Southeast Regional - Randolph Record

12 Aug

Post 45 cherishes season’s successes, improvements

Bob SuttonSportsAmerican Legion baseball, Carter Brown, Hunter Atkins, Post 45, Randolph County Post 45, Ronnie Pugh, Southeast Regional, Tyler Parks

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…

06 Aug

Florence leaves Asheboro with Southeast Regional title

Randolph RecordSportsAmerican Legion baseball, Florence (S.C.) Post 1, McCrary Park, Southeast Regional

ASHEBORO – Florence (S.C.) Post 1 completed a sweep of the Southeast Regional in American Legion baseball, winning Sunday afternoon’s title game by 8-5 against Fuquay-Varina Post 116. Florence went 5-0 in the regional at McCrary Park, including Saturday night’s 5-4 decision in 11 innings against host Randolph County Post 45. Florence (30-5) needed just one victory Sunday, but an extra game wasn’t required as Post 1 topped Fuquay-Varina, the North Carolina state champion, for the second time in the regional. Post 1 goes on to the American Legion World Series later this week in Shelby. This marked Florence’s third…

05 Aug

Post 45’s season ends with 11-inning loss in Southeast Regional

Bob SuttonSportsAmerican Legion baseball, Hunter Atkins, McCrary Park, Randolph County Post 45, Ronnie Pugh, Southeast Regional, Tanner Marsh, Tyler Parks

ASHEBORO – It took most of Saturday night before Randolph County Post 45 was dismissed from the Southeast Regional. The host team battled for 11 innings with Florence (S.C.) Post 1 before suffering a 5-4 loss at McCrary Park. “We’ve been playing all night,” Post 45 manager Ronnie Pugh said. “This was a classic. Our guys sucked it up and played.” Florence (29-5) is unbeaten in the double-elimination regional and will play Fuquay-Varina Post 116 (30-6) at 1:30 p.m. Sunday. If Fuquay-Varina wins, another winner-take-all game will follow. Post 45 ended the season with a 25-8 record, going 2-2 in…

04 Aug

Post 45 blasts off, keeps season going in Southeast Regional

Randolph RecordSportsAmerican Legion baseball, Connor Adams, Hunter Atkins, Josh Meadows, McCrary Park, Pierce Leonard, Post 45, Randolph County Post 45, Southeast Regional, Tanner Marsh, Tyler Parks

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,…

01 Aug

Leonard takes baseball path with Post 45; Southeast Regional set to begin in Asheboro

Bob SuttonSportsAmerican Legion baseball, Eastern Randolph athletics, McCrary Park, Pierce Leonard, Randolph County Post 45, Ronnie Pugh, Southeast Regional

Second baseman Pierce Leonard of Randolph County Post 45 makes a play in the field earlier this season. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) ASHEBORO – Pierce Leonard is a first-year member of the Randolph County Post 45 baseball team. There’s a reason that he pursued American Legion baseball this summer. Having finished his final high school year at Eastern Randolph after transferring from Uwharrie Charter Academy, Leonard chose baseball as a preference in terms of a sport to play in college. “I figured I could go farther with baseball than I could basketball,” Leonard said. He said he’ll play baseball at Guilford…

26 Aug

Post 45 could have core of roster back next year

Bob SuttonSportsAdam Cole, American Legion baseball, Braylen Hayes, McCrary Park, Post 45, Randleman baseball, Randolph County Post 45, Ronnie Pugh, Southeast Regional, Tanner Marsh, Trey Way, Tyler Parks

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…

06 Aug

Season fizzles on Post 45 in elimination loss

Bob SuttonSportsAdam Cole, American Legion baseball, Braylen Hayes, McCrary Park, Post 45, Randolph County Post 45, Ronnie Pugh, Southeast Regional, Trey Way, Wilmington Post 10

Randolph County Post 45 team members go through their final postgame handshake line of the season Saturday at McCrary Park. ASHEBORO – This Randolph County Post 45 baseball team seemed built for big things. Too many big innings for opponents became the undoing for the host team in the American Legion’s Southeast Regional. “I definitely think we could have had a better season than this,” left fielder Adam Cole said. The end came with a 15-5 loss to Wilmington Post 10 in an elimination game Saturday at McCrary Park. The game was reduced to five innings by the mercy rule,…

06 Aug

Problems pile up on Post 45 in first regional loss

Bob SuttonSportsAdam Cole, American Legion baseball, Braylen Hayes, McCrary Park, Post 45, Randolph County Post 45, Ronnie Pugh, Southeast Regional, Trey Way

Randolph County Post 45 coaches Ryan Hill, left, Ronnie Pugh and Andrew Conner will need a plan to win three more games in the Southeast Regional. (File photo) Randolph County needs turnaround to extend season ASHEBORO -- It didn’t start well for Randolph County Post 45. Then it got worse Friday night. Yet if there’s a good omen for the host team in Southeast Regional for American Legion baseball, things are bound to get better this weekend. Or else the season will come to a disheartening conclusion. “It’s an eye-opener,” Post 45 catcher Alex Martinez said after the 12-7 loss…

05 Aug

Hayes caps Post 45 drama in late-night Southeast Regional win

Bob SuttonSportsAmerican Legion baseball, Braylen Hayes, McCrary Park, Post 45, Randolph County Post 45, Ronnie Pugh, Southeast Regional, Tanner Marsh

Braylen Hayes had the final hit for Randolph County Post 45 in its extra-inning victory against Evans (Ga.) in the Southeast Regional. (File photo) ASHEBORO – Braylen Hayes wanted the chance to end Thursday night’s game in the Southeast Regional. The Randolph County Post 45 center fielder didn’t miss on that. “It works at the end, that’s all that matters,” Hayes said. “I knew (it was the winning hit) because Blake (Marsh) can move pretty good. He’s going to score.” Hayes belted a double off the wall in left field with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning,…

04 Aug

Little comes up big as Post 45 pulls out victory in Southeast Regional opener

Bob SuttonSportsAdam Cole, American Legion baseball, Blake Marsh, Grant Little, Josh Meadows, McCrary Park, Post 45, Randolph County Post 45, Rock Hill Post 34, Southeast Regional, Tanner Marsh, Trey Way

Grant Little's return to action turned out to be timely for Randolph County Post 45. (File photo) ASHEBORO – The game barely started and Randolph County Post 45 needed big help in the Southeast Regional. That came from Grant Little, who hadn’t pitched in more than a month. Little calmed things down for Post 45 before the offense caused commotion in what became a 14-8 victory against Rock Hill (S.C.) Post 34 in the nightcap of the first day of the American Legion regional Wednesday night at McCrary Park. “We realize what we’re playing for,” Post 45 shortstop Tanner Marsh…