Liberty Post 81 right fielder Bryson Marley tracks a fly ball during a game last week. (PJ Ward-Brown / Randolph Record)
ASHEBORO — Randolph County Post 45 and Liberty Post 81 are the top teams in the Area 3 North Division for American Legion baseball.
The teams meet Tuesday night at Eastern Randolph High School as part of the final week of the regular season.
The Area 3 playoffs are slated to begin this weekend.
Post 45 had another strong week, belting Moore County Post 12 by 10-0 scores on back-to-back days this weekend.
Randolph County began its latest stretch by winning 6-2 last week against Post 81 at McCrary Park in Asheboro.
Zack Scruggs drove in three runs, while Ethan Willard, who tripled, and Caleb Coggins each scored two runs for Post 45.
Randolph County pitchers Lincoln Coble and Tate Andrews handled the pitching. Mark King drove in both runs for Post 81.
Then Post 45 suffered a 5-4 loss in nine innings to visiting Hamlet Post 49 after posting a seventh-inning run to extend the game. Grat Dalton hit a home run for Randolph County, while Braxton Walker took the loss in relief.
That was followed with a 5-3 triumph at Chatham County Post 305, with Willard homering to lead off the game as part of his three-hit night. Sean Jennison pitched six innings and Brett Smith worked the seven for Post 45’s pitching.
Walker homered for the first time in Saturday night’s home game against Moore County and then the next night in the rematch he threw a one-hit shutout in a five-inning game. Post 45 had five extra-base hits Sunday.
Post 45 was scheduled for three North Division II matchups across a five-day stretch this week.
Post 81 hits rough patch
Post 81 dropped a game behind Randolph County in the loss column with Sunday’s 7-1 road setback to Hamlet.
Liberty, which could have clinched at least a second-place tie in the division during the weekend, had won its first seven division games before the back-to-back setbacks.
In the Hamlet game, the lone hit came on Noah Madren’s six-inning home run. Bryson Marley took the loss.
Post 81 got off to a good start last week by defeating Hamlet 6-2 in the completion of a suspended game and later that night topping visiting Aberdeen Post 72 by 8-7.
Lucas Smith was the winning pitcher in both of those games, while Cade McCallum and Marley each picked up a save.
Against Aberdeen, Eli Holland drove in two runs and Mason Taylor and King each scored two runs.
