MORGANTOWN, W. Va. — Anthony Marsh provided the big hit and Ethan Smith provided the necessary play.
What it meant was the Morgantown Post 2 American Legion baseball lived to see another day of the Great Lakes Regional tournament after a crazy and wild 4-3 walk-off victory on Saturday against Rockport (Ind.).
Post 2’s victory came in the bottom of the 10th inning in an elimination game between two evenly-matched teams.
Marsh, Post 2’s designated hitter, tied the game, 3-3, in the 10th with a screamer to right field that scored Zach Owens.
After Rockport was forced to walk Ty Galusky to load the bases, Smith hit a sacrifice fly that scored teammate Aaron Forbes to win the game. Even that basic play didn’t come without some drama.
Forbes, who had wandered four steps down the line, had to scramble back, tag up, then sprint home.
The throw came in, and had it been cut off, there was a legitimate chance that Forbes could’ve been cut down at the plate. The cutoff was never made and Forbes splashed head first across the plate with the winning run.
“I’ll be with you in a second, I have to go throw up,” Post 2 manager Andy Altemus said. “Great game, well played. I told them that they tried to take it away from you and you didn’t let them. Pretty good time for our first walk-off of the year, right?”
In the third, the top of the Post 2 batting order finally got to Rockport starting right hander Kobe Bartlett.
Jacob Kennell bounced an infield hit and got to second on a throwing error, Avante Neal kept things going with a single to right, then Owens bounced an RBI double over the third base bag.
When Forbes ripped a liner off the third baseman’s glove, Post 2 had forged their first lead, 2-1.
Post 254 tried to respond immediately, getting their first two hitters on with singles, but Morgantown starter Reed Bailey pitched out of it, aided by his own great fielding agility.
After a strikeout, Rockport’s third baseman Houston Compton ripped a liner through the box that literally knocked Bailey’s glove off, but the lefty scrambled barehanded to retrieve the ball and fired a strike to nip Compton at first.
Post 2 had a golden opportunity to take a late lead when Marsh led off the bottom of the sixth with a liner over first that rolled into the spacious right field corner for a triple. But with the infield in, Bartlett induced an infield ground out, a pop foul out, and strikeout to somehow keep Morgantown off the scoreboard.
And then it was Rockport’s chance to take control in the top of the seventh. With one out, three straight singles loaded the bases, prompting Altemus to go with Marsh out of the bullpen.
Marsh took the mound in the ultimate reliever pressure situation, but clutched his team out of danger after a short fly to center and a bounce out to third.
The game remained tied 2-2 until the 10th inning.
In the 10th, Rockport had a lead-off single, two sacrifice bunts — Marsh chose ill-advisedly to get the lead runner on the first bunt — and a wild pitch plated the go-ahead run for Rockport in the top of the inning.
But once again, Post 2 was not about to go quietly, and their comeback began with an absolutely crazy sequence.
On a 3-2 pitch that headed straight for his head, Owens ducked, but the ball hit his bat and rolled into fair territory.
Unaware, he broke for first base as the catcher threw to first, but in the process, his mask flew off and deflected the throw and Owens made it safely to first. Forbes then singled, bringing Marsh to the plate with a chance to help himself and atone for the top of the 10th.
Instead of sacrificing, Altemus gave his No. 5 hitter the green light, and Marsh delivered, pulling a long drive that airmailed the right fielder to score Owens and tie the game.
After Galusky was intentionally walked to load the bases, Smith lifted a medium deep fly to left for the sacrifice fly to win the game.
After the game, Marsh perhaps revealed exactly what it takes to be successful when the game’s on the line.
“I’ve never had so much fun playing baseball in my life,” the exhausted but jubilant lefty smiled, when asked how he felt coming into the game with the bases loaded. “I enjoyed it, and really, those situations just get me going. I know I probably should’ve taken the out (on the first 10th inning sac bunt), and on the wild pitch, I think I was just getting tired.
“And when I got to hit in the tenth, I just wanted to put a good swing on it and get us even. I’m pretty sure it was an inside fastball, and it was great to see it go over his head.”
Post 2 plays at 1:00 p.m. today against a team to be determined.
