KINSTON – Kinston Post 43 swept a Senior American Legion doubleheader from Ahoskie here Saturday.

Kinston defeated Post 102 by counts of 6-5 and 7-5.

In the first game, Post 43 scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh as Kinston grabbed a 6-5 win.

Ahoskie opened the scoring with two runs in the top of the first frame.

Travis Ellis singled and stole second before advancing to third on a wild pitch. Joe Harrell then drew a walk. Harrell was caught in a rundown and tagged out, but allowed Ellis to steal home.

Gavin Mizelle then doubled and went to third on a wild pitch. He scored on an Aaron Hoggard RBI-groundout.

Kinston pushed across two marks in the bottom of the first to tie the score.

Kinston added a run in the bottom of the second and two more in the home half of the fourth as they grabbed a 5-2 lead.

Ahoskie rallied with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth stanza.

Harrell walked and pinch runner Zeek Williams went to second on a Mizelle walk. Both advanced on a wild pitch. Williams scored on an Eli Spruill sacrifice fly and Mizelle came home on a Josh Morris RBI-single that trimmed Ahoskie’s deficit to 5-4.

Post 102 tied the game with a run in the top of the seventh stanza. Jacob Dunlow walked before Ellis had a bunt single. On a Williams bunt, Dunlow was erased at third, but Ellis took second. He later scored on a wild pitch.

Kinston scored a run in the bottom of the seventh to secure the victory.

Dylan Ralph and Chad Gurganus pitched three innings each for Post 102.

In game two, Post 43 built a 7-1 lead and went on to the 7-5 win.

Kinston opened the scoring with a run in the bottom of the second. They held the lead until the top of the third inning when Ahoskie got on the board with one run.

Gurganus singled and stole second. He then scored on a Hoggard RBI-single that tied the game at 1-all.

Kinston scored a run in the bottom of the third to take the lead back for good. They added three runs in the fourth and two in the fifth to take a 7-1 lead after five innings.

Ahoskie scored four times in the top of the seventh.

Gurganus and Mizelle each reached on an error. Gurganus then scored on a Hoggard double. Mizelle scored on an error on the play.

Hoggard then came home on a Kyle Hughes RBI-double. Hughes moved to third on a Harrell single and then scored when Mitchell Godwin reached on a two-base error.

A strikeout ended the game with the tying run aboard.

Dakota Young pitched three innings, Brent Bowen tossed two and Spruill had one inning on the mound.

Ahoskie had 12 hits in the double-header led by Hoggard with three hits. Ellis and Godwin each had two hits.

“We got good pitching in both games,” said Post 102 skipper David Ellis. “We battled in both games. We just have to learn to finish close games. We are a play or two away from winning these games.”

Ahoskie dropped to 2-8 overall and will play at Pitt County Post 160 on Wednesday at 7 p.m. They will host Wilson at 7 p.m. on Thursday.