RAMSEUR — Streaking Stanly County banged out 15 hits off five Eastern Randolph pitchers and sent 13 batters to the plate in the top of the sixth, collecting nine runs to put the finishing touch on a 14-1 six-inning, run-rule triumph over Post 81 Monday night on Grady Lawson Field.
Earning a sweep of the non-league season series, Post 76 captured its ninth consecutive victory while improving to 13-2 overall, whereas Eastern Randolph fell to 2-9 for the year.
Ryan Baucom opened on the mound for Stanly County and hurled four innings to gain the win, allowing four hits and one earned run while fanning three.
Reliever Zach Grice tossed one inning of hitless ball, walking one and striking out one, before A.D. McRae came on to pitch the final frame, giving up a pair of hits while whiffing two.
Gage Dennis collected three hits while Trent Wilson, Will Dagenhart, Hunter Sells and Cameron Phillips all notched two apiece to lead Post 76’s offensive outburst.
“Even though we were missing three regulars tonight, we showed overall depth in our lineup as we’re as deep as we’ve ever been,” said Stanly County coach Jordan Sells, who noted every starter scored at least once.
“The plan was to give our relievers some work since we wanted Ryan to be available again Wednesday night for a conference game, and they did a good job executing their pitches well while pounding the strike zone.”
“Our approach in the box has been consistent all year,” continued Sells. “We look for good pitches to hit hard, yet we’re willing to take a walk if given.”
Post 81 starter and loser Jacob Underwood went two-plus innings, yielding a pair of hits and one earned run in addition to issuing five free passes and striking out one.
Four Eastern Randolph relievers (Connor Murphy, Kevin Cano, Evan Shaw and Michael Glasgow) then combined to surrender 13 hits and 13 runs (11 earned) besides walking two and fanning two.
Post 81 was led at the plate by Murphy and Mason Canoy, who recorded two hits apiece.
“After a 13 day layoff I think some of the rust showed tonight,” remarked Eastern Randolph coach Jerry Kidd.
It’s frustrating because right now I feel like we’re coaching on the run. While we could use more consistent pitching, if I had one wish it would be to see our hitting improve, as we have a need to bunch hits together to produce runs.”
Post 76 took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third as Dagenhart drew a one-out walk, stole second and scored on Colton Austin’s opposite-field single to right.
Stanly County went up 3-0 in the visitors’ fourth as Zach Simmons reached on a two-out throwing error and advanced to third when Dennis lined a base hit to right-center.
After Dennis stole second, Wilson rapped a two-run single to center.
Post 81 tallied its lone run in the bottom of the fourth as Murphy led off the frame with a base hit to center, moved to second on a groundout and scored on Cameron Kennedy’s two-out single to left.
The winners increased their advantage to 5-1 in the top of the fifth as Brady Parked singled to center with one away and came in to score when Sells doubled into the left field corner.
Sells then went to third on a groundout before dashing home on a wild pitch.
Dennis led off Post 76’s sixth-inning explosion with an opposite-field base hit to right and moved to second when Wilson was nicked with a pitch.
Dagenhart’s infield single then loaded the bases prior to back-to-back free passes issued to Cody Kidd and Austin that forced in a pair of runs.
Following Parker’s sacrifice fly to left that brought in Dagenhart, Sells’ bad-hop single up the middle drove in Kidd before Phillips poked an opposite-field base hit to right, and a misplay in the outfield allowed Austin to score while putting runners on second and third.
Simmons proceeded to double to right to bring in Sells prior to Dennis delivering a two-run single up the middle and advancing to second on the throw in from the outfield before coming in to score the game’s final run on Morgan Bunch’s two-out base hit to left.