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CHERRYVILLE -- Wheeling Post 1's first foray into this year's American Legion Southeast Regional Tournament came down to the wire, but the West Virginia state champs fell just short against their North Carolina counterpart, Garner Post 232, in a 6-5 defeat on Fraley Field in Cherryville, N.C.
Starting pitchers Jake Brown and Colton Haire were locked in a pitcher's duel through three scoreless innings, and while Post 1's Brown also blanked Garner in the fourth, Haire couldn't do the same in the bottom-half of the frame. Chris Upton hit a sacrifice fly and Andrew Murdock shot a two-run single to center field to put Wheeling ahead 3-0 before Haire recovered to end the inning.
It was Post 232's turn to put up a bundle of runs in the top of the sixth, where Garner put up five runs to take the lead in an inning where Garner scored on a passed ball and an error.
Murdock hit an RBI double in the bottom of the sixth, but Garner scored on another error to push their lead back to two runs, 6-4, in the top of the seventh.
Post 1 got off to a good start in the bottom of the seventh inning, with Dom Fato and Aleks Zanieski starting the inning with back-to-back singles, and Brady Ernest knocking in Fato to make Wednesday a one-run ballgame. Garner slammed the door though as Cam Copley sandwiched two strikeouts between a flyout to end the game.
For Post 1, Murdock put together a three-hit, three-RBI day, while Upton, Zanieski and Brown each had two hits. Wheeling out-hit Garner 12-9 in the game.
Wheeling's next game will be against the Puerto Rico American Legion champs, Dorado Post 45, with both teams needing a win to stay alive in the tournament. Post 45 lost to Yeager Benson Post 199 13-3 on Wednesday.