POST 240 SALAMANDERS SCHEDULE
(Home games at Maiden High)
Final record: 15-11
MAY
25, Kings Mountain (at Bandys), Won 9-2
26, at Lincoln County (E. Lincoln HS), ppd., May 30
27, at Cherryville (Cherryville HS), ppd., June 3
28, at Hickory (Legion Fairgrounds), ppd., June 22
30, at Lincoln County (E. Lincoln HS), Won 8-0
31, Hickory, Won 9-4
JUNE
1, Union County, Won 5-4
2, at Shelby (Shelby HS), Won 13-0, 5 inn.
3, at Cherryville (Cherryville HS), ppd.
4, Gastonia, Lost 6-9
6, at Belmont (Belmont Abbey College), DH, Won 8-2, 9-2
14, Mint Hill,Won 10-7
15, at Huntersville (Hopewell HS), Won 3-2.
16, Lincoln County, Won 15-5 (5 inn.)
17, Henderson County, Lost 5-9
18, at Kings Mountain (Kings Mountain HS), Won 5-0
19, at Burke County (Shuey Field), Won 10-0, 5 inn.
20, at Mint Hill (Independence HS), Won 4-1
22, at Hickory (Fairgrounds), Lost 6-7, 9 inn.
25, Pineville, DH, Won 8-5, 5 inn.; Won 7-4, 5 inn. (First-game win changed to double forfeit by Area IV ruling on July 2)
27, at Union County (Wingate), Lost 3-5
29, Shelby, Lost 9-10, 8 inn.
30–at Gastonia (Sims Park), Lost 9-10
JULY
2, Huntersville, Won 10-2
3, at Cherryville (Cherryville High), Won 1-0, 9 inn.
PLAYOFFS VS. BURKE COUNTY
Game 1 at Maiden High: Burke County 6, Maiden 3
Game 2 at Shuey Field, Morganton: Burke County 9, Maiden 5
Game 3 at Maiden High: Burke County 8, Maiden 7
HobbsDailyReport.com
MAIDEN – Burke County Post 21 held off host Maiden 8-7 on Monday night, eliminating the Salamanders from the Area IV American Legion baseball playoffs.
Post 21, the West No. 6 seed, advances past the first round for the first time since 2010 by sweeping the best-of-5 series, and the loss left Maiden Post 240’s record at 15-11.
Maiden entered the playoffs as the East No. 3 seed.
SECOND ROUND
No. 2 West CHERRYVILLE (25-6) vs. No. 6 West BURKE COUNTY (9-11)
Game 1: Friday at Cherryville High, 7 p.m.
Game 2: Saturday at Shuey Field, Morganton, 7 p.m.
Game 3: Sunday at Cherryville High, 7 p.m.
Game 4: Monday at Shuey Field, Morganton, 7 p.m.
Game 5: Tuesday at Cherryville High
Burke County (9-11) advances to play West No. 2 seed Cherryville (25-6) in a second round best-of-5 series scheduled to begin Friday night (7 p.m.) at Cherryville High.
Cherryville advanced by beating East No. 7 seed Henderson County 10-4 at home on Monday night, completing a series sweep.
Cherryville won a doubleheader over Burke County at Cherryville on June 23 (8-7, 6-4).
On Monday night, the Salamanders led 2-0 before Burke County started its scoring in the third inning with a two-run double by Dylan Poplin.
Maiden scored two runs in the bottom of the third inning to lead 4-2 before Post 21 scored three runs in the fourth inning to push ahead 7-4.
Ryan Murdock and Nate Watkins each singled in a run and Poplin drove in two runs with a single for a three-run lead for Post 21.
Watkins singled in a run to give Burke County an 8-4 lead.
Burke County won the opening games in the series 6-3 Saturday at Maiden High and 9-5 on Sunday at Shuey Field in Morganton.
Post 21 had lost three straight games – to Hickory, Rutherford County and Taylorsville – heading into its first round series with Maiden.
At 15-11, the Salamanders had the best year in the program’s history under head coach David Williams.
Maiden’s losses include a double forfeit against Pineville on June 25 in Maiden. The Salamanders, facing rainy weather, played two five-inning games and won 8-5 and 7-4.
Last week, Area IV officials ruled the first game would go in the books as a double forfeit since seven innings (the norm) were not played. The ruling said the second game result would stand.
Burke County 6, Maiden 3
Burke County won Game 2 of the series on Sunday at Shuey Field in Morganton, grabbing an early 3-0 lead.
Dylan Abernathy (Maiden) tripled in a run, Taylor Tibbs (Bluefield State) singled in a run and Josh Frye (Statesville Christian) drove in a run with a sacrifice fly for the Salamanders.
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
*–inactive (injury)
Head coach: David Williams; Assistant coaches: Frank Porter, Ryan Pendley, Dustin Hull, Jason DeHart; AD: David Williams Sr.
Team sponsor: Carolina Glove & Safety.