Post 45 waits on regional after bounced in Area 3 semifinals

ASHEBORO — Randolph County Post 45 came up short in its bid to reach the American Legion state tournament.

Post 45 was eliminated in the Area 3 semifinals, falling in four games of a best-of-5 series against Union County Post 535 last week.

Yet the season hasn’t ended for Randolph County, which will be the host team for next month’s Southeast Regional.

But Post 45 will sit on a 23-8 record waiting for that opportunity after it was derailed in the Area 3 playoffs.

“Little slow getting started some nights,” Post 45 manager Ronnie Pugh said.

Union County won 2-1 in last week’s Game 4 to clinch a spot in the state tournament in Cherryville. Union County then defeated Rowan County 4-0 in Sunday’s one-game Area 3 final in Salisbury after both teams had secured spots in the state tournament.

Post 535 broke a tie with a sixth-inning run off Randolph County starter Braxton Walker in Game 4 at Wingate University’s field. Walker is a Wingate commit.

Jake Riddle, who had two hits, singled and scored Post 45’s run on Carter Brown’s first-inning triple.

In Game 3, Post 45 had a five-run lead vanish before responding with a five-run fifth inning in a 13-6 road victory.

Brown racked up three hits and Sean Jennison was the winning pitcher.

Game 2 was rough for Post 45, with starting pitcher Parker Kines failing to record an out while facing five batters, leaving with a 2-0 deficit and the bases loaded at McCrary Park. The first pitch from Drew Harmon resulted in a two-run single from Grayson Slusher.

Randolph County’s Ethan Willard doubled to begin the bottom of the first and went to third base on a wild pitch but the next three batters were retired without Willard advancing. It went from bad to worse for Post 45, which gave up seven runs in the second.