HobbsDailyReport.com
MAIDEN – Maiden Post 240 jumped to a four-run lead by the fourth inning on Friday night and held off visiting Union County 5-4 to remain unbeaten in American Legion baseball.
Reliever Josh Frye pitched the seventh inning at Maiden High, relieving Ryan Lyda, and Post 240 survived making three errors and giving up two seventh-inning runs to improve to 4-0 overall and 3-0 in Area IV under head coach David Williams.
Maiden plays its fourth straight game in a stretch of six of them over six nights when it goes to Shelby High for a 7 p.m. game on Saturday against Shelby.
Post 240 travels to play Cherryville at Cherryville High on Sunday at 7 p.m. before facing Gastonia on Monday night at 7 p.m. at Maiden High.
Maiden will take a one night break after the Gastonia game before playing a doubleheader against Belmont on Wednesday at Belmont Abbey College (5:30 p.m.) before being idle for eight days for high school graduations.
Post 240 scored three runs in the first inning on Friday night and added one in the fourth inning for a 4-0 lead.
Union County scored a run in the top of the fifth inning but Maiden got that back in the bottom of the inning and led 5-1.
Union County got a run in the sixth inning when Jordan Harley hit a home run, making it 5-2, before Lyda then struck out the side.
Frye pitched the seventh inning. He gave up two runs but closed it out to earn a save.
Maiden starter Cy Spencer worked five innings — throwing strikes on 47 of his 61 pitches — and exiting having allowed six hits, one run (earned), issuing a walk and striking out two.
Post 240 had eight hits, led by two from Brantley Durham (he also walked once) and Taylor Tibbs drove in two runs. Grayeson Brown, Durham and Frye each added an RBI and Frye scored twice.
Union County, which also made three errors, finished with nine hits, including two each by T.J DelloCroce and Matt Helms.
Maiden knocked Union County starter Patrick Morrison out after four innings. He gave up seven hits, five runs (two earned), walked one and struck out two.
SALAMANDERS ROSTER
No./Name/Class/Post./School
1, Bain Sipe, sophomore, INF-RHP, Maiden
2, Dylan Abernathy, sophomore, OF-RHP, Maiden
3, Jacob Cauble, freshman, INF-RHP, Maiden
4, Jay Sipe, senior, INF, Maiden
5, Grayson Brown, junior, INF, Maiden
6, Austin Hoyle, freshman, C, Maiden
7, Ryan Lyda, junior, OF-LHP, Bandys
8, Ross Fowler, sophomore, RHP, Maiden
9, Cy Spencer, junior, INF-OF-RHP, Bandys
10, Bryson Ledford, senior, RHP-OF-INF, Maiden
11, Ty Williams, freshman, OF, Berea College
12, Taylor Tibbs, freshman, INF, Bluefield State
20, Spencer Ledford, sophomore, INF-RHP, Bandys
21, Noah Caldwell, junior, RHP, Bandys
22, Drew Huffman, sophomore, INF-RHP, Maiden
23, Josh Frye, senior, OF-RHP, Statesville Christian
24, Jacob Ellis, junior, C, Bandys
26, Will Harbinson, junior, 1B, Maiden
30, Tyler Laws, senior, RHP-1B, Statesville Christian
31, Mac Beam, senior, OF-INF-RHP, Bandys
32, Jarrett Isaac, junior, OF-INF, Maiden
34, Brantley Durham, senior, C-INF, Newton-Conover
40, T.J. Rasar, senior, RHP, Bandys
44, Peyton Laney, sophomore, 1B-RHP, Bandys
Head coach: David Williams; Assistant coaches: Frank Porter, Ryan Pendley, Dustin Hull, Jason DeHart; AD: David Williams Sr.
Team sponsor: Carolina Glove & Safety.