NUTTER FORT, W.Va. – After No. 2 Bridgeport downed No. 3 Fairmont 10-8 in Game 1 of the Area 2 tournament, Morgantown stepped up to deliver a punctual, no mercy 15-0 victory over No. 4 Clarksburg.
Right hander Casey Smith (5-1) opened the tournament for Morgantown, immediately pitching into three outs and closing with a no-hitter through five innings.
Thursday was the first time Smith faced Clarksburg, but Post 13 was no match for him. Throughout the year, Smith picked up 35 strikeouts while walking just one. He’s held batters to a low .194 average, while posting a similarly low 1.200 ERA.
“Casey is a great pitcher,” manager Tyler Barnette said. “We have a lot of good guys on the squad, and for a guy like him to have six wins now on the season, that’s rare. He’s been good every time he’s been out and it’s helped us.
“He works really hard with our pitching coach Andy Altemus, and whenever those two are on the same page – and whenever Casey can be on the same page as Caleb – good things will happen.”
After delivering their opening 1-2-3, Barnette’s leading three couldn’t get anything moving either. From the start, Clarksburg starting pitcher Baron Swiger – with his scary change up – was in for a pitching battle.
Smith’s second walk of the year came in the second inning against Noah Leggett, who found two free bases on an attempted pick-off. A poor judgement call on a fly out deep in center field would end up hurting Clarksburg in the long-run, as Leggett would be stranded on third after the next at bat.
That lapse in judgement stung in the bottom of the inning. With two on base, Clay Maholic crushed Swiger’s curveball deep into center field for a two-RBI triple. Matt Renner kept the heat on Clarksburg on the next at bat, doubling in Maholic to pad Morgantown’s lead. Quintin Smith followed two bats later with a single to bring in Renner from second and replace him with Ethan Smith. Before the second inning was over, Morgantown would lead 9-0, capped by two back-to-back monster two-run plays by Gavin Cottle and Aaron Forbes. Cottle pushed the lead to seven with a single behind second base, and Forbes cleaned up with a triple to center field. When it was all said and done, Hunter Lipps was relieving Swiger on the mound.
The possibility of a pitching battle was long gone.
“We had trouble with Swiger and staying back on his breaking ball last time we saw him,” Barnette said. “He throws it for a strike which is rare at this level. To be able to make that adjustment and stay ahead of it is big.”
Clarksburg had another chance to score with Brandon Gray walking and stealing second on a wild pitch, but Noah Dyer struck out swinging on a full count, stranding Gray alone in the field.
Quintin Smith broke the 10-run threshold in the third, stealing home on a passed ball.
Instead of a turn of luck in the fourth to stave off the mercy rule, Clarksburg’s second-to-last chance ended with Morgantown pulling a double play.
Maholic’s sac fly gave Post 2 an 11-run lead and more breathing room in their half at bat. With the juices flowing again, Ethan Smith picked up a one-RBI single, Colton Matthews a two-RBI double, and Devon Neal a one-RBI single to hammer in the remaining nails in Clarksburg’s coffin.
No one for Clarksburg found base in the fifth, bringing into effect the mercy rule.
“I think it’s natural that whenever you are successful that you kind of relax. Even though we were leading in the game we still had great at bats and were still battling at the plate,” Barnette said. “And we were still able to manage things on the mound. That’s big for a 16-year-old to throw a no-hitter in an area game. That’s impressive.”
Clarksburg is set to face Fairmont Friday at 4 p.m., while Morgantown will host Bridgeport at 7 p.m.
Because the tournament is a double-elimination format, the winner of the 3-4 game will face the loser of the 1-2 game in Game 5 Saturday at 4 p.m. The winner of Game 5 will then turn around to square off with the winner of Game 4 at 7 p.m. If the team who escapes the loser bracket defeats the tournament leader, a championship game will be played Sunday at 1 p.m.
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