MORGANTOWN — The Morgantown Post 2 baseball team saw its summer come to an end at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Thursday after falling 11-4 to Paxton Post 730 out of Harrisburg, Pa. in an elimination game.
Post 2 finishes the summer season with a record of 24-15, including a 14-1 record through the final 15 games of the regular season.
A five-run bottom of the third inning for Paxton swung momentum in favor of the Pennsylvania state champions, and some solid play all around kept the door closed on any chance of a Post 2 comeback.
Post 730 produced 15 hits on the afternoon as a team, yielding eight RBI from them. Seven players for 730 had at least two hits, with third baseman Charlie Long having three of his own.
Morgantown had six hits for its four runs.
“Tough draw for us today, that was a really good team we played,” Post 2 head coach Andy Altemus said after the game. “I wouldn’t be surprised if that team is around and playing for the rest of the weekend.”
The bats started hot for both teams in the first as each began its offensive frame with a leadoff double. Post 2 shortstop Cody Thomas connected on just the second pitch of the game, sending it into the gap in left-center field. First baseman Caleb Cottle followed his teammate with a double of his own, but Thomas was held up from scoring due to the right fielder seeming to have a line for the catch.
He would score on the next play as Aaron Forbes brought his future Salem University teammate home with a sacrifice fly to center.
Harrisburg began the game at the plate with three straight base hits, a double and two singles. The third hit tied the game as Ben Long hit a hard shot to center field for the equalizer.
The next six runs would belong to Paxton also, with five coming in the third inning and three more in the sixth. In fact, only one inning was left empty for Harrisburg on its way to the 11 runs.
Two more runs came for Morgantown in the top half of the seventh as the hosts tried to pull off a
comeback. With two outs, Lance Whanger tripled to right field, scoring Jett Walters and Gabe Templeton. But it was too little, too late as Post 2’s season came to an end in defeat.
Morgantown finished the summer 24-15 overall after beginning the year 10-10 midway through the summer.
“That’s really who we are at the end of the day,” Altemus said on what sparked his club. “We didn’t blow anything in my book, we made some mistakes and those mistakes came at crucial moments and they cost us in a setting like this. I think they were the better team today and last night was a great game. That’s baseball.”
Post 2 should see much of its roster returning next summer, and Altemus says he’s excited to get back already after having this group.
“This was one of the most fun groups I’ve ever coached, and they’re so close and have had such a good time,” he said. “Hopefully we can continue to grow the program and even get some new blood in here to continue developing.”
Harrisburg 11, Morgantown 4
Morgantown 100 010 2 – 4 6 2
Harrisburg 105 113 X – 11 15 1
Morgantown – Thomas 3110, Cottle 4010, Forbes 2001, Bailey 3110, Walters 3110, Templeton 2100, Whanger 3012, Cash 4000, Dorkins 3010
2B: Walters, Thomas, Cottle
3B: Whanger
Harrisburg – Keane 3220, Yarrish 3121, Long 4121, Dorris 3220, Gill 4220, Long 4234, Foltz 4000, Kalinoski 3122, Paul 4000
2B: Kalinoski, Keane
WP: Dorris 6.0ip 5h 2r 3bb 2k
LP: Tingler 2.0ip 4h 5r 4bb 3k
