Young Advance catcher providing bright spot in long spring season

There hasn’t been an overwhelming amount of positivity surrounding the Advance High School varsity baseball season this spring, as the (very) young Hornes have labored to a 2-8 mark, and Tuesday’s outing against Bloomfield was no different.

The Wildcats took advantage of seven Advance defensive mistakes and earned a 13-4 win, which was the team’s fourth consecutive victory. However, if Advance can feel good about anything this season, thus far, it certainly can be the play of sophomore catcher Jameson Hamlin.

“Jameson is everything that I want my program to be,” Hornet coach Neil Johnson said recently. “He works hard. Puts for effort and has the right attitude.”

That was the case on Tuesday, as Hamlin led his team with a pair of hits, including a double, to go with one run scored and a run driven in.

For the season, Hamlin has connected for 15 hits, including four doubles and a home run, as well as scored 11 runs, notched 12 RBI, and drawn seven walks.

His number of two-bag hits is indicative of his power, as is the fact he belted a home run in a recent game at Bernie High School.

“He comes in every day, puts in the work, doesn’t ask why, and doesn’t get down on stuff,” Johnson said.

That home run against the Mules showed Hamlin’s ability to focus on the present. He hit that shot after striking out a couple of times in earlier at-bats.

“He knows what he is supposed to do,” Johnson continued.

Defensively, Johnson said that Hamlin has been a Godsend to his young pitching staff.

“He is very good behind the plate,” Johnson said. “He blocks the ball very well. He does a lot of things right and he is very confident back there.”

Hornet starting pitcher, freshman Cole Curtis struggled against Bloomfield (5-7), as he allowed six earned runs and walked four through 2 2/3 innings. However, Curtis only gave up three hits and struck out four Wildcats.

Hamlin guided sophomore Caleb Henson through 2 1/3 innings, in which he gave up four hits, just one earned run, walking one, and striking out three.

Advance freshman Braxton Kennedy closed the game by throwing two innings and giving up a couple of hits, one earned run, no walks, and striking out two.

The Hornets led 1-0 after their initial at-bat, but Bloomfield scored eight combined runs in the second, third, and fourth innings, and added five more in the sixth inning, as it totaled nine hits.

Wildcat junior Caleb Upchurch had a pair of hits, including a double and a triple, and he also scored twice and drove in two runs.

Sophomore Carter Edwards also had two hits in the win while adding two runs scored.

Bloomfield senior Ayden Hutchison had a hit, one run, and an RBI while junior Justice Cossey (one hit, one walk), sophomore Layton McWilliams (one hit, one run, one RBI), senior Benjamin Stevens (one walk, one run), sophomore Andrew Cruz-Blanco (one hit, one run, one RBI), junior Lawles Graser (one hit, two runs, one walk), and junior Cole Hartlein (two runs, one walk) also contributed.

Edwards, Graser, Hartlein, and Hutchison were each hit by pitches while Hutchison, McWilliams, and Upchurch each stole a base.

On the mound, Edwards worked five innings in the win and gave up six hits, three earned runs, just one walk, and struck out four.

Stevens closed the game by throwing two innings and allowing one hit, no runs, no walks, and striking out three.

Henson had a hit and a run in the loss while Curtis (one hit, one run, one RBI), Kennedy (one hit, one run), freshman Kadon Rodgers (one hit, one RBI), junior Colbey Roper (one hit), and sophomore Lelind Kennedy (one walk) were also productive.

Curtis, Henson, and Rodgers each got hit by throws while Henson had a pair of stolen bases.

Advance will visit Oran (5-4) on Thursday at 4:30 p.m.

Bloomfield will visit Charleston (1-5) on Thursday at 4:30 p.m.

A victory over the Blue Jays will give the Wildcats six wins, which will tie for the most success by the program in the past six seasons.