Season ends: Beaufort County Post 15 finishes fourth in Area 1 tourney

Published 8:43 pm Thursday, July 10, 2025

By Jason O. Boyd

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

CHOCOWINITY, N.C. — It was a tall task to conquer, no matter what team was trying to do that.

Advancing through the losers’ bracket of the Area 1 Junior American Legion tournament to win the competition is not easy. With the likes of Wilson, Roanoke and Lawrence, Beaufort County’s squad found itself trying to do just that with the season on the line. The young squad gave it their all but fell short on Wednesday, falling to Lawrence 7-4.

The loss came after dropping a 10-4 decision to Wilson on Tuesday that put them in the losers’ bracket. Post 15, the youngest team in Area 1, eliminated Edenton on Tuesday, 12-2, to keep the season going.

Beaufort County Post 15 finished 13-8 overall, 10-4 in Area 1 play as the No. 3 seed. Roanoke and Wilson will represent Area 1 in the state tournament in Cherryville.

“The one thing I told him, we had a base loaded at the end, got a couple runs, didn’t give up, one hard hit here and it’s 7-6,” Beaufort County manager Bobby Boyd said. “It’s just one of those things, you know, we hit the ball really good today, we did some adjustments, changed the lineup.

“Man, for a team that was the youngest one in Area 1 to come away with 13 wins this year, I mean it was already a special season, and it was going to take a lot (Wednesday). But we were right there.”

The tournament was played under incredibly hot conditions. Post 15 had all of their games during the heat of the day, when temperatures reached into the 90s with heat indexes over 100. Still, the team and its 14 new members battled through and had their chances on Wednesday before Lawrence pulled away.

Lawrence got two runs in the first inning, then rode the pitching of Cooper Powell, who nearly threw a complete game. He gave up four runs on six hits with four walks and two strikeouts.

Beaufort County starting pitcher Sam Mullis retired nine straight during the second, third and fourth innings. However, Post 15 left a runner on base in the first and three in the second before getting on the scoreboard in the third. Keegan Mitchell hit into a fielder’s choice that scored Philip Dash, who earlier singled, to make it 2-1. However, another fielder’s choice ended the rally.

Lawrence tacked on two runs in the fifth and chased Mullis, building a 4-1 lead. Post 164 added two more runs before Beaufort County made one last rally attempt. Luis Hernandez hit a sacrifice fly that scored Mitchell. Carter Williams then singled to right to drive in pinch runner Jonah Daniels, cutting the deficit to 6-3.

Beaufort County got its last run in the seventh to chase Powell. A bases-loaded walk scored Landon Griffin before the final out was recorded.

“We didn’t strike out a bunch, we hit the ball, it just, it was at people,” Boyd said. “First inning, gave up those two runs, we felt like when it was 2-1, we got 4-1, you know, a little hit here, and when you get down 4-1, it isn’t like you can go try to steal or bunt, you know, you can’t just play small ball..

“And we just needed that one hit, that one hit, and we, you know, they never gave up, and that’s what we’re talking about all year. And I told them, I said, guys, we only got 18 ballplayers here, we won’t lose five.

“Next year, if you decide to come back, I know right now it’s easy to say, ‘Hey, I’ll be back.’ Life changes, you move on, ‘Man, I want to play baseball.’ But if you guys come back, this core that can be here really for the next two years, y’all can do something special.”

Beaufort County 12, Edenton 2

Post 15 pushed across four runs in the first inning on one hit and five walks. Evan Lee blasted a single past third base that drove in the final two runs of the frame.

Post 15 got a run in the second and third innings before getting two in the fifth and five in the sixth to close it out. Mitchell drove in two runs and two more scored on wild pitches before an error on a ball hit by Salil Desai plated the final run to envoke the 10-run rule in the sixth.

More Sports

Athletes on the Rise: Southside’s Valeria Gonzalez and Pungo Christian’s Lexy Tate

Northside grad likes chances to contribute with ECU football in 2025

About that time: Southside soccer camp wraps up, start of high school nears

WYCC hosting inaugural Irrigation Open on Aug. 8-9

Print Article

  • Polls

    What are you most excited to see at the Washington History Center and Museum?

    View Results

    Loading ... Loading ...