×
X logo

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox.

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)

You may opt-out anytime by clicking "unsubscribe" from the newsletter or from your account.

Wheeling Post 1 Shuts Door on Canadian Twins, 7-0

Photo by Seth Staskey / Wheeling Post 1’s Brian Campbell reacts after ripping a two-run triple during Wheeling’s six-run first inning against MSBA Twins in the Beast of the East Tournament on Thursday at the I-470 Complex.

ELM GROVE — Regardless if a team wins or loses in the Beast of the East, it must have a short memory.

Wheeling Post 1 demonstrated that Thursday afternoon at the Chambers I-470 Complex.

After dropping its first game to the Pittsburgh Outlaws, 7-4, Wheeling bounced back — just 30 minutes later — by scoring six runs in the first and never looking back en route to a 7-0 victory against MSBA Twins, which are based in Ontario, Canada.

“In football you have to wait seven days (until you play again) and in baseball it’s sometimes a day, but here it was a half hour and this tournament is a long grind,” Post 1 head coach Mark Delbrugge said. “It was a tough loss early, but coming out and scoring six runs early was big.”

After starting pitcher Frank Favede sat down the Canadian outfit with ease in the top of the first, Post 1’s bats went to work.

Lead-off hitter Isaac Rine — the all-stater from Wheeling Central — continued to serve as a table setter. He singled into left. Jarrett Delbrugge dropped down a sacrifice bunt, but the throw to first was wild. Rine race to third and that throw skipped away, allowing him to score all the way from first on a bunt.

The floodgates were officially opened. Former Linsly standout Colton Coss ripped a RBI double. He was followed by Chad Harper, who singled Coss home with the game’s third run. Gage Giovengo drew a walk.

Brian Campbell wasted no time in clearing the bases. He ripped a triple to the left-center gap and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by Butter Murray.

“Other than Jarrett’s bunt, we barreled every ball up,” Delbrugge said. “We were a hit or two away in the first game, but it didn’t happen for us.”

Wheeling scored an add-on run in the fifth on a throwing error, which allowed Harper, who had led off the frame with a triple.

The offensive production, which included eight hits, was more than plenty for Favede, Matt Gruber and Josh Auten on the mound. The Post 1 trio teamed to spin a three hitter. MSBA legitimately threatened to score in just the sixth inning when it loaded the bases, but Gruber pitched out of the jam by inducing a ground out to Giovengo at third.

Favede, who worked the first four innings, allowed just one hit and fanned three to earn the win.

“Frankie did a great job,” Delbrugge said. “We took him out after four because we’re going to need arms later in the week, too. He’s been a great plus to our staff. He’s been really good.”

Wheeling’s schedule for the Beast was altered. It will play just one game today at 1 p.m. It will play a twinbill on Saturday, however, and then await its placement on Sunday’s bracket. Delbrugge has already decided that he’s going with Brian Shaw on the mound today.

“If we can go 4-1, we might be right be back in this thing,” Delbrugge said. “We’ll bounce back (from the loss) and I think we’ll be right in the hunt.”

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

COMMENTS

Starting at $4.73/week.

Subscribe Today