HobbsDailyReport.com
NEWTON – Caldwell County Post 29 had two six-run innings on Wednesday night to overpower Hickory 18-4 in six innings in American Legion baseball at the Legion Fairgrounds.
The victory helped Post 29 (4-2, 5-2) move within a half-game of second-place Hickory (8-9, 5-2) in the Area IV West Division standings.
Hickory is at home Friday at 7 p.m. to play Maiden while Caldwell County goes for its fifth straight victory in a 7 p.m. game against Burke County at Shuey Field in Morganton.
Post 48 had an early lead on Wednesday night at Henkel-Alley Field after scoring two unearned runs in the first inning.
Caldwell County took the lead for good with six runs in the top of the second inning, highlighted by a run-scoring triple by Curtis Massagee.
The lead grew to 12-2 in the top of the third inning when Caldwell County again scored six runs.
Post 29 added a run in the fourth inning to lead 13-4 and made it a 10-run rule game in the sixth inning by scoring five runs.
Caldwell County is heading into a stretch of nine games in eight days, starting with the game at Burke County on Friday.
Post 29 has a home doubleheader (5 p.m.) on Saturday against Burnsville and goes to Mooresville on Sunday for a 7 p.m. game.
On Monday, Caldwell County plays at Asheville. Tuesday’s game is at home against Shelby (7 p.m.), Wednesday’s game is at Taylorsville (7 p.m.) and Waverly (Ohio) is at Caldwell County on June 28. The ninth game of that stretch is June 29 at Cherryville (7 p.m.).
After a day off, Post 29 closes the regular season with these games: July 1 at Rutherford County; July 2 at Shelby; July 3 home doubleheader against Henderson County and July 4 home against Hickory.
After playing Maiden and then a doubleheader on Sunday (4 p.m.) against Asheville at Asheville Roberson High, Post 48 has five games next week – Taylorsville on Monday, at Rutherford County on Tuesday, Rutherford County on Wednesday, Waverly (Ohio) on Thursday and against Burke County at Shuey Field in Morganton next Friday.