Post 45 and Post 81 are scheduled to meet twice across a five-night period
ASHEBORO – There has been a sampling of results for Liberty Post 81 and Randolph County Post 45 through the first few weeks of the American Legion baseball series.
It’s about to get serious for these teams with league play picking up after a layoff.
Post 81 racked up a 9-3 record through last week. Randolph County checked in at 3-5, though its roster of available players had been limited because of the high school postseason.
Randolph County and Liberty meet for the first time since 2022 on Thursday night at Eastern Randolph High School, where Post 81 plays home games in Ramseur. The rematch comes Monday night at McCrary Park in Asheboro.
Post 81 didn’t field an American Legion team on the senior level last year, so that’s why it has been an extended stretch between meetings with Randolph County.
Neither team has played since last Thursday, in part because of a normal gap in the schedule around high school commencements.
About the results …
Before the gap in the schedule, Post 45 fell 7-4 in 10 innings to visiting Chatham County Post 292 last Thursday night. Jake Riddle took the loss, while Caleb Stickle smashed a three-run home run for Randolph County.
That came just a few days after the teams played an eight-inning game in Asheboro, with Chatham County prevailing 3-2.
Buoyed by Samuel Asbill’s 6 1/3 innings on the mound, Post 45 recorded a 4-1 victory at Rowan County Post 342 in Salisbury. Caleb Dunn drove in two runs.
Randolph County’s 5-1 home victory against Hamlet Post 49 came when Drake Purvis threw a five-hitter with nine strikeouts.
Mocksville-Davie Post 54 edged Randolph County 6-2 at McCrary Park despite Connor Adams pitching 5 2/3 innings and Braxton Walker driving in both runs..
** Meanwhile, Post 81 had a four-game winning streak that began late in May and extended into June and then picked up a couple of more victories.
Prior to the break, Post 81 defeated host Moore County Post 12 by 12-4, with Bauer Bowling and Bryson Marley each driving in two runs.
This came after Liberty belted Mocksville-Davie by 9-2 with Noah Lester and Ethan Lester both notching three hits. Marley threw a complete game.
Post 81 fell 15-0 to visiting High Point Post 87, which received two hits from Jake Little.
Jayten Beasley posted a seven-hitter with six strikeouts in a 13-3 romp past Moore County.
Jackson Berger pitched six shutout innings in a 5-0 victory against Hope Mills Post 32. When Liberty blasted Hope Mills 13-3, Cade McCallum provided a three-run double.
In a 5-4 escape against visiting Davidson County Post 8, Noah Lester drove in three runs and McCallum went 5 2/3 scoreless innings.
