OXFORD – Ahoskie American Legion Post 102 and Oxford split a junior team double header Saturday.

The local squad took game one 8-6 before suffering their first setback of the season in a 4-1 loss in the nightcap.

In game one, John Hunter drove in the game-winning run in the top of the eighth. His RBI-triple allowed Ahoskie to win their third straight game in their last at-bat.

Ahoskie opened the scoring in the game with three runs in the top of the second. Hunter started the scoring with a solo shot to left.

After the homer, Edward Joyner and Brandon Warren had back-to-back singles. Tyler Pryor’s walk then loaded the bases.

Joyner and Warren came around to score on a Travis Ellis two-run single to give Ahoskie a 3-0 lead.

Post 102 added to their advantage with three more marks in the top of the third inning.

Hunter walked and Joyner singled to start the inning. Hunter came around to score when Pryor reached on an error. Both Joyner and Pryor scored on Monterio Hunter’s two-run single that gave Ahoskie a 6-0 advantage.

Oxford responded with five runs in their half of the fourth and then added another mark in the seventh to tie the game at 6-all.

Ahoskie then scored the game-winner in the eighth when Austin Cooke singled and scored on Hunter’s triple. Hunter scored on a Joyner single to establish the 8-6 final.

Brad Miller pitched four and two-thirds for Post 102 while Ellis claimed the victory after going two and two-thirds. Warren picked up the save.

Hunter, Ellis and Joyner had two hits each.

In the second game of the double dip, Oxford handed Ahoskie its first loss of the year.

The home team scored once in the first inning and added two more in the bottom of the third to take a 3-0 advantage.

The only run for Ahoskie came in the top of the sixth. Pryor, Cooke and Zeek Williams had consecutive singles to load the bases with one out. Hunter singled home Pryor, but a strike out and fly out ended the threat.

Oxford added their final run in the bottom of the sixth.

Pryor went two and two-thirds to suffer the loss for Ahoskie. Dakota Young finished the game on the mound.

“Oxford is the best team we have played,” Post 102 skipper David Ellis said. “In the first game, we got the key hits. In the second game, we never hit the ball.

“We had an hour rain delay which hurt our momentum in the second game,” he added.

Ahoskie is now 5-1 heading into tonight’s (Tuesday) home contest with Tarboro in the conference opener. First pitch is set for 7 p.m.