Baseball Roundup: Zookeepers’ offense comes to life

Mike Duprez

Randolph Hub

AMERICAN LEGION

*Hunter Atkins had three hits, including a pair of doubles, but Post 45 lost 8-2 to Rowan County in Game 1 of their Area III semifinal series. Braylen Hayes had an RBI grounder.

Braxton Walker absorbed the loss.

*Atkins smashed two home runs in the same inning — a two-run shot and a walk-off grand slam — while Drake Purvis pitched a no-hitter as Post 45 crushed Rowan County 11-0 in Game 2 of the semifinal series. Carter Brown belted his first American Legion home run as Post 45 evened the series.

Purvis struck out six and walked two in the six-inning game. Post 45 scored 10 runs in the bottom of the sixth to end the game.

*Post 45 fell 11-0 to Rowan County in Game 3 of the semifinal series. Rowan took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series.

*Tanner Marsh smashed a grand slam as Post 45 scored 10 runs in the sixth inning for the second time in the series and beat Rowan County 11-2 to even the series at 2-2. Atkins also homered, his fourth of the season and third of the series. Brown had a single and two RBIs for Post 45. Hayes, Atkins and Marsh all had two hits.

Robert Garner pitched a six-hitter with five strikeouts and a pair of walks.

ZOOKEEPERS

*Alex Lodise and Todd Hudson each smashed a two-run homer in the Zookeepers’ 14-3 rout of Forest City. Lodise also singled in a run as he, Jay Dillard and Owen Blackledge each collected three hits. Dallas Callahan, Dillard and Cooper George all had two hits. The Zookeepers had a season-high 14 hits. Jacob Halford got the win in relief.

*Jared Beebe and Blackledge each had two hits and two RBIs as the Zookeepers rallied for a 10-8 win over Martinsville. 

*George and Blackledge had RBI singles in the first inning as the Zookeepers rout of Boone 11-0. Blackledge, Beebe, Dillard and Hudson all drove in a run as the Zookeepers scored seven runs in the second inning. Ethan Snyder pitched a three-hitter with nine strikeouts in six innings. 

*Dylan Driver and Beebe each had an RBI double in the Zookeepers’ 12-6 loss to the High Point-Thomasville HiToms. Blackledge had an RBI single.

BROOKS BRANNON UPDATE

*Went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts and a walk in the Salem Red Sox’s 9-0 win over Delmarva. 

Brannon is batting .292 with 3 home runs and 9 RBIs in 6 games for the Salem Red Sox. For the season overall, he is batting .264 with 6 home runs and 23 RBIs in 17 games.

RYAN WHITE UPDATE

*The former Randleman star and current Western Carolina pitcher is 2-3 with a 3.64 earned run average for the High Point-Thomasville HiToms through games of July 15. White has 31 strikeouts in a team-high 29 2/3 innings.