MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — After finishing off a 3-2 victory over Harrison (Ohio) Post 199 in a contest that began Wednesday and resumed early Thursday, Morgantown Post 2 had little time to relish its opening win in the American Legion Great Lakes Regional Tournament. Post 2 was right back at it again Thursday night against Owensboro (Ky.) Post 9 in a winner’s bracket matchup at Dale Miller Field.
Thanks to the right arm of pitcher Jacob Spearen, some strong execution with small ball and a wealth of Owensboro mistakes, Morgantown remained in the winner’s bracket with a 12-2 victory in six innings.
Post 2 will battle Midland (Mich.) Post 165 at 7 p.m. Friday, with the winner the lone remaining unbeaten in the tournament.
“While you’re waiting around to play, teams are going home, which is always a good feeling,” Post 2 manager Andy Altemus said.
Tony Marsh’s first-inning RBI single gave Morgantown the lead against Owensboro, but the Kentucky state champion got equal in the home half of the frame on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Dan St. Clair.
Despite not recording a hit in the second, Morgantown took a 3-1 lead after Owensboro came undone and committed half of its eight errors. Ethan Smith and Jacob Kennell scored the runs for Post 2, which never looked back.
“We call it chaos and we want to have controlled chaos to put pressure on them,” Altemus said. “As long as runners are moving up and we’re putting the ball in play, good things happen.”
Spearen retired the side in order in the second and when he took the mound for the third, Post 2 held a 7-1 lead. A third inning that featured five Morgantown hits was highlighted by Ethan Smith’s RBI double, and Avante Neal’s run-scoring single. Ty Galusky crossed the plate on a wild pitch and Smith scored on an error for the other two runs in the third.
After Jordan Tolle’s RBI single in the third brought Owensboro to within 7-2, a bizarre sequence ensued in which confusion over a substitution by Post 9 led to delay of more than 30 minutes. Owensboro, which trailed 7-2 but had the bases loaded with one out at the time, originally said it would play the rest of the game under protest, but that proved not to be the case.
“I had no idea what was going on and it didn’t really affect the game that much,” Altemus said. “There was an error with the umpire and he canceled somebody out and they did some kind of double switch. The reason it took so long is because nobody could figure out actually what was going on.”
Following the stoppage, Spearen struck out Garrett Small and induced an inning-ending fly ball to keep the five-run lead intact.
“My approach just stayed the same,” Spearen said. “You have to let them try to hit it and get themselves out. I was more bored than anything and just ready to go back out there.”
While Owensboro wouldn’t score again, its deficit continued to grow when Aaron Forbes scored on a wild pitch in the fourth and Cody Thomas’ single allowed Smith to touch home.
Forbes’ fifth-inning double enough to score Zach Owens, and Shearen escaped another bases loaded jam in the bottom of the frame by striking out Aiden Wells.
“All we ask is that you compete, throw strikes and get ahead,” Altemus said. “If you give up hits, that’s fine, because we’re going to turn a double play or get somebody to step up and make a play to get out of that inning. Giving up one or two is fine. He competes and that was huge to get us into the weekend.”
Neal’s bunt single in the sixth led to another Owensboro error, which brought home Kennell. Post 2’s final run came on Owens’ sacrifice fly.
Kennell, Neal, Forbes and Marsh had two hits apiece to pace Morgantown’s 11-hit attack.
Spearen struck out four, walked two and scattered the two runs on seven hits over six strong innings.
“We’re staying even-keeled, yet being up the whole time no matter what happens,” Spearen said.
Owensboro starter Ethan Gibson took the loss after being charged with seven runs, only three of which were earned, in 2 2/3 innings.
Harrison Bowman had two hits and scored both Post 9 runs in defeat.