BRIDGEPORT – A 106-minute lightning delay couldn’t slow Morgantown Post 2’s run to an American Legion Area 2 championship.
Post 2 weathered the lengthy stoppage, then rallied in its final at-bat to edge Bridgeport Post 68, 2-1, on Saturday at Frank Loria Memorial Park and earn a berth in next week’s West Virginia American Legion State Tournament in Beckley.
Baret Shuba delivered the decisive hit in the bottom of the seventh, lining a single to center that skipped past the outfielder and allowed Sam Watson to race home from second with the winning run.
Both Morgantown (10-12) and Bridgeport (18-5) advance to the state tournament as the top two teams from Area 2.
Morgantown grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the first inning before lightning halted play in the top of the third. After nearly two hours off the field, Bridgeport finally broke through in the sixth, using a sacrifice bunt and three singles to tie the game.
Post 2 answered immediately.
A fielder’s choice and a walk put the winning run in motion before Shuba came through with the biggest swing of the afternoon.
Morgantown’s pitching staff held the slim lead.
Starter Judd Messerly allowed just one hit over two innings before the weather delay. Rather than send him back to the mound after the long layoff, head coach Jake Goodnight turned to freshman Colton Velickoff, who responded with five strong innings. Velickoff struck out two and allowed four hits, with Bridgeport’s only run coming during a sixth-inning rally.
“We didn’t want to put him back out there and risk an injury,” Goodnight said of Messerly. “We had a freshman step up and do what he needed to do, and he carried us throughout.”
Bridgeport leaned heavily on starter Guy Avolio, who threw 102 pitches, allowing two runs on six hits while striking out four.
Goodnight said his club’s ability to withstand both the weather delay and Bridgeport’s comeback reflected the resilience it has shown throughout the second half of the season.
“We just played scrappy enough for the rest of the game to kind of sneak one by,” Goodnight said. “Made good plays when we had to, and they just chipped away and got it done.
“The whole second part of the season, I’ve been super proud of these guys. Every game that we’ve played in, we’ve had a chance to win.”
Post 2 will travel south to Beckley for the West Virginia ALB State Tournament.
