Post 159 Flexes Their Muscles vs. Post 3
Post 159’s Peyton Blue is met at home plate by his teammates after hitting a solo home run in the sixth inning against Post 3. Post 159 won 13-1.
Nick Henthorn
Post 159’s Peyton Blue is met at home plate by his teammates after hitting a solo home run in the sixth inning against Post 3. Post 159 won 13-1.
Nick Henthorn
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MOUNDSVILLE - It was long balls and fastballs Thursday as St. Clairsville Post 159 took to the road and defeated Moundsville Post 3 13-1 on the grounds of John Marshall High School.
Sylus Hyde and Peyton Blue each popped home runs for Post 159, while Kody Carver pitched six innings in earning the win, striking out nine batters in a strong start.
"Kody's put together some really efficient outings this year," Post 159 head coach Mike Muklewicz. "That was one of the best, I think he ended up right around 60 pitches through six innings. That's incredible no matter who you're playing, the situation, anything like that.
"He's got four or five pitches and he commanded them all, he changed speed using them all. He throws multiple curveball speeds. He's just a complete all-around pitcher and he keeps guys off-balance."
Post 159 scored two in the first, three in the second, and two in the third inning to lead 7-0 before Moundsville got on the board in the bottom of the frame. Post 3's Tommy Clegg led the inning off with a double to right center, stole third and eventually came home on a ground ball to short off the bat of Jesse McDowell.
St. Clairsville struck for one more in the sixth, and scored four in the seventh, an inning that saw Peyton Blue launch a leadoff home run to left field. Max Castro stroked a two-run base hit to the left field fence, and Tyler Stottlemyer later came around to score as well.
Blue's was the second home run of the day for Post 159, with Sylus Hyde pounding a two-run shot in the third inning which made it a 7-0 ballgame at the time.
Post 159 showed a patient approach Thursday, never more apparent than in the second inning where St. Clairsville drew five walks. Post 159 walked two runs in, Stottlemyer and Castro were credited each with RBI for their bases-loaded free passes.
"Approaches and pitch selection," Muklewicz said. "There was a time during the season where we weren't doing that so well. Now I say that every game, in-between every inning, because that's what it takes. Strikes go farther than stuff out of the zone."
Evan White pitched the final inning for St. Clairsville. He also went 2-4 at the dish.
Kain Ankrom was stuck with the loss for a youthful Post 3 team.
"We've got to focus on throwing more strikes and working better at-bats," Moundsville head coach Izac Babiczuk said. "We need to come in Monday focused and ready to play."
Monday is the start of the region one tournament for Moundsville, while the postseason starts that same week for Post 159 on the Ohio side of the river, when they will face Beverly-Lowell in the first matchup of a double elimination tournament.