AHOSKIE – American Legion Post 102’s junior baseball team closed out their brief five-game home stand with a 7-4 win over Rocky Mount on Monday.

Joseph Eure was 1-for-2 and drove in three runs, Darren Armstrong was 2-for-3 with a run batted in, and Shawn Holloway went 2-for-4. Nathan Pearce, Jim Porter and Day-Day Phelps also drove in runs.

“It wasn’t the prettiest game,” chuckled Ahoskie coach Wayne Hill, “but it got the job done. We only got eight hits so I guess we need some more time in the batting cage.

“We also had too many strikeouts,” he added.

Hard to tell if he was kidding because Post 102 only had eight batters sat down on strikes while three Ahoskie pitchers: Petey Boone, Phelps and Kyle Freeman combined for 12 Rocky Mount strikeouts.

After a scoreless first inning, Rocky Mount chased starter Boone by plating a couple of runs for a 2-0 lead; pulling off a double-steal and scoring another on a passed ball.

Ahoskie, however, broke through in the bottom of the third to push a couple of runs across the dish.

Chris Rogerson drew a one-out walk and took second base on a passed ball. D.J. Cook followed with what should’ve been a routine grounder, but a high throw turned it into a two-base error.

One out later, Eure stroked a liner to center field that scored both runners, but was thrown out trying to take second base and left the score tied, 2-2.

Ahoskie broke open the game in the bottom of the fifth.

After a pair of walks, Holloway’s bloop single loaded the bases and Eure’s base-on-balls produced the go-ahead run.

Armstrong’s base hit drove in one run before Austin Britton reached on a fielder’s choice to load the bases once more.

Rocky Mount then walked in the sixth run of the game before Phelps helped his own cause with a shot into the gap in right center field for the fifth run of the inning and a 7-2 Ahoskie lead.

Rocky Mount threatened in the top of the sixth, scoring two runs with one out before Freeman came on in relief of Phelps to get the final two outs of the sixth and then retire the side in order in the seventh.

The Ahoskie junior’s, now 6-5 and 4-1 in the conference, play at Nash County on Thursday. Their next game at Hertford County High School will be an 11 a.m. doubleheader June 26 against Nash County.