He was named the 2019 Stanly News & Press Hitter of the Year for his efforts at North Stanly and brought his talents to American Legion ball again this season with Stanly County.

Hunter Sells continued a recent hot streak with his play at the plate for Stanly Post 76’s baseball team, driving in runs in a 4-1 Area III Southern Divisional win Tuesday night over Kannapolis Post 115.

Sells, who went back to back games with home runs only a few nights ago, laced a base hit into left field driving in two of the four runs scored by Post 76 (16-4, 4-2 div.).

The North senior, who will play for Wake Tech next season, said his approach has been “to find the right pitches” and “I’m pretty much guessing what’s coming and I have been guessing right.”

Zach Grice went the distance for Stanly scattering three hits and not allowing an earned run with two walks and 10 strikeouts.

Will Dagenhart and Trent Wilson each added two hits for Post 76.

All of Stanly’s runs came in the bottom of the second including a bases-loaded walk drawn by another Comet, Carson Lowder, along with Wilson scoring on a wild pitch.

Kannapolis (3-8, 0-4) got a run back on a sacrifice fly in the top of the fourth for the team’s only run of the game.

Head coach Jordan Sells said the past two weeks Hunter has been doing a good job after struggling early, something similar to his efforts last season.

“He’s going up to the plate with an approach and selecting certain pitches, to get a good pitch to actually be able to drive,” Coach Sells said.

Regarding the team’s record, one not matched in the recent history of the program, Hunter said “we all played last year and it was a year just to get good playing” as a team garnering friendship and chemistry together.

Stanly’s head coach added the team’s success this season means a lot since his playing days with the team in 2007.

“Sixteen and four is a big deal. And I think it should be a big deal for everybody in Stanly County. We’re wearing the SC on our chest for them. We’re trying to represent them well and the kids are playing hard,” Coach Sells said.

The two teams will rematch Friday night at Northwest Cabarrus High School at 7 p.m.

Stanly is scheduled to wrap up the regular season with three straight divisional games in as many nights. Post 76 gets a rematch with Rowan County at Newman Park on Sunday, then finishes with a home-at-home series with Concord Post 51. Monday’s game is at Joe Ferebee Field with the season-ending game scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday at Mount Pleasant.