MANTEO – Dare County Post 26 broke open a close game in the fifth inning before the floodgates opened and the Hammerheads went on to down Ahoskie 12-1 here Saturday in a junior American Legion baseball game.

Manteo scored a single run in the bottom of the second and led it 1-0 after two innings.

Ahoskie scored it’s only run of the game in the top of the third inning and tied the contest at 1-1 when Zeb Askew singled, but was forced at second on a fielder’s choice by Jordan Robinson. Robinson went on to steal second base and scored on Evan Lassiter’s RBI single.

Manteo re-took the lead with a run in the bottom of the third to lead it 2-1 after three innings.

In the top of the fifth inning both Robinson and Trevor Lee reached when both were hit by pitches. They would go on to steal second and third base, respectively, but could not score for Post 102 and still trailed the Hammerheads.

Manteo would score three runs in the bottom of the inning and up their lead to 5-1 after five.

Dare County went on to blow the game open with seven runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and when Ahoskie failed to answer in the seventh, the conference game ended with an 11-run win for the Hammerheads.

Trent Munford and Trevor Lee pitched for Post 102 with Munford taking the loss.

Ahoskie had four hits: one apiece from Lassiter, Askew, Robinson, and Edward Bradley.

“We didn’t play well Saturday,” said Coach Dave Ellis. “One of our players (Hunter Mitchell) got hit in the face by a line drive while sitting in the dugout. He had to go to the hospital, and I know that affected us some.”

Ahoskie fell to 1-6 and 1-4 in conference play before they remained on the road with a game in Edenton on Sunday.