RAMSEUR — Two-run singles by Nick Shoffner and Daniel Layne in the first two frames staked Stokes County to an early 4-0 lead while Post 290 received six strong innings on the mound from starter Jake Craddock en route to defeating Eastern Randolph 6-2 in American Legion Area III Northern Division baseball action Wednesday evening on Grady Lawson Field.
The triumph lifted Stokes County to 3-1 in the league standings and 3-7 for the year, while Post 81 sank to 1-3 in the conference and 2-11 overall.
Craddock allowed seven hits and two runs (one earned) while walking one and fanning six before Trent Tilley came on to pitch a hitless seventh, issuing one free pass and striking out one.
Colby Guy went three-for-three at the plate and scored twice to pace Post 290’s 10-hit attack, while Shoffner and Ryan Martin chipped in two safeties apiece.
“The big key for us tonight was to get off to a good start with timely hits in the first two innings,” said Stokes County coach Thomas Newsome.
“Craddock is our ace and he did a good job staying in the strike zone all night while scattering Eastern Randolph’s hits, and our defense played one of its more consistent games backing him up in the field.”
Southpaw Camden Fuquay opened on the hill for Post 81 and sustained the loss, giving up two hits and a pair of earned runs while walking two in one inning of work before leaving the mound after developing discomfort in his back.
Michael Glasgow relieved Fuquay and threw three and two-third innings, surrendering seven hits and four earned runs in addition to walking four and whiffing a pair prior to Clay Edmonson tossing the last two and one-third frames, yielding one hit while fanning three.
Christopher Morgan led Eastern Randolph batters with two hits in three plate appearances and scored once.
“It hurt us when Fuquay departed after one inning and we had to go to the bullpen so early,” remarked Post 81 coach Jerry Kidd.
“We managed to get the leadoff batter on base every inning but one yet we couldn’t catch a break and find a way to make things happen with guys in scoring position.”
“It’s rare for us to get extra-base hits, and although we had three leadoff doubles tonight we could only capitalize once.”
Post 290 seized a 2-0 advantage its first turn at bat as Guy led off the inning by stroking a double to the left field fence before Caleb Smith drew a free pass. Both runners then moved up a base following a one-out walk to Layne prior to Shoffner lacing a two-run single to left.
Stokes County surged ahead 4-0 in the top of the second as Martin singled up the middle with one away and went to second when Guy coaxed a full-count base on balls.
After Smith lined a base hit to left to fill the sacks, Layne brought in Martin and Guy with a two-out single to right.
Eastern Randolph answered with a run in its half of the second when Samuel Murchison slammed a leadoff double up the alley in right-center, advanced to third on a one-out passed ball and came in to score on Tyler Campbell’s two-out base hit to left.
Post 81 closed the gap to 4-2 in the bottom of the third as Morgan scratched a leadoff infield hit and continued to second on a throwing error.
Morgan then moved to third on Connor Murphy’s opposite-field single to right with one away before racing home on a two-out wild pitch.
But Post 290 would add a pair of insurance runs in the visitors’ fifth to close out the scoring when Shoffner drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second on Craddock’s base hit to left.
After Tyler Smith sacrificed both runners up a base, Shoffner sprinted home on a wild pitch as Craddock went to third and tallied one out later on Martin’s single to left.