AHOSKIE – Post 102 scored five runs in the second inning as Ahoskie went on to beat Edenton Post-40, 8-4, here Monday night in a junior American Legion baseball game.

Edenton opened the scoring with two runs in the top of the second on a Josh Bass 2-run single.

Ahoskie came back to score five runs in their half of the frame. Austin Hurdle got things started with a double to right center field followed by a walk issued to Parker Cline. Hurdle then scored on Nick Hoggard’s RBI single to right field to cut the Edenton lead in half. David Watford then drew a walk that loaded the bases.

Cline scored on an Everett Sawyer RBI single to center field, followed by Hoggard crossing the plate less than a minute later on a wild pitch. Watford touched the dish when Tyler Pope got an infield single for an RBI and Sawyer scored on a Tyler Jones RBI single to center. Thanks to the quintet of runs, Ahoskie led the game 5-2 after two full innings.

Edenton trimmed that lead with a run in the top of the third on a Bryan Warren RBI single.

Ahoskie came back and put up two more in the bottom of the third. Eric Ortiz, Jarrett Harrell and Bryan Merritt all walked to load the bases.  Ortiz would score on a Watford RBI single to left field while Harrell scored on a Sawyer bases-loaded walk. That gave Post-102 a 7-3 lead after three complete.

After a pair of scoreless innings by both teams Edenton scored a run in the top of the sixth on a Ben Ward RBI ground out to cut the deficit to 7-4.

Ahoskie scored its final run in the bottom of the sixth when Brandon Terry doubled to right center field and went to third base on a Hurdle ground out. Ortiz then walked and stole second before Terry scored on a Harrell RBI single to right field. After Post-102 had doubled-up the score, Edenton went down in order in the top of the seventh to end the game.

Slade Cowan started and pitched two innings for Ahoskie. Merritt pitched the next four innings and got the win while Ortiz came on to pitch the seventh.

Post-102 had nine hits led by Jones with two base-knocks and he drove in a run. Sawyer had one hit and two RBI. Pope, Hoggard, Watford and Harrell each had a hit and a run-batted-in, while Terry and Hurdle had one hit each.

“We got a good pitching effort from the entire staff,” said Ahoskie coach Brandon Matthews. “Slade pitched well and Bryan and Eric came in and both finished strong.

“This was a good team win, and a good conference win,” he added.

Ahoskie tops the .500 mark now at 8-7 and are 4-3 in conference play. They will travel to Edenton tonight (Thursday) for a return game at 7 p.m. before returning home to Hertford County High School field to host Currituck on Saturday at 6 p.m.