MORGANTOWN — Two Appalachian small town American Legion baseball teams — Morgantown’s Post 2 and Kentucky state champion Owensboro — squared off Thursday night on Dale Miller Field at Mylan Park, both wanting nothing more than to avoid a trip into the loser’s bracket.
At first glance, Post 9’s gaudy 29-5 record and state title might install them as favorites compared to a 14-8 team that was invited to this high-level baseball party only as the host.
But looks, especially season records, can be deceiving, and Morgantown proved it, scoring in every inning and pressuring Owensboro into an astounding eight errors, on their way to a dominating 12-2 victory.
Post 2 jumped out to an early 1-0 on Anthony Marsh’s two-out RBI single through the second base hole, but Owensboro knotted it up on a pair of singles and Dan St. Clair’s deep sac fly to center (tracked down nicely on the warning track by Post 2’s Avante Neal). In the 2nd, some small-ball pressure by the bottom of the Post 2 order induced four errors leading to a pair of easy runs and a 3-1 lead.
It was more of the same in Morgantown’s third, starting with a double by Aaron Forbes, an infield single from Ty Galusky and Ethan Smith’s RBI double down the third base line. A wild pitch plated Galusky, then two excellent bunts led to a hit, another error and another run.
When Neal slapped an RBI single to right, Post 2 had increased their lead to 7-1. In bottom of the frame, after a pair of hits, an error, and a walk resulted in Post 9’s second run and loaded the bases with just one out, a maddeningly protracted, 20-minute long delay centered around an Owensboro protest regarding their own batting order ensued.
After play finally resumed (in Legion tournament play, protests are decided immediately on the field), Spearen kept his concentration and composure with a strikeout, and Ethan Smith’s fine running catch along the right field line allowed Post 2 to escape the jam without further damage.
Morgantown added on again in the fourth on a run-scoring wild pitch and Cody Thomas’ two-out RBI single to take a healthy 9-2 lead, and Forbes blasted another double to the right field wall in the 5th to drive in a run and make it 10-2. After Spearen stranded the bases loaded with another clutch strikeout in the 5th, Morgantown scored another pair in the sixth on a Jacob Kennel double, Neal’s bunt single and subsequent throwing error, and Zach Owens’ sac fly. Up by 10, Morgantown’s side-arming righty stranded a final baserunner in the sixth to close out his complete game in the impressive victory.
“I was bored,” Spearen said. “I was like, ‘Hurry up already,’ and I never really got nervous. I just wanted to get back to the game, and try to get out of the inning. We were able to get the fastball and the curve in on their hands all night, and I just wanted them to put it in play and let my defense do the job. They were great tonight, like they have been all year.”
Post 2 manager Andy Altemus was, not surprisingly, all smiles. His team will face Michigan state champs Midland Berryhill Post 165 at 7 p.m. Friday, and Altemus has a message for Morgantown’s baseball fans.
“These are your kids,” he said, “all of them from our county, playing great baseball in a top tier tournament. No matter where they went to high school, they’ve come together as a team, and now they are just two wins from accomplishing an incredibly difficult feat — qualifying for the Legion World Series. I hope that we will see the stands here at Mylan Park packed because these Morgantown boys deserve our support.”
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