Photo by Cody Nespor Wheeling Post 1’s Jack Scouvart applies a tag on a Morgantown runner during Wednesday’s game at the J.B. Chambers I-470 Baseball Complex.

By CODY NESPOR

Sports Writer

ELM GROVE — Neither the weather nor the final score ended up being what Wheeling Post 1 wanted for their first game of the season.

Taking on Morgantown Post 2 at the J.B. Chambers I-470 Sports Complex Wednesday afternoon, Post 1dropped their season-opener 12-4 in a game that saw plenty of precipitation and was ended early by lightning.

Wheeling led 4-1 after three innings, but Morgantown took advantage of 12 hits and four Post 1 errors to score 10 unanswered runs and take the contest.

“Early on when we were up, defensivley we kept them in the game,” Post 1 coach Jon-Michael Brunner said. “They capitalized on our errors and then they put down three bunts in a row and we looked like we’ve never done bunt coverage before.

Morgantown took advantage of three Wheeling errors to score seven runs in the fourth and fifth innings before.

Wheeling got off to the exact start it wanted, manufacturing four runs across the first three innings on RBIs by Michael Toepfer, Jared Marsh, Braydon Kupsky and Jack Selmon.

Left-hander Chris Vargo started on the mound for Post 1 and did well in his first competitive game in nearly a year. A student at West Liberty University, Vargo had been working with some of Post 1’s coaches over the winter and in the offseason. He worked into the fourth inning, striking out two and walking a like amount. The rust showed a little bit as he plunked four Morgantown hitters, but he was effective throughout.

“We were really happy with his start,” Brunner said. “We want to try and keep him between 60 and 70 pitches and he ended right around there. He said he felt good and we’re really looking for him to start double digit games for us this year.”

Vargo exited the game with two runners on base in the top of the fourth inning and both came around to score as he finished with three runs allowed.

Kupsky came on in relief and battled through the rain and some bad luck, allowing five runs.

There was a sequence in the top of the fifth inning when Morgantown had six of seven batters reach base, one on an error and three on infield hits.

“Offensively, they kind of beat us at our own game,” Brunner said. Our brand of baseball is small ball and they took a page out of our book and beat us at our own game.

“If you clean up one or two of those defensive inning, I think we’re in the game.”

Wheeling had a chance to get back into the game with the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth, but Collin Paull hit a screaming line drive to right field that was snagged out of the air by Morgantown’s first baseman to end the inning.

The umpires called for a 30-minute lighting delay with Wheeling batting in the bottom of the seventh inning, but with little doubt over the outcome of the game, both head coaches agreed to just end the game there.

Offensively, Marsh had two singles and an RBI, Toepfer and Kupsky each had a single and an RBI and Selmon drove in a run on a fielder’s choice.

Post 1 collected seven hits, drew five walks and stole two bases in six innings.

“Being the first game, there were a lot of small positives to take away offensively,” Brunner said. “We hit the ball pretty well, we took the extra base and were aggressive on the basepaths.

“(Morgantown) did all the little things and we were faltering a little bit so that’s why they came out on top.”

Post 1 is back in action today in a game against Wellsburg Post 34 at Brooke High School.

Morgantown 12, Wheeling 4

M 0-0-1 3-4-2 2 — 12 12 1

W 1-1-2 0-0-0 x — 4 7 4

WHEELING — Vargo (2K, 2BB), Kupsky lp (4) (1K, 1BB), Hodgson (6) (3K, 3BB) and Selmon. Marsh 2S, rbi; Toepfer S, rbi; Kupsky S, rbi; Selmon rbi.