Final regular-season contest moved up to Tuesday
HobbsDailyReport.com
NEWTON – Hickory Post 48 returns to action Monday as Area IV West regular-season American Legion baseball closes out its schedule.
Hickory (6-10, 3-9) was scheduled to play at Asheville on Saturday night but picked up a forfeit win (and snapped a three-game losing streak) with a 1-0 forfeit victory. Asheville dropped out of league play on June 23.
Post 48’s remaining games are Monday at home (7 p.m.) against Burke County and Tuesday at home against Rutherford County (7 p.m., moved up from Thursday).
Post 48 last played on Sunday, falling 10-2 after getting only one hit at Rutherford County. Henry Stewart (Hickory) had the only hit off three Rutherford County pitchers (Aidin Strange, Tripp Triplett and Harrison Jackson).
Jackson led Rutherford County’s 11-hit attack with three and drove in two runs and Nate Ellenburg added two hits and two RBIs, as did Caleb White.
Avery Russell had two RBIs for Rutherford County, which scored four runs in the first inning and three in the third inning for a 7-2 lead.
Hickory made four errors.
Post 48 has scored two or fewer runs in six games this season, all losses.
Currently, there are five teams still in the Area IV East chase — Queen City, Gaston, Gastonia, Matthews and Mint Hill — after Lincoln County and Statesville stopped playing
In Area IV West, seven teams are still playing — Rutherford County, Cherryville, Cleveland County, Caldwell County, Henderson County, Burke County and Hickory.
Post 48 is in seventh place and will finish there, as it is four games behind sixth-place Burke County in the loss column and at least three games behind every other team above it in loss column.
The Area IV meeting to set playoff pairings (best-of-5) is scheduled July 1 in Cherryville with first-round series games starting on July 2.
HICKORY POST 48 SCHEDULE, RESULTS
Asheville L, 10-13
Statesville W, 6-0
at Asheville, ppd., June 25
at Caldwell County L, 5-9
at Burke County L, 1-7
at Gastonia W, 9-5
Cherryville, L 3-18
Mooresville, ppd., no date
at Rowan County, L. 1-7
at Cleveland County, L 2-5
Statesville W, 11-8
Henderson County, W, 5-0/L, 5-6
Caldwell County, W 4-2
Cherryville, L 2-8
Cleveland County, L-2-5
at Rutherford County, L 2-10
at Asheville, W 1-0 (forfeit)
Monday: Burke County, 7 p.m.
Tuesday: Rutherford County, 7 p.m.
AREA IV STANDNGS: https://carolinassportshub.com/legion-baseball-update-through-june-23/