HobbsDailyReport.com
NEWTON – Bradley Fleenor had two hits and catcher Bryce Stober made a final-play tag out at the plate as Hickory Post 48 won its third straight American Legion baseball game on Sunday.
After a wild pitch, Stober — a rising senior at Hickory High – recovered on the throw and dove to tag out a runner at the plate as Post 48 edged Mocksville 5-4 at the Legion Fairgrounds’ Henkel-Alley Field.
The victory, the third in a row for Hickory and fourth in five games, improved Post 48’s overall record to 8-7 heading into a home nine-inning game on Monday at 7 p.m. against Napoleon, Ohio.
Hickory scored all five of its runs in the second inning via five hits and a Mocksville error.
Fleenor (Hickory) had a run-scoring double among his hits.
Bryson Smith (Bunker Hill) worked five innings and picked up a pitching win for Post 48 and Pierson Hanvey (Hickory) gained a save.
Hickory went 4-1 during the week — also beating Lincoln County 7-5, falling 3-1 to Lincoln County and sweeping a doubleheader over Burnsville 9-1 and 11-0 (five innings).
After Monday night’s game at Henkel-Alley Field, Hickory has home games on Wednesday at 7 p.m. against Caldwell County and Thursday at 7 p.m. against Maiden.
Post 48’s other games this week are Sunday in a doubleheader (4 p.m.) against Asheville at Asheville Roberson High.
The Area IV regular season is scheduled to end on July 4 and the playoffs are scheduled to begin on July 7.