MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The bats were swinging hard and fast for the Morgantown Post 2 baseball team Saturday night, but even if they hadn’t been, things would have been fine.
Post 2 racked up eight runs in seven innings against Uniontown Post 51 to cap Day 2 of the WAJR Wood Bat Classic at Mylan Park, but the real victory was for pitcher Caleb Taylor on the mound. Taylor struck out six batters and allowed one hit and no runs, sealing the 8-0 win in just 85 pitches.
“That’s all we could ask for. When you throw a one-hitter or a shutout, you only need one run to win. He was controlled and he was composed. He controlled his strike zone, and it didn’t matter which pitch he threw. He was confident in it and when you can do that it’s very hard to hit,” Post 2 coach Tyler Barnette said.
“I was just throwing strikes and letting my team do what they do best,” Taylor added.
The strong pitching and defensive performance has been a staple of the team’s play at the Classic so far this weekend, as Post 2 (3-0) has allowed just five runs and recorded 14 strikeouts in three games — during the first game of Day 2, Colton Matthews tossed 64 strikes in just 93 pitches to secure a 4-2 win over Romney Post 91.
“It’s expected from these guys. They’re senior guys and they’ve been around for a long time. They know what it takes to win baseball games and they went out there and did it,” Barnette said.
A large part of the team’s success on the mound is owed to the durability and depth at pitcher on its roster. Not only does the Post 2 roster feature multiple veteran pitchers, but it has only gone to its bullpen for one of 21 innings so far this weekend.
“It makes my job a whole lot easier. It’s really big. I got a text from the Cumberland coach talking about how these tournaments really deplete your pitching staff. If you can extend your starter, you do it,” Barnette said.
“When it comes to pitching, it’s one of the most important things. We want to make sure we do it well,” Taylor added.
After batting just .166 in its season opener Friday, Post 2 also appeared to find some rhythm at the plate.
Post 2 will open Day 3 of the Wood Bat Classic at 4 pm today as it hosts Smithfield Post 278, and will close the weekend at 7 p.m. against Fort Cumberland Post 13.
