Adam Hunnicutt, left, pitched six strong innings, but two unearned runs cost Hoggard, which lost 2-0 on Wednesday night.  (Photo: C. McGowan)

The Hoggard baseball team hasn’t been a perennial powerhouse, but this year’s team started with an impressive winning streak and concluded it with a run to the East Regional semi-finals where they were ultimately beaten by Sanderson 2-0.

“We finished 21-5,” Hoggard head coach Jeep St. Ledger told the Cape Fear Sports Report on the bus ride back to Wilmington, “and if you look back, we hadn’t even been to the playoffs in a couple of years.  I told them I was proud of them, and unless you win the states, you’re going to feel like this.”

With the game scoreless in the third, Hoggard had a great scoring chance.  After Luke Caldwell doubled, Nick Malter hit a screamer back up the middle;  it deflected off the pitcher’s glove, went to the second baseman who was able to make the play and end the inning. 

Sanderson got two runs in the fifth inning, both unearned.  The first runner scored after reaching on a strikeout.  And it was that kind of night for the Vikings.

Adam Hunnicutt did a good job on the mound going the first six innings for Hoggard.  Coach St. Ledger said, “He pitched well.  He kept them off balance, we just didn’t make enough plays.”

It was a tough spot for the Vikings who went to Raleigh Friday - got rained out, so they had to go back up on Saturday for their round three victory, and then deja vu struck…they went up on Tuesday - got rained out and had to go back up on Wednesday.  St. Ledger told his team after the game, “Fellas, what you were asked to do wasn’t easy, but we’re not about to make excuses, we got beat.”

So while defeat is tough to swallow, Coach St. Ledger said he was proud of the team - they were Co-Mideastern Conference champions and won three rounds in the States.  Pretty nice season.