Published: July 17, 2008 01:11 am            

Struggling to score

Post 17 can’t find offense in 14-1 loss to Morgantown

PLEASANT VALLEY — For all its offensive talent and proven high school performers, Fairmont Post 17 hasn’t had an easy time finding home plate this summer.

“We’ve struggled to score runs all year,” second-year Post 17 coach Marty Morgan said. “We’ll get a hit here and there, two hits in an inning with two outs, but that’s it.”

That trend, coupled with a gassed and depleted pitching staff, led to a brutal Wednesday night at East Fairmont High School. Morgantown scored eight times in the first two innings and cruised to a 14-1, seven-inning victory.

Things didn’t start well for Post 17, as Morgantown chased starter Mike Ice after just one inning. Ice, who pitched 2.1 innings in a 4-3 loss at Shinnston a day earlier, allowed five straight batters — four hits and a walk — to reach base after recording the game’s first out.

In all, the West Fairmont standout allowed three runs in his lone inning of work.

Fairmont managed to dent the scoreboard in the bottom of the first, as Joey Buoniauto scored on Ice’s single to right field to make it 3-1. Buoniauto led off the inning with a single and moved to second on Anthony DeMary’s sacrifice bunt.

But rather than continuing to claw at the deficit, the bottom fell out for Post 17 the next inning.

Morgantown quickly loaded the bases, drawing consecutive walks and reaching on an infield error. It followed with run-scoring singles in three of the next four at-bats. By the time the inning was done, the team had scored five more runs for an 8-1 cushion.

Last year’s state champs continued their onslaught with a six-run third, punctuated by Justin Gibson’s two-out, two-run home run to deep left that made it 14-1.

“It’s easy to play, everything flows, when (you have a lead). But the whole complexion of a game changes when you dig a great big hole like that,” Morgan said of second and third innings, which saw 22 Morgantown batters come to the plate.

For the game, Fairmont used five pitchers, gave up 11 hits and walked 10.

The final two pitchers, Cody Cutlip and A.J. Hoffman, kept the damage to a minimum. The pair combined to throw four innings of scoreless relief.

Cole Mertins was even better for Morgantown, scattering four hits and two walks while striking out two in a complete-game victory.

Fairmont looks for a new start — and a better result — tonight at Preston.

        

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