Belch gem lifts Windsor
Published 11:54 am Wednesday, June 13, 2012
AHOSKIE – Dallas Belch tossed a one-hitter here Monday night.
That effort propelled Windsor Post 37 to a 5-1 victory over Ahoskie Post 102 in a Junior American Legion baseball game.
Windsor opened the scoring with one run in the top of the first frame.
Matthew Weaver walked before Josh Ambrose was hit by a pitch. When Terrence Jackson grounded into a fielder’s choice, Weaver raced home on an error to give Windsor a 1-0 lead.
The visiting squad added another run in the top of the second stanza.
Quinton Reynolds singled to right before Patrick Castelloe walked and Alex Harmon had a bunt single to load the bases. Reynolds came home on a Belch RBI-fielder’s choice to make it 2-0.
Post 102 answered in the bottom of the second inning.
Ackerman Grace tripled to right and scored on a Tyler Small groundout to close the gap to 2-1.
In the top of the fourth, with one out, Castelloe and Harmon had back-to-back singles to left. Belch then walked to load the bases, but a pair of groundouts ended the threat with Windsor still ahead 2-1.
In the bottom of the fifth, Grace reached on a dropped third strike and moved all the way to third on an errant pickoff throw. On a missed squeeze play, Grace was tagged out and the threat was quelled.
Windsor’s final three runs came in the top of the seventh inning.
Christian Bland and Ambrose had back-to-back singles before a walk to Reynolds loaded the bases. Bland came home on a Castelloe RBI-single and then Ambrose and Reynolds scored when Harmon singled to make it 5-1.
Belch went the distance for Post 37, picking up the win while allowing a single hit and striking out eight. Grace started for Post 102 and went six and two-thirds of an inning. Stephen Umphlett tossed the final one-third.
Windsor had nine hits led by Castelloe and Harmon with three each. Grace had Ahoskie’s only hit.
“Dallas pitched a great game for us,” Windsor skipper Bobby Harmon said. “We stranded a lot of runners in the game, but we got some big hits in the top of the seventh. I am proud of these guys.”
Windsor improved to 6-2 overall and 3-2 in conference play with the win. They will host Edenton at 1 p.m. Saturday in a doubleheader.
“The Windsor pitcher did a great job of keeping us off balance all game,” Post 102 coach Brandon Matthews said. “We have three conference games this week. We have to take them one at a time.”
The loss was Ahoskie’s first in conference play as Post 102 fell to 4-5 overall and 2-1 in the league. They will host Edenton at 7 p.m. Friday and then play at Elizabeth City at 7 p.m. Saturday.