Chatham Post 292’s final slate of regular season games last week ended with its eight-game win streak getting snapped Saturday.
Garner Nationals beat Post 292 in a low scoring, 3-1 game, handing Chatham its first loss since June 14. Prior to the loss to Garner, Chatham beat Wake Forest Post 187 twice, 11-5 on June 25 and 5-1 the next day, and Post 292 won over Hope Hills Post 32 Thursday, 9-5.
Thanks to Garner pitcher Ryan Morris and a full game of batting woes, Chatham couldn’t keep its win streak alive. Harris pitched the first six innings and threw six strikeouts while only allowing only two hits to Post 292’s Andrew Johnson.
Johnson got the only three hits for Chatham in the loss, being the only bright spot in one of Post 292’s worst hitting performances of the season.
With the help of a wild pitch and a double from Garner’s Nathan Bunch in the bottom of the first inning, Garner took an early 2-0 lead. Plenty of strikeouts, ground outs and flyouts stopped Chatham from returning the favor for the rest of the game.
Chatham’s first game of the week was an entirely different story, though.
Post 292’s Kelton Fuquay led the charge of hot bats for Chatham as he went 3-4 from the plate with two RBIs in last week’s first win over Wake Forest Post 187.
Two at-bats after Chatham overcame a 2-0 deficit and took the lead in the top of the fourth inning, Fuquay singled on a line drive to center field, sending Anders Johansson home for a 4-2 advantage.
Post 292’s Janden Evans and Johansson were the two other Chatham batters with at least two hits in the game. Evans’ single in the top of the fifth inning sent Chancelor Terry home for Chatham’s sixth run, and Johansson contributed two RBIs.
Stratton Barwick did the heavy lifting for Post 292 from the mound, throwing six strikeouts and allowing two earned runs in the first five innings.
But, it was Chatham pitcher Presley Patterson who provided the heroics in the team’s second win over Wake Forest.
Patterson dominated Wake Forest’s batters on the mound for six innings, recording eight strikeouts and giving up Wake Forest’s only two hits the entire game.
With a 4-1 lead, two outs down and Wake Forest’s Parker Cato on third base in the top of the sixth inning, Patterson came up huge for Chatham. He struck out Post 187’s Jack Carela on a 3-2 count to stop Wake Forest from chipping away at the deficit.
Ian McMillan and Johansson carried most of Post 292’s offensive production as both recorded two hits each. Chatham’s Landon Moser led the team with two RBIs.
In Chatham’s win over Hope Mills Post 32, McMillan’s triple in his first at-bat of the game helped set the tone in a game-defining first inning.
His triple to center field drove in Janden Evans for Chatham’s first score after Evans was walked to start the inning. McMillan later scored on a wild pitch, and shortly before the inning ended, Chatham scored two runs on an error by Hope Mills.
In the very next inning, McMillan doubled to left field, sending Salvador Delgado home to take a 5-0 lead. McMillan finished the game with two hits and two RBIs.
Despite recording one more hit that Chatham, Hope Mills struggled to bring baserunners home. Post 32 began to chip away at the 8-0 deficit in the fifth inning, but it couldn’t muster enough runs in time to make a full comeback.
Going 3-1 during the week, Chatham finished with an 11-7 record during the regular season. Post 292 has won nine of its last 11 games.
This week, Chatham will begin its first best-of-five playoff series against Wake Forest. Wake Forest will host game three at Heritage High School Park Friday at 7:30 p.m. Chatham will host game four at Jordan-Matthews High School Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Wake Forest will host game five Sunday at 7 p.m. if necessary.