RAMSEUR — Kernersville hammered out 13 hits against a trio of Eastern Randolph pitchers and scored in every frame but one while cruising to a six-inning 12-1 run-rule American Legion Area III Northern Division victory over Post 81 Friday evening on Grady Lawson Field.
Gaining a split in the regular-season series, Post 36 improved to 4-5 in the conference and 7-7 for the year, whereas Eastern Randolph dropped to 2-7 against league rivals and 3-15 overall.
Kernersville starter T.J. Corlett tossed four innings to receive credit for the win, allowing five hits and one earned run to go with one walk and three strikeouts.
Tyler Edison pitched two hitless innings in relief, issuing a pair of walks while whiffing one.
“Putting runs on the board hasn’t been a problem for us this season, but keeping our opponents from outscoring us has,” Post 36 coach Pete Schultz said. “Not only did we get a strong effort on the mound tonight from both T.J. and Tyler, but we played one of our better defensive games while turning three double plays.”
Colton Craven opened on the hill for Post 81 and was saddled with the loss after being battered for seven hits and seven runs (five earned) in addition to walking six and fanning three over three innings.
Reliever Kevin Cano worked one and two-third innings and was roughed up for five hits and three earned runs while issuing four free passes and whiffing two. Cade Snotherly then came on to toss the last one and one-third frames, giving up one hit and a pair of earned runs besides registering one walk plus a strikeout.
“After the way we played tonight all we can do is put this one behind us and move on to the next game,” said interim Eastern Randolph coach Brian Heilig. “We spotted Kernersville seven runs in the first three innings, and it’s hard to come back from that big a deficit when your team is struggling at the plate. We need to find a way to limit the other team from scoring a lot of runs early so we can give ourselves a chance to still be in the game in the late innings.”
Post 36 vaulted to a 4-0 advantage its initial turn at bat as Hunter Hutchens doubled to the fence in left-center with one away and scored when Danny Fish tripled up the alley in right-center.
After Noah Robinson’s infield hit plated Fish, Cam Watts smashed a triple up the gap in left-center to drive in Robinson before Watts tallied on a groundout by Dalyn Blunt.
Kernersville picked up a solo run in the visitors’ second when Hutchens led off with an infield single and advanced to third following walks to Fish and Watts prior to sprinting home on an infield error.
Post 36 increased its lead to 7-0 in the top of the third as Blake Youngblood opened the frame with an opposite-field single to right before moving to second when Chase Wallen walked on four pitches.
After both runners advanced a base on a wild pitch, Fish brought in Youngblood with a groundout that sent Wallen to third prior to the latter scoring on an infield throwing error.
Post 81 tallied its lone run in the bottom of the fourth as Samuel Murchison notched a leadoff single to left, went to second on a wild pitch, moved to third on Zander Smith’s opposite-field base hit to right and scored when Cade Snotherly reached on a fielder’s choice.
Kernersville stretched its advantage to 10-1 in the visitors’ fifth when Fish received a leadoff walk and one out later Watts blasted a 3-1 offering from Cano over the left field fence for his first home run of the season.
Blunt then doubled up the gap in left-center and eventually came home on Wallen’s two-out opposite-field single to right.
Post 36 proceeded to wrap up its lopsided triumph in the top of the sixth, loading the bases with one away on Robinson’s base hit to center before Watts and Blunt were both nicked by pitches.
Following a free pass issued to Edison that forced in Robinson while keeping the sacks full, Riley Davis lofted a sacrifice fly to right to bring in Watts with the final run of the night.