The Mint Hill VFW Post 4059 American Legion baseball team lost a game they could have won at Independence High School on Wednesday night.
The home team would strike in the first inning when Bubba Comer, a recent South Western 4A Conference All-Star selection led off with a single up the middle to center field. Then Nick Melton would smack a double down the left field line for the RBI as the speedy Comer was flying around the base paths to score giving Mint Hill an early 1-0 advantage.
However, in the top of the second with a runner on first base, a hard hit ground ball well played by third basemen Caleb Barwick from Sun Valley High School would sail his throw to second base for an error putting runners on the corners. The runner would score from third base on a grounder to second base for the out. Then a base hit to left would drive in another run which turned out to be the winning run of the ball game giving Maiden a 2-1 lead after two innings of competition. Both runs were unearned due to the error off of starting pitcher Nick Melton the former Independence reliable lefty hurler who would pitch six solid innings for Mint Hill.
Both teams would not score until the top of the seventh when Indy’s Jake McDaniel entered the game in relief. The usual dependable reliever did not have his control tonight and walked the first two batters he faced. Then he gave up an intentional walk to load the bases with no outs. Enter Caleb Barwick the hard throwing senior from Sun Valley. He would strike out the first batter he faced with a letter high fast ball. However, on a full 3-2 count he would miss just inside on a close pitch and walk in the run from third base. The next batter would ground out to second base scoring the second run and he would retire the side on another strike out on a blazing fast ball.
In the bottom half of the seventh the home team went down in order to end the game and take the loss 4-1. Mint Hill is now 6-6 on the season and will hit the road again to play Lincoln County on Friday night.
