
In the opener, Eastern Randolph fell behind 3-0 after one inning of play played catch up the entire way.
Post 81 did make things interesting after a three-run outburst in the top of the fifth to draw within 4-3, but Red Post 45 answered with six runs in the home half of the fifth and two more in the sixth seal the deal.
Eastern Randolph managed just four hits in the game with Ethan Sheppard going 1-for-2 with a walk while Kyle Smith was 1-for-3 with two RBI and a walk, Carson Whitehead 1-for-3, and Andrew Canter 1-for-3 with an RBI.
Bryson Hogan led Randolph County Red in the win by going 2-for-4 with a run and three RBI while Will Early was 2-for-4 with a run and two RBI, and Ethan Gravely, Avery Jones and Josh Meadows all had doubles, and Mason Cross a triple.
Zander Smith took the loss on the mound for Post 81 after going four innings and allowing eight hits, seven runs (five earned), and two walks while striking out four.
In relief, Jayden Moffitt went two innings and yielded four hits, five runs (none earned) and two walks.
Caleb Walker earned the win on the mound with 4.1 innings and allowed two hits, two runs, three walks and fanned four.
In the second game of the day, Sheppard went six innings and allowed four hits, two runs, and three walks and struck out four to lead the locals to the 8-2 win.
Eastern Randolph tallied three runs in the top of the first, one more in the second, and three in the third before tacking on an insurance run in the fifth to cruise to the victory.
Sheppard was also 2-for-3 at the plate with a run, two RBI and a walk while Lemuel Coltrane was 2-for-3 with a run, an RBI and two walks. Nicholas Brady added a big two-run double for the victors while Brody Gardner was 1-for-2 with two runs, an RBI and three walks.
Ethan Dunlap had a double with an RBI for Randolph County White in the loss.