AHOSKIE – Ryan Ellis pitched a complete game and helped Ahoskie Post 102 grab a 12-2 victory here Monday night.

Ellis, who gave up two runs and eight hits on the evening while striking out nine, led the local Senior American Legion team to the victory over Martin County Post 163.

&uot;Ryan pitched a great game,&uot; Post 102 skipper Randy Whitaker said. &uot;We got hits tonight at time we had not been getting them.

&uot;This was a big win to help us stay in the playoff hunt,&uot; he added.

Ahoskie opened the scoring in the bottom of the second stanza. Wes Ward walked and stole second before being tagged out between third and home on a Jason Jones infield single. Jones took second on the play and then scored on a Jamie Grant RBI-single to right to push Ahoskie to a 1-0 advantage.

Martin County rallied to take the lead in the top of the fourth, scoring two runs to grab a 2-1 advantage, but Post 102 answered in the bottom of the same inning.

Matthew Schwab singled to left to start the rally before Jones had an infield single and Brandon Matthews drew a walk to load the bases.

All three came around to score on a Corey Castelloe double to right-centerfield that pushed Ahoskie to a 4-2 lead.

Post 102 added a run in the bottom of the fifth when Ward was hit by a pitch, stole second and scored thanks to a pair of wild pitches to give Post 102 a 5-2 lead.

Ahoskie put the game away with five runs in the bottom of the sixth.

Matthews walked and stole second before Castelloe reached on an error. Matthews scored when Brian Burton reached on an error, a play that sent Castelloe to third.

After Burton swiped second base, Ellis walked to load the bases.

Castelloe scored on a wild throw on a pickoff attempt at second and both Burton and Ellis advance. A Schwab two-run single to right plated both runs. Schwab took second on the throw home and then scored thanks to a pair of wild pitches.

The five-spot pushed Ahoskie’s advantage to 10-2 after six innings.

Post 102 added their final two runs in the bottom of the seventh. A pitch hit Matthews who also took second on an error. Castelloe walked. Matthews went to third on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Burton and then scored on an Ellis RBI-single to left. Castelloe scored on an Eric Ellis sacrifice fly that ended the game.

At the plate, Jones, who had three hits, and Schwab’s two-hit performance, led Ahoskie.

Now 5-18 overall and 3-5 in the conference, Ahoskie will host Wilson County at 7 p.m. Friday.