American Legion baseball - Randolph Record

30 Jun

Post 45 racks up more wins, while Post 81 stays in chase for top spot

Randolph RecordSportsAmerican Legion baseball, Braxton Walker, Bryson Marley, Cade McCallum, Caleb Coggins, Ethan Willard, Grat Dalton, Liberty Post 81, Lincoln Coble, Lucas Smith, Randolph County Post 45, Sean Jennison, Tate Andrews, Zack Scruggs

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…

22 Jun

Post 45 rolls through busy week

Randolph RecordSportsAmerican Legion baseball, Ben Luck, Brett Smith, Clay Hill, Cohen Caviness, Grat Dalton, Jake Riddle, Lincoln Coble, Parker Kines, Randolph County Post 45, Tate Andrews

Randolph County Post 45's Jake Riddle throws a pitch during a game last week at McCrary Park. (PJ Ward-Brown / Randolph Record) ASHEBORO — Randolph County Post 45 played six times across a seven-day stretch and won each one of those games. That creates momentum for the American Legion baseball team as it enters the teeth of its Area 3 schedule. Post 45 improved to 11-3 entering this week. Braxton Walker drove in three runs and pitched the final two innings as Randolph County began the stretch with a 9-6 home victory against Chatham County Post 305. Post 45 notched…

21 Jun

Nine is enough: Post 81 figures out path to success with low numbers

Bob SuttonSportsAmerican Legion baseball, Bryson Marley, Cade McCallum, Chance Holdaway, Eastern Randolph, Liberty Post 81, Nate Cockman

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…

15 Jun

Post 45 seeks good blend with returners, newcomers

Bob SuttonSportsAmerican Legion baseball, Jackson Hill, Liberty Post 81, Randolph County Post 45, Ronnie Pugh

There’s a different mix in the Randolph County Post 45 dugout this year for American Legion baseball. (P.J. Ward-Brown / Randolph Record) ASHEBORO – There might be good pieces to the puzzle for Randolph County Post 45’s baseball team. It’s largely a new roster from a year ago, so manager Ronnie Pugh will see how it all comes together after seeing encouraging results during the first stretch of the season. There are players representing numerous high schools in the area and that’s the blend Post 45 will be counting on this summer. “We played against or with each other for…

08 Jun

Post 45 keeps Post 81 in check, pushes win streak to three games

Bob SuttonSportsAmerican Legion baseball, Caleb Coggins, Drew Harmon, Elijah Prince, Jackson Hill, Liberty Post 81, McCrary Park, Nate Cockman, Randolph County Post 45, Sam Gore, Tate Andrews

ASHEBORO — Three Post 45 pitchers combined on a four-hitter in an 8-3 victory against visiting Post 81 on Sunday night at McCrary Park. Drew Harmon pitched five innings, giving up three runs and three hits. Prince and Tate Andrews each threw an inning of shutout relief. Post 45 (5-2) never trailed in notching a third consecutive victory. Caleb Coggins ripped a two-run double to deep center field with the bases loaded in the third. Jackson Hill doubled and scored in the fourth. But Post 81 (0-8) got back in it, courtesy of some fielding blunders, pulling within 5-3 in…

05 Jun

Welcome aboard and welcome back: Willard, Brown boost Post 45 past Post 81

Bob SuttonSportsAmerican Legion baseball, Braxton Walker, Carter Brown, Eli Holland, Ethan Willard, Liberty Post 81, Nate Cockman, Randolph County Post 45, Ronnie Pugh

Ethan Willard (Bob Sutton / Randolph Record) RAMSEUR – Ethan Willard arrived to play with Randolph County Post 45 and Carter Brown is back with the American Legion team. That combination proved big for Post 45 in its first intra-county matchup of the season Wednesday night. Willard belted the game’s first pitch for a home run. After a walk to Jake Riddle, Brown smacked a two-run home run. Those were the key hits to go with six innings of pitching from Braxton Walker in a 5-2 victory against Liberty Post 81 at Eastern Randolph. Willard finished his high school career…

02 Jun

Area American Legion teams fall during disrupted part of schedule

Randolph RecordSportsAmerican Legion baseball, Liberty Post 81, Randolph County Post 45

LEXINGTON — Randolph County Post 45 lost for the first time this season in American Legion baseball with Sunday’s 7-6 setback to host Davidson County Post 8. Randolph County overcame a five-run deficit to pull even before Davidson County scored the final run. Zack Scruggs drove in two runs for Post 45. Tate Andrews, one of four pitchers used, took the loss. The game came after a week off because of weather-related schedule adjustments. Post 45 and Liberty Post 81 have two scheduled meetings during a five-day stretch. There was a scheduled matchup Wednesday night at Eastern Randolph and a…

26 May

American Legion baseball: Post 45 starts season with two victories

Randolph RecordSportsAmerican Legion baseball, Drew Harmon, McCrary Park, Randolph County Post 45

ASHEBORO — Randolph County Post 45 began its baseball season with a pair of victories during the weekend at McCrary Park. Post 45 topped Moore County Post 12 by 13-3 in its opener as Drew Harmon pitched four innings and Elijah Prince worked the fifth. Zack Scruggs had two doubles and Jake Riddle scored three runs. Then came Sunday’s 7-3 decision against Mocksville-Davie Post 54. ** Liberty Post 81 got started a weekend earlier and struggled with losses in its first three games. Liberty lost twice at home to Moore County on separate days, falling 17-9 and 16-5 and then…

12 Aug

Alabama team prevails in Southeast Regional against North Carolina champion

Randolph RecordSportsAmerican Legion baseball, McCrary Park, Southeast Regional

ASHEBORO – Troy (Ala.) Post 70 needed a full day of baseball to win American Legion’s Southeast Regional on Sunday at McCrary Park. Troy recovered from a loss to edge North Carolina champion Wayne County Post 11 by 5-4 in nine innings on Cody Walsh’s two-out single. Troy will be in the American Legion World Series, which begins this week in Shelby, for the third year in a row. Wayne County, which was a first-time North Carolina state champion, won its third consecutive game after a loss by topping Troy 4-1 earlier Sunday. That was Troy’s first loss, so it…

09 Aug

Post 45’s season ends with quick ouster in regional

Randolph RecordSportsAmerican Legion baseball, McCrary Park, Post 45, Randolph County Post 45, Southeast Regional

Randolph County Post 45 second baseman Pierce Leonard makes a play during the team’s opening game of the Southeast Regional earlier this week. Center fielder Cade Hill and pitcher Connor Adams look on. (PJ Ward-Brown / Randolph Record) ASHEBORO – The host team is out of the Southeast Regional for American Legion baseball. Randolph County Post 45 lost for the second time in as many nights, falling 11-2 to Camden (S.C.) Post 17 in a weather-delayed elimination game Thursday at McCrary Park. Camden scored three first-inning runs and led 9-2 through four innings. Starting pitcher Parker Kines took the loss…