Post 79 falls to Post 94

ST. MARYS, W.Va.-South Charleston Post 94 took advantage of 12 bases on balls and one huge error to hand host St. Marys Post 79 a 12-1 setback Thursday night in the first game of a doubleheader at Dave Wilson Field.

"That (walks) has killed us the whole game," Post 79 skipper Wirt Cook explained. "That's been the story of our season."

Centerfielder Noah Blackhurst's one-out single in the top half of the third plated Tyler Kincaid and Derek Mullins for the first runs of the game and those would be all Post 94 starting pitcher Ryan Baldwin would need as the former-Sissonville standout hurled three-hit ball for six innings before turning the ball over to reliever Teddy Payne, who hurled a scoreless seventh.

"Those two runs were huge," explained Baldwin, who will continue his playing career as a member of the Yellow Jackets at West Virginia State University next fall. "It is always easier to pitch with a lead because you can relax and just throw strikes."

Something the Post 94 pitcher did on a regular basis, needing only 70 pitches to get through the first six innings of work and giving up only an unearned run in the bottom of the third when Post 79's Geno DeMaio crossed the plate on an error by the visitors' second baseman.

"I thought we hit the ball really well," added Cook.



"The problem is we hit the ball right at them while they hit the ball and it seemed to always find the open spot."

Absorbing the loss was DeMaio despite giving up only five hits in his five innings of work to a South Charleston squad that raised its mark to 25-5 on the season with the victory.

Ohio Valley University-bound Dylan Brizendine had the only extra base hit for the hosts as the former-St. Marys all-stater laced a two-out double to right field in the sixth. Post 79's only other hits were singles by Aaron Tice in the third and DeMaio in the fifth.

Post 94 was led by designated hitter Josh Hudson's 2-for-4 effort at the plate. His two run double in the sixth sent DeMaio to the outfield and brought in Tony Brunicardi, who worked his way out of a bases loaded jam by forcing Kincaid to hit into an inning-ending double play.

Now 7-19 on the season Post 79 returns to Dave Wilson Field at 1 p.m. on Saturday when Clarksburg pays a visit.