Post 102 keeps rolling
Published 9:48 am Thursday, June 30, 2016
FARMVILLE – Ahoskie rallied for five runs in the top of the eighth inning en route to a weekend sweep in senior American Legion baseball play.
Post 102 downed Farmville Post 151, 7-6, here Sunday afternoon. Coupled with their Saturday win over Kinston Post 43 and a forfeit in the West Craven game, the seniors are now on a three-game win streak and back in the playoff hunt.
American Legion Post 102 coach Chris Towell guided his senior team to two straight wins and one forfeit to get back in the Area-1 playoff hunt. | Dynamic Photo / William Anthony
After a scoreless first inning, Farmville opened the scoring with one run in the bottom of the second for a 1-0 mark after two innings.
Post 151 added two more runs in the bottom of the fourth for a 3-0 bulge after four complete.
Ahoskie cashed in their first two runs in the top of the fifth inning when Chris Wilkins walked and Ahmad Rivers singled. Both runners moved up into scoring position at second and third base on Matthew Weaver’s sacrifice bunt. Wilkins then scored on a D.J. Smith RBI ground out, and Rivers scored the second run on a passed ball. This pulled Post 102 within a run at 3-2, Farmville.
Post 151 added to their total with three runs in the bottom of the fifth and were ahead 6-2 after five.
Ahoskie went to work in their half of the eighth as Weaver led off the inning with a solo home run to left field. Smith then singled and Michael Scott drew a base-on-balls to get two runners aboard; Smith later scored on a wild pitch. After Tyler Jones drew a walk, both he and Scott scored on Nick Horvath’s two-run single. Horvath would score on Jarrett Harrell’s RBI double which turned out to be the game-winning hit.
Ahoskie had stormed back to take a 7-6 lead after seven-and-a-half innings. Farmville couldn’t counter and that was the final score.
Alex Harmon started and went four-and-one-third innings. Slade Cowan pitched the final four-and-two-third innings and picks up the win.
Ahoskie had just six hits, but they made them count. Smith led with a pair of safeties while Rivers, Horvath, Weaver, and Harrell had one hit apiece.
Ahoskie pulled within a game of .500 at 7-8 and dead-even at 6-6 in conference play. Post 102’s seniors will close out the home portion of the regular season tonight (Thursday) hosting Kinston Post 43 at Hertford County High field at 7 p.m.