Casey Smith saves first Post 2 area win with go-ahead hit to center field

As Morgantown Post 2 slugger Casey Smith stepped up to bat in the fifth inning Friday night at Mylan Park, the pressure was building for someone to make a play. It had been a night of missed opportunities early for the home squad – they had already left multiple runners stranded on base, and were failing to find their usual rhythm at the plate. They trailed visiting Clarksburg Post 13 by one run, and quickly needed to find some offensive momentum if they were to escape with a win.

With runners on first and second for Post 2, Smith would let a pair of strikes go by, awaiting the right opportunity. With the count full, Clarksburg’s Barron Swiger would send a pitch down the middle – Smith saw his chance and swung, sending a ball soaring towards center fielder Eli Kyle. The crowd held its breath as the ball dropped into Kyle’s mitt – and then fell out.

The error would send Matt Renner and Evan Smith across home plate to give Post 2 the 2-1 lead, which Clarksburg would be unable to recover from.

“If you quit, you don’t have a chance. You have to keep fighting your way when you’re down and putting balls into play,” Casey Smith said. “We were down a run and we had two players in scoring position, and we needed to get them in. I was just trying to put the ball in play somewhere and was hoping it got down, and that’s what happened, fortunately.”

The Post 2 (10-1) batters’ perseverance to put the ball in play even on a down night is arguably one of the strongest facets of the club’s game. Friday’s game marks the second consecutive come-from-behind win for the team, who have repeatedly shown the ability to keep calm and collected in the face of a challenge.

“We tell our guys not to panic. No matter what the score is, you can’t panic, because panicked minds don’t work,” coach Tyler Barnette said. “Just keep doing what you’re supposed to do.

“But we got out of here today with luck – that, and (starting pitcher) Colton Matthews.”

Matthews pitched seven innings, earning the victory on the mound for Post 2. He closed the game in just 68 pitches, recording six strikeouts while allowing just three hits and one walk in the performance. The game marked his third win in three starts this season, and was his second start where he finished in fewer than 70 pitches – he credits his efficiency on the mound to his defense.

“I was just trying to throw strikes and let them hit it if they could. I’m confident in throwing my fastball enough to where I can just throw it,” he said. “I know if they hit a ground ball, my defense is going to be behind me. I’ve also been feeling good with my curveball this year.”

“He throws strikes, and he has confidence in the kids he plays with. That’s what we tell pitchers to do, is just throw strikes,” Barnette said. “At any level we play, that’s all we need them to do. If we can strikes, we’re going to be a successful team.”

The game was the West Virginia American Legion Area 2 opener for Post 2, and the victory gives them an early advantage against the teams they need to get past to move on to the state tournament. With just six Area 2 games on the slate, each contest will go a long way in determining seeding for the Area 2 Tournament in July.

“It’s good to see going into the middle of the season, and we hope to keep that momentum going, especially as we get closer to the postseason,” Smith said. “It helps to get one out of the way and get that under our belts. It’s a different atmosphere of a game, and it has a different feel towards it, knowing it counts toward seeding at the end of the year.

“I would have liked to see things shake our way a bit more, but I can’t complain about what’s in the past,” Barnette said.

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