MORGANTOWN — The Morgantown Post 2 baseball team has hit the ground running this summer, with a 5-1 record and a weekend title in the WAJR Wooden Bat Classic.
The team’s unity was evident in their fifth and most recent victory, a 13-3 mercy-ruled contest against Elkins Post 29 Wednesday night on Dale Miller Field at Mylan Park.
Post 2 scored 13 runs on eight hits, led by Dylan Travinski, who was 3 for 4 at the plate with a pair of RBI. Half of Morgantown’s hits went for extra bases, with two doubles and two triples.
“It was nice to get back to metal bats. We have two important league games this week before another tough tournament this weekend,” Post 2 head coach Andy Altemus said. “We got off to a bit of a slow start, but once we put the bat on the ball and got baserunners, we were just fine.”
After Max Cash reached on an error and Gabe Templeton drew a walk, Post 2 broke the ice in the bottom of the second with a single by Gunner Riley to take a 1-0 lead.
Post 29 matched the hosts’ efforts in the top of the third with a pair of hits and a drawn walk that made way for a single by Matt Pratt that tied the game at one.
Post 2 starter Brady McNew worked himself out of the inning without allowing another run, and his offense came through with support in the top of the third.
Max Cash blasted a one-out double with the bases loaded, extending Post 2’s lead to 3-1. After a flyout for the second out, Riley reached on a throwing error, allowing Parker Jeffries to score another run and give his team a 4-1 lead.
Wenkai Campbell worked a four-pitch walk to load the bases and saw Post 2’s designated hitter, Tommy Montague, step to the plate.
Montague belted a high fly ball to the center field fence that the Post 29 outfielder had trouble collecting. This allowed the bases to clear and Montague to reach third with a triple that extended the lead to 7-1 in the third.
“The team is just hot right now,” Montague said. “We all love playing for Post 2 and look forward to getting out there on the field each and every game. I feel like I’m seeing the ball well out of the pitcher’s hand right now and want to continue contributing.”
Montague now has seven hits in the opening six games, with at least one hit in five of those six games.
Elkins responded in the top of the fourth with a pair of runs to cut the lead to 7-3, but the hosts came back with another strong inning with five more runs in the bottom half.
Montague earned his fourth RBI to make the lead 10-3 before Travinksi drove in two more with a single to left field.
Jett Walters came in to relieve McNew on the mound and worked a scoreless top half of the fifth inning before his team came to bat and ended the game early.
Cash drew a one-out walk, followed by Templeton’s triple that sent Cash home, giving Post 2 the 13-3 victory.
“Baserunners and strikes are want we want,” Altemus said. “We still have some things that we need to cut out with our walks and still letting some at-bats get away from us but our guys have come out and competed hard to begin the summer.”
Morgantown will return to The Dale tonight at 7 p.m. against Buckhannon Post 7.
BOX SCORE
Morgantown Post 2 (13), Elkins Post 29 (3)
Elkins 001 20X – 3 5 3
Morgantown 016 51X – 13 8 1
Elkins Post 29 (0-6) – Wamsley 4120 Love 2001 Scott 3010 Humphrey 3000 Pratt 1011 Gonzales 1000 Stanley 2000 Jack 0000 Huffman 0100 Burrows 3111 Haddix 2000
Morgantown Post 2 (5-1) – Riley 4222 Campbell 0200 Montague 3014 Travinski 4132 Walters 2100 McNew 2200 Cottle 1000 Jeffries 2100 Cash 2412 Templeton 2012
2B: Cash, Riley
3B: Templeton, Montague
WP: B McNew 4.0ip 5h 3r 4bb 7k
LP: McCauley 0.2ip 2h 4r 3bb 0k
