PIKEVILLE – Ahoskie’s American Legion Post 102 Junior baseball team broke out to an early four-run lead, but couldn’t hold off a tenacious rally by Wayne County-North here Saturday and dropped an 11-5 decision in the process.

Four of Ahoskie’s runs came in the top of the second inning when they cashed in with a five-hit barrage.

John Hunter had a pair of hits.

Hunter and Dakota Young each stroked doubles with Young driving in a pair of runs while also scoring one run. David Brackett drove in a pair of runs while Brandon Warren and Tyler Ellis also had base hits, with Brackett and Warren also scoring.

After a scoreless first inning by both teams Ahoskie began the second with Hunter doubling into the gap. The next batter, Brackett, delivered the first Ahoskie run with a single up the middle.

Warren followed with the third straight hit of the game, a single to right field that put runners on the corners.

Young then slammed a double to center that rolled all the way to the fence, scoring Brackett and Warren.

Ellis continued the hit parade with a base hit that scored Young for the 4-0 Ahoskie lead.

Wayne County-North answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning to trim the Ahoskie lead to one run.

In the top of the third inning, Zeek Williams drew a base-on-balls and moved to second on Hunter’s single, his second hit of the game and the only Ahoskie player to collect more than one hit.

After Edward Joyner walked to load the bases, Brackett picked up his second RBI as he was walked to bring in Williams and a 5-3 Ahoskie lead.

However, this would be the highlight of the juniors’ effort as Wayne County-North pitching shut down Ahoskie the rest of the way.

The boys from Pikeville went on to plate a single run in the bottom of the third to draw within a run of Ahoskie and then scored seven more runs, three each in the fourth and fifth innings and one more in the sixth, for the six-run margin of victory.

&uot;We came out swinging the bats well and got a big lead,&uot; said Post 102 Junior coach David Ellis, &uot;but we just didn’t hit the ball after the third inning.

Maybe we got a little too relaxed or something.&uot;