Eastern Randolph rising juniors Cade McCallum, left, and Chance Holdaway have been key players for Liberty Post 81. (Bob Sutton / Randolph Record)
RAMSEUR — The victories have started to add up for Liberty Post 81 even if the nightly roster numbers haven’t.
But the American Legion baseball team is making the best of the recent situation, winning five games in a row through the weekend.
“We’re just barely making it through,” Post 81 player Chance Holdaway said. “Sometimes everybody shows up. Sometimes only nine people show up. We just got to play with what we got.”
Liberty has gone into several recent games with nine players, but the team has figured out how to make it work.
Post 81 swept Chatham County Post 305 by winning 4-1 on Friday night at home and 10-8 in eight innings Saturday in Siler City.
“Just trusting the players you got,” outfielder Bryson Marley said. “When it comes to games, we have who we have.”
Lately, they’ve had enough.
The low numbers have struck for a variety of reasons. Manager Nate Cockman said he understands there are conflicts and other commitments for many of the players.
“We got 18 on the roster, doesn’t seem like we have them all here at the same time,” Cockman said. “We do have a core group who is really showing up. That’s the key to having success. … As long as we have enough, we’re going to compete.”
Cockman said the team has three or four reliable starting pitchers and a few others for relief. Current or former Eastern Randolph players comprise a chunk of the roster, while players from Faith Christian, Chatham Charter, Southern Alamance and Providence Grove also compete. Catcher Eli Holland, a 2024 Southern Alamance graduate, has handled a bulk of the work behind the plate.
The players understand the predicament, but they’re not overwhelmed by it.
“We’re doing the best we can with what we got. That’s all that matters,” shortstop / pitcher Cade McCallum said. “With what we’ve got, we’ve got a good team.”
Cockman said if he knows in advance about a player’s likely absence it helps prepare and be certain there are enough for games.
In the meantime, there’s plenty of opportunities for those who are in uniform on a regular basis.
“I love playing baseball,” Holdaway said.
There aren’t many options when filling out a lineup card some nights.
“You show, you’re playing,” Marley said. “You’re not sitting.”
On Friday night against Chatham County, starting pitcher Mark King worked six shutout innings with seven strikeouts.
Chatham County scored an unearned run off Luke Johnson in the seventh before loading the bases. Mason Taylor was summoned to the mound and struck out both batters he faced to end the game.
Post 81 made the most of four singles, including two by McCallum, and King’s sacrifice fly to score in four separate innings.
Earlier last week, Post 81 topped host Moore County Post 12 by 12-5 with Noah Lester driving in three runs and Marley, who combined with King for the pitching, knocking in two runs.
In a 14-1 pounding of host Aberdeen Post 72, winning pitcher Lucas Smith, Lester and King all homered.
