MORGANTOWN — For the second night in a row, Morgantown Post 2 pounded out double-digit runs to back up a strong pitching performance, topping Buckhannon Post 7 11-4 on Dale Miller Field Thursday evening.
Mason Chaney went the distance for Post 2 (6-1) on the mound, finishing his day much better than he started. The first three Post 7 (2-4) batters reached safely in the top of the first, loading the bases with no outs.
After a strikeout and a flyout to left, Chaney cleanly fielded a comebacker and threw to first to get the third out and wiggle out of the jam with no damage done.
“The previous time he did the same thing, loaded the bases and got out of it,” Post 2 coach Andy Altemus said. “You can’t walk anybody and he actually did a much, much better job with that.”
Chaney allowed two runs in the top of the second but quickly found his grove, setting down 11 straight batters between the second and sixth innings. He allowed four runs on eight hits and struck out three across seven full innings. Altemus said the key to Thursday’s performance was Chaney only allowed two walks.
“I don’t care if they hit it,” Altemus said. “They’re going to hit it, but it’s really hard to put together runs if they just keep hitting. You have to have some self-inflicted stuff to get in trouble.”
Chaney made Post 7 put the ball in play and the Post 2 defense was strong in the field behind him. Shortstop Gunner Riley, a Fairmont Senior graduate playing at Garrett College, had eight assists by himself. A low throw in the top of the seventh was all that spoiled an otherwise perfect night in the field.
“They were really good behind him,” Altemus said. “As long as he throws strikes, he’s going to have a good time. I wish we would’ve gotten to that 10-run (rule) and saved him for two innings, but he battled. He wasn’t struggling at the end but he was tired and he deserved that complete game.”
Part of what gave Chaney the confidence to live in the strike zone throughout the game was the seven-spot Morgantown’s offense put up in the bottom of the first. Six straight batters reached base with one out as Caleb Cottle drove in a run and Gabe Templeton and Wenkai Campbell drove in two each.
Jett Walters scored on an error in the second and Post 2 added three more runs in the fourth on RBIs from Cottle and Templeton.
Post 2 could have ended the game early, but failed to score while leading 11-2 in the bottom of the fifth.
“You always want to scratch across a couple more along the way, but they’re doing good,’ Altemus said. “After the wood bats last weekend, they feel more confident with the metal bats.”
Campbell and Cottle had two hits and two RBI each. Templeton had two hits and a team-high three RBI. Walters reached base three times and scored three runs. Tommy Montague had a hit and scored twice.
For Post 7, Riley Anderson, who played for University this spring, had three hits and an RBI. Zach Calef-Boring had a hit and two RBI Jerin Westfall had two hits and scored a run and Brodey McDaniels had a hit and scored twice.
Anderson pitched 1.2 scoreless innings in relief while McDaniels pitched a perfect bottom of the sixth.
Post 2 now travels to the eastern panhandle for the Martinsburg Tournament this weekend.
BOX SCORE
Morgantown 11, Buckhannon 4
BUCK 020 001 1 — 1 8 1
MORG 710 300 x — 11 8 2
POST 7 (2-4) — Anderson 4 0 3 1; Calef-Boring 3 0 1 2; Latocha 2 0 0 0; McDonald 4 1 1 0; Seggie 4 0 0 1; Ja. Westfall 3 0 0 0; Jer. Westfall 3 1 2 0; Kesling 2 0 0 0; Jev. Westfall 1 0 0 0; McDaniels 3 2 1 0. Totals 29 4 8 4.
POST 2 (6-1) — Riley 2 0 0 0; Campbell 4 1 2 2; Trtavinski 2 2 0 0; Montague 2 2 1 0; Walters 2 3 1 0; Cottle 4 1 2 2; Cash 2 1 0 0; Dorkins 3 0 0 0; Templeton 4 1 2 3. Totals 25 11 8 7.
WP: Chaney 7ip, 4r, 8h, 2bb, 3k
LP: Latocha 1ip, 7r, 4h, 4bb, 1k
