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Hit and miss with Post 232

By Chris Edwards
Citizen Journalist

Garner shuts the door on Post 102

Post 232 began the week with a double header against Ahoskie Post 102 at Trojan Park Sunday, June 14. Because they were playing a double header, both games were seven-inning contests.

In game one of the twin bill, Post 232 gave the ball to Sean Willingham, and he gutted out five good innings for Garner as he gave up just one run, which came in the second inning on a RBI single by Aaron Hoggard.

However, when the RBI came from Hoggard, Garner was already up 3-0, thanks to a run-scoring double by Paco Martin, and Martin would later score on a pass ball. The third Post 232 run of the game came from Daniel Terry, who blasted a homerun over the left field wall.

Post 232 capped the game on scoring in sixth inning with three runs to take a 6-1 before Drew Gay came on in the seventh to shut the door on Post 102.

Post 232 stranded in game two

Game two wouldn’t go quite as well for Post 232 as they found themselves on the short end of a 5-3 extra-inning loss. Donnie Brown gave Garner a good start in the second game, and for a while Post 232 was in total control of the game as they plated three runs in the third inning with the big hit coming from Michael Zeblo who hammered a two-run homerun out to left field.

Post 232 couldn’t hold the lead as Post 102 came storming back with two runs in the fourth and another run in the fifth to tie the score at three all. After the run in fifth, no one would score again for another five innings as the game went all the way to the 11th inning before Post 102 plated two runs to win the game 5-3. In the 11th, Ahoskie got a one-out double from Edward Joyner. After a groundout, it seemed like Garner would escape harm yet again as Travis Ellis sent a routine fly ball to left field that the Post 232 outfielders allowed the ball to fall in for a double as two runs scored.

Garner would bring the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the inning, as Phillip Myrick walked and advanced to second on an error but would be stranded there as Post 232 faded into the late afternoon sunshine with a split of the double header.

Post 232’s wildest game against Apex

Garner played against Apex Post 124 Friday, June 19, following an 8-7 win over Wallace at Clinton High School the previous night. But the game against Apex would be the wildest American Legion game in the past four years. Garner Coach Chris Cook called it “the most difficult game I had to coach.”

Garner gave the ball to Matt Keil, who was making his first start at Trojan Park since his senior year of high school two years ago.

Keil would find the going rough in the opening inning as he allowed Apex to send 10 men to the plate as Apex scored seven runs on six hits; however, in the bottom of the first, Post 232 tried to climb back in the game.

Dillon Creech led off the game for Garner and got hit by the pitch, then Zeblo smashed a two-run homerun to right field to make it 7-2. Kyle Hedgepeth then scored later in the first, and it looked like Garner would stay in the game.

But then the second inning came and Apex scored five more runs off Keil before he exited in favor of Brown. Brown did not pitch poorly, but left the game in the fifth inning, having allowed three runs and leaving Post 232 trailing 15-5.

The fun began in the bottom of the sixth with two outs. That’s where Post 232 found some offense. Daniel Terry singled to left, and the ball rolled past the left fielder, and Terry found himself at second base. Before the inning was over, Garner scored eight runs with two outs in the sixth inning and sent 13 men to the plate in the sixth. Apex really helped the Garner cause in the sixth as they walked five Post 232 batters.

Garner was still down two as they came to bat in the bottom of the seventh but it wouldn’t take them long to keep the bats going. Kyle Hedgepeth doubled to start the inning and then scored on a Phillip Cotton double.

Post 232 then tied the score and then some in the eighth inning as Zeblo homered again to right field to tie the score at 15. Zeblo would finish the game five for seven at the plate with two homeruns, two doubles and six RBIs.

Garner was not done scoring in the eighth as they put up five more runs to take at 20-15 lead going to the ninth inning.

In the ninth Matt Powell came out for his fifth inning of work and allowed just one run to Post 124 and closed the door for his first win of the season. Powell worked five innings in relief, giving up just one run and giving up one hit while walking only two and striking out seven.

“Somehow we didn’t quit,” Coach Cook said. “Obviously when you come back from a 15-5 deficit, you have to have a pitcher who doesn’t let them score anymore, and [Powell] did that.

“Micheal Zeblo had a career game; it was probably the best game that I have coached here,” he said.

When asked if he expects the same type of game against Apex when the two teams meet again Monday, June 22, Cook said, “I hope not.”

Garner falls to Clayton

Post 232 didn’t have long to think about the huge win as they were back in action the very next night, traveling to Spartan Field on the campus of Smithfield-Selma High School.

Things started well for Post 232 as they scored the game’s first run in the very first inning, but things would go south in a hurry for Garner as Clayton score one in the first and four in the third off Garner starter Sean Willingham.

It didn’t get better for Garner as they were down 9-2 going to the top of the seventh when Pat Monahan homered to right field for his second extra base hit of the night. But that would be all the scoring for Post 232 on Saturday night as they fell to Clayton 10-3 to split the season series with Post 71.

After the game, Coach Cook was very disappointed with his team.

“We had a poor effort tonight. I don’t think we are as focused as our opponents when it comes to hitting. We didn’t pitch well, we didn’t hit well, we didn’t field well, [and] we didn’t play well.”

Related articles:

• A look back at Post 232
• Playoff results for Post 232
• Post 232 downs Apex in a more conventional fashion

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