Post 45

Post 45 cherishes season’s successes, improvements

Post 45 cherishes season’s successes, improvements

Randolph County manager Ronnie Pugh, center, makes a mound visit in extra innings in the Southeast Regional to check on pitcher Hunter Atkins, right. Catcher Caleb Dunn looks on. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)   ASHEBORO – Hunter Atkins built a reputation largely as a hitter during high school for Randleman’s baseball team. But that’s far from his only attribute, something that was on display at times during the American Legion season for Randolph County Post 45. In what became the season finale, Atkins threw six innings of relief against eventual regional champion Florence (S.C.) Post 1. It came while he labored…
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Post 45 blasts off, keeps season going in Southeast Regional

Post 45 blasts off, keeps season going in Southeast Regional

Hunter Atkins, above, and several of his Randolph County Post 45 teammates had strong offensive games in Friday's Southeast Regional game. (Randolph Record file photo) ASHEBORO – Hunter Atkins drove in three runs and six of his Randolph County Post 45 teammates racked up two runs batted in a 17-1 whipping of Owensboro (Ky.) Post 9 in Friday afternoon’s elimination game of the Southeast Regional at McCrary Park. The American Legion baseball game ended after five innings. Post 45 (25-7) scored in every inning, including seven runs in the top of the fifth. For the second year in a row,…
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Lemons pitches gem as Randolph County Post 45 stays alive in Southeast Regional

Lemons pitches gem as Randolph County Post 45 stays alive in Southeast Regional

Austin Lemons throws a pitch earlier this season (Randolph Record file photo) ASHEBORO – Austin Lemons made sure Randolph County Post 45’s season has a little more life. Lemons threw a four-hitter as Post 45 defeated Belleview (Fla.) Post 284 by 3-0 in Thursday afternoon’s elimination game of the Southeast Regional for American Legion baseball. Lemons, a former Randleman High School pitcher headed for UNC Greensboro, walked three batters and struck out seven. The game lasted only 79 minutes at McCrary Park. The outcome puts Post 45 (24-7) in another must-win matchup at 12:30 p.m. Friday against the loser of…
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Glitch in plan pins loss on Post 45 in Southeast Regional opener

Glitch in plan pins loss on Post 45 in Southeast Regional opener

ASHEBORO – Parts of a plan for Randolph County Post 45 played out well on the first day of the Southeast Regional for American Legion baseball. But there were a few things that Post 45 couldn’t anticipate Wednesday night at McCrary Park and that was part of the downfall. Columbia (Tenn.) Post 19 had two big innings and those turned into a 7-5 victory. “We had a plan and we executed it for the most part,” Randolph County manager Ronnie Pugh said. “They had two big hits.” Now Post 45 takes on Belleview (Fla.) Post 284 in an elimination game…
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Post 45 falls in decisive Game 5 in series vs. Rowan County

Post 45 falls in decisive Game 5 in series vs. Rowan County

Members of Randolph County Post 45 gather after a loss in the Area 3 semifinal series in Salisbury. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) SALISBURY – Randolph County Post 45 will have a gap in its schedule before resuming play next month in American Legion baseball. Post 45 wasn’t able to reach the Area 3 championship series based on Monday night’s 5-0 loss to Rowan County Post 342 in Game 5 of the best-of-5 semifinal series. Rowan County won Games 1 and 3, so it won each of its home games at Newman Park on the Catawba College campus. Randolph County (23-6) will…
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Moving on: Post 45 set for Area 3 semifinals series

Moving on: Post 45 set for Area 3 semifinals series

Randolph County Post 45 first baseman Josh Meadows makes a catch against Davidson County Post 8 with catcher Grat Dalton looking on in Game 1 of that playoff series. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) Randolph County Post 45 is moving on to the semifinals of the Area 3 playoffs and it shapes up as a significant showdown. Post 45 (21-3) and Rowan County Post 342 (32-3) will match up in a best-of-5 series beginning Thursday night at Catawba College in Salisbury. Monday night at Lexington, Post 45 won 6-1 vs. Davidson County Post 8 to complete a sweep of the best-of-3 first-round…
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Post 45 seeks strong push in Area 3 playoffs

Post 45 seeks strong push in Area 3 playoffs

Alex Martinez of Randolph County Post 45 makes a catch in the outfield earlier this season against Chatham County. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) ASHEBORO – There have been some gaps in the schedule for Randolph County Post 45, but the American Legion baseball team might be back in a good groove. Post 45 finished second in the Area 3 Northern Division by the time the regular season wrapped up last week. The team won its final two regular-season games at home and then opened the Area 3 playoffs Sunday night by defeating visiting Davidson County. That best-of-3 series was to continue…
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Post 45 learns hard lessons as winning streak ends

Post 45 learns hard lessons as winning streak ends

Samuel Asbill of Randolph County Post 45 throws a pitch during a victory at Chatham County. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) ASHEBORO – A dose of reality during the past week might not be as bad as it looked for Randolph County Post 45. The American Legion baseball team had breezed through much of its schedule for the first month of the season. Then in a pair of Area 3 North Division games against High Point-Thomasville Post 87, things didn’t go its way. “Ego got too high,” catcher Grat Dalton said. “We beat everybody. We thought less of this team and should…
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Returnees help Post 45 hit early groove

Returnees help Post 45 hit early groove

Pierce Leonard takes a swing for Randolph County Post 45. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) Randolph County Post 45 has been off a strong start to the American Legion baseball season. The team has a good core of returning players who’ve produced across the first couple of weeks of the season. Post 45 had a 7-1 record – capped with a 5-4 victory at Davidson County last week – before a five-day break in the schedule. The team is slated to be back in action this week. The lone loss came by a 3-2 score at Rowan County. Twelve days later, Post…
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Post 45 could have core of roster back next year

Post 45 could have core of roster back next year

Alex Martinez, shown here batting for Randolph County Post 45 during the Southeast Regional earlier this month in Asheboro, could be among the team's returning players for 2023. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)   ASHEBORO – When the season ended for Randolph County Post 45 earlier this month, it was a downer. The team lost back-to-back games to be eliminated from the Southeast Regional in American Legion baseball in its home ballpark. Yet there might have been a ray of hope regarding the future that day at McCrary Park. “Only three of our 17 players are gone,” Randolph County manager Ronnie Pugh…
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