MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Mother Nature was the only thing slowing down Morgantown Post 2 pitcher Reed Bailey on Wednesday night.
Bailey fired 4 2/3 hitless and scoreless innings to help Post 2 hold a 3-0 lead over Harrison (Ohio) Post 199 when the game was called in the fifth inning after heavy storms swept through Dale Miller Field. That brought an end to the action in the American Legion Great Lakes Regional Tournament for the day, though the two teams will pick up where they left off at 8:15 a.m. Thursday at Monongalia County Ballpark.
Post 2, serving as the road team after it qualified by virtue of being the host team, put together a two-out rally to take a 1-0 first-inning lead. After Zach Owens was hit by a pitch and Aaron Forbes singled, Tony Marsh delivered a single to right that allowed Owens to score.
“We came in with a lot of fire and instead of coming in from a two-day turnaround, the week off served us well,” Bailey said. “It gave us time to regroup and go full steam ahead this week.”
Bailey struck out the side in the first and faced the minimum three batters in the second after a 5-3 double play turned by Forbes helped Post 2 overcome the game’s lone error to this point.
Bailey worked around a walk and wild pitch in the third, stranding a runner at third after striking out Harrison Post 199’s Austin Dennis to keep Morgantown in front.
“Literally everyone was making great plays to help me stay efficient and keep them from getting a hit,” Bailey said.
Post 2 doubled its advantage with two outs in the fourth when Ethan Smith doubled to plate Marsh.
Bailey retired the side in order in the fourth and Morgantown added to its lead in the fifth on an Owens double that brought home Avante Neal. Post 2, which had a runner thrown out at the plate one play earlier, scored all three of its runs with two outs.
The left-handed Bailey sat down the first two batters he faced in the fifth, before the contest was called.
“We were playing hard today and if we do that and bring that energy, we can win this,” Bailey said.
Upon completion of the game, the loser will play Rock Island (Ill.) Post 200 in an elimination matchup at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, while the winner faces Owensboro (Ky.) Post 9 later that day at 7:30 p.m.
(UPDATE: Morgantown Post 2 finished off a 3-2 victory over Harrison, Ohio Post 199 early Thursday.)