Post 2’s Evan Smith (5) delivers a pitch against Garrett County on Wednesday. 
Post 2’s Evan Smith (5) delivers a pitch against Garrett County on Wednesday. 
Post 2’s Devon Neal (35) forces the out against Garrett County on Wednesday. 
Post 2’s Devon Neal (35) makes the throw to first against Garrett County on Wednesday. 
Post 2’s Devon Neal (35) makes the throw to first against Garrett County on Wednesday. 
Post 2’s Quintin Smith (11) is hit with a pitch against Garrett County on Wednesday. 
against Garrett County on Wednesday.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Wednesday’s game between Morgantown Post 2 and Garrett County Post 71 was supposed to be nine innings, but was cut down to seven while Post 71 is in the midst of six games in a five day stretch.
With the summer at its peak, the weather is hotter and the schedule is nearing the end of the regular season for American Legion baseball, so sometimes, concessions need to be made.
But Post 2 manager Tyler Barnette doesn’t want to use a mid-summer lull as an excuse for his team’s slow starts in games, a recent issue that bit them in a 5-4 loss to Garrett County at Mylan Park.
Post 2 was shutout during the first four innings as Post 71 pitcher Zach Hallenback allowed just three hits over five innings before Post 2 finally got on the board in the fifth inning. The problem was Post 2 already trailed 3-0 before its offense got going.
“I thought innings 5-7 were great — guys came into the game then ready to play,” Barnette said. “But we weren’t innings 1-4.”
After starting the season 17-1, Post 2 (20-4) has lost three of its last six. In a loss to Wheeling on June 30, Morgantown didn’t score until the fourth inning and was shutout the remainder of the game in a 4-2 loss. In an 11-10 loss to Fairmont on July 2, Post 2 scored early but the pitching didn’t hold up, immediately losing the lead in the second inning.
“We’re just not starting at 100 percent — it’s all kind of routine and then when we get in trouble, then it’s ‘Oh, well now we gotta go,’ ” Barnette said. “Instead of being ready first pitch to last pitch, we aren’t ready until our backs are against the wall, and you aren’t going to win a lot of games in American Legion baseball, especially against good teams, doing stuff like that.”
Garrett County jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning, following a Post 2 error that scored both runs. Post 71 added another run in the fifth on a Brandon Lucas double, scoring Hallenback.
Like Barnette predicted, Morgantown rallied for two runs in the bottom of the fifth when Clay Maholic singled, scoring Quintin Smith and Zach Brennan. Smith hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth to tie it at 3-3, scoring Ethan Smith.
Post 2 starter Evan Smith tossed 6 2/3 innings and allowed three runs (two earned), but showed signs of fatigue in the seventh inning after he began to leave pitches up in the zone. Barnette went to Gavin Cottle with a runner on second base, but a single and double gave Garrett County the lead 5-3.
Morgantown scored one in the bottom of the seventh, but Issac Bittinger locked down the win for Garrett County.
Post 2 will face South Charleston Post 94 in a doubleheader Saturday as part of alumni weekend. The first game begins at 4 p.m.
