Post 10 can’t overcome early deficit in Game 3 loss

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Visiting Beaufort Post 99 exploded for eight runs in the first three innings and held off a late charge from Wilmington Post 10 to earn a 9-7 victory in Game 3 of the Area II semifinals on Sunday evening. 

Wilmington (17-6) still leads the best-of-5 series 2-1 thanks to convincing 9-2 and 11-1 wins in the opening two games. 

Game 4 will be played Monday night at 6:30 at East Carteret High School.

Wilmington finished with 10 hits and 10 walks, but stranded 14 runners on base. Harrison Mears (South Brunswick) was 3-for-4 with a walk, double and two runs scored, while TJ Ziermann (Laney) went 2-for-3 with a pair of walks, two RBI and one run scored.  

After failing to score in the opening three innings, the home team finally got on the board with three runs in the fourth. Mears led off with a bunt single and Hudson Southerland (New Hanover) followed with a base hit to left field.

A double steal allowed Mears to cross the plate and advanced Southerland to second base. Later in the inning, Ziermann and Camden Croom (New Hanover) had back-to-back RBI singles. 

Three more runs in the fifth cut the deficit to 8-6, but Wilmington stranded the bases loaded for the third straight inning. 

Another double steal in the sixth made it a one-run game. Beaufort responded in the top of the seventh inning with a perfectly executed suicide squeeze bunt to get the run back. 

Relief pitcher Jess Bowling (South Brunswick) allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits in 4 1/3 innings. Will Jones (Wilmington Christian Academy) pitched the final 1 1/3 innings, allowing one unearned run and striking out two batters. 

Beaufort collected 11 hits, including three from catcher Lincoln Stump (West Carteret). Josh Johnson (West Carteret) went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer.