Moundsville Post 3 Loses Opener
MOUNDSVILLE — Moundsville got off to a solid start in its first game playing host to the West Virginia American Legion State Tournament. Post 3 took advantage of two errors and scored two runs off two hits in the first inning, to take a 2-0 lead against Romney. Post 91, however, had other plans as the defense stiffened and and they scored 11 unanswered runs en route to a 11-2 victory against Post 3.
Romney will face reigning state champion Wheeling at 4 this afternoon while Moundsville is scheduled to play Bridgeport at 12:30 p.m. at Valley Fork Park.
“You have to play defense and you have to hit the ball,” Moundsville coach Dave Yeater said. “And we didn’t do either.”
In the first inning, Nate Rush and Anthony Gentile were able to get on base as the result of errors. Chris Barry drove in the first run as he tallied an RBI single. Steve Bailey mirrored Barry’s effort with a RBI hit to make it 2-0 in favor of Moundsville.
Post 3 managed three hits after the first inning and one after the fifth, as Wyatt Yates and the Post 91 defense stepped up.
“That’s something we really improved on since the beginning of the season,” Romney manager Josh Crawford said. “Early in the season we would have struggled right there (being down). That’s what I’m really proud of these guys of. They’re really growing into becoming a mentally tough team. It’s easy in a big situation like this, you get up there and are a little nervous and make a couple of errors and say, ‘now we have to battle.’ These guys didn’t lose their cool and stayed with it and ultimately it worked out in our favor.”
In the third inning, Romney made its move. Tyler Ault tallied a leadoff single followed by a Bryce Strawderman hit. Zack Whitacre drove home the first run for Post 91 on a sacrifice fly to put the score at 2-1.
John Judy tied the game on a RBI double and Vinnie Cuthbertson gave his team the lead for good with a two-run homer to center field to make the score 4-2.
“We have to clean up the errors,” Yeater said about how to be successful in today’s game against Bridgeport. “You can’t make errors against good ball teams and you have to hit balls in key situations. Our big guys didn’t have any hits.”
Judy finished with a single and a double while Cuthbertson had another RBI single along with his long ball. Blake Wasson tallied two singles and Ault accumulated three hits. On the mound, Yates fired eight strikeouts compared to one walk.
Post 91 turns its attention to the champs.
“I’m excited for the opportunity to possibly knock off the defending state champions,” Crawford said. “They’re a very, very solid team. It’s going to be an uphill battle for us the whole way. It’s a great opportunity for us. It can’t be any better than that in this situation.”
Trey Scott secured a hit for Moundsville along with Cubbie Varner and Bryce Bauer.
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