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Partly cloudy this evening followed by mostly cloudy skies and a few showers after midnight. Low 61F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%..
Partly cloudy this evening followed by mostly cloudy skies and a few showers after midnight. Low 61F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.
Updated: May 29, 2023 @ 4:43 pm
rsheek@newstopicnews.com
Caldwell Post 29’s Easton King slides safely into second base in the first inning.
Post 29 shortstop Zane Dorsey gloves the throw from catcher Cooper Critcher to negate an attempted steal in the fifth inning.
Caldwell starter Elias Morales worked four innings and struck out five batters.
Post 29 left fielder Hunter Philyaw singles in the second inning in season-opening loss to Rock Hill.
Bubba Pope, Caldwell’s first baseman, reached base on an error in the fifth inning.
GRANITE FALLS — Opening night was not a positive experience for Caldwell Post 29’s American Legion baseball team.
Post 29 came up short to Rock Hill (South Carolina) 9-3 at M.S. Deal Stadium.
“That’s the defending state champions in South Carolina,” Post 29 coach Phillip Hamby said. “And I think we’re two pitches away from actually beating them.”
That would be the disastrous second inning, when Rock Hill cut loose for seven runs off of Elias Morales.
Josh Jackson belted a run-scoring double. The bases were loaded after a hit batter, before Jack Burton’s run-scoring single.
Morales walked in a run. Then John Wimmer blasted a grand slam to make it 7-0.
“Two pitches got us in that second inning,” Hamby said. “Other than that, 3-2 ball game.”
Caldwell cut the deficit to 7-2 in the second. A run was walked in, and Rock Hill left-hander Coleman Harvey was pulled.
Easton King then tagged a sacrifice fly off of Cole Canty.
The third saw Rock Hill increase its cushion to 9-2. Jack Burton delivered a run-scoring single, and a runner crossed on an error.
In the fourth, Post 29’s Ashton Early blasted a solo home run off of Skyler Hooton.
“We could have hit it better,” Hamby said. “But I expected us to not come out hitting out of the gate — the way we want to hit and the way we will hit. The guys are still having the big break from high school to here.
“Once they get their groove going again, that’s when they’ll probably flip-flop,” he added.
Rock Hill’s Ryley Stout batted 3 for 4, while Burton was 2 for 2. The visiting team sent five pitchers to the mound, and stranded eight base runners.
Morales hurled four innings, scattering seven hits and yielding the nine earned runs. He struck out five and walked one with a hit batter.
Spencer Oron worked two innings, fanning two and walking one. Southpaw Alex Sloan closed the seventh, surrendering one hit.
Hooton struck out five. Harvey walked four.
Caldwell catcher Cooper Critcher gunned down a base runner in the fifth. Caldwell committed two errors.
Post 29 returns to Granite Falls Middle School next Wednesday when Shelby visits.
“We’ve got to hit it better,” Hamby said. “Pitching dominated, other than two pitches. I was very happy.”