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Post 10 splits, will play today

WEIRTON – After dropping a tough 4-2 decision in the morning that eliminated Weirton Post 10 from Beast of the East championship contention, the club bounced back in the afternoon, outlasting a determined Columbia, Md. Renegade nine, 3-2 in eight innings that gives them an opportunity to play again today.

The win boosted Post 10’s tournament record to 4-2 putting them in a game today that will determine where coach Bill Magnone’s club will end up. While wins and losses get teams into today’s round, runs scored determine the seeding, Magnone said. Post 10 could play for second place, third, fourth or fifth and whichever it is will determine where they will play.

Post 10 won the afternoon game in dramatic fashion in the bottom of the eighth inning when Matt Cessna scored on a two-out single to left field by Fargo Camerlango, his second hit of the game.

“Fargo is a youngster, but he got up to the plate, did his job and got the hit we needed, thankfully,” Magnone said after the game.

Tory Fuscardo was a bulldog on the mound for Post 10 against the Maryland crew. He worked himself out of jams in the second, fourth, fifth and sixth innings allowing two runs.

Even though his pitch count was 115, Fuscardo seemed to get stronger mowing down the Renegades in order in the seventh and eighth innings.

Fuscardo struck out eight and walked three in going the distance.

“Tory got behind in the counts a lot early in the game, which I wish he wouldn’t have, but he was able to work his way out of a couple of jams,” said Magnone.

The way Fuscardo and Stephen Hunsberger were pitching shutout ball through four innings, it appeared that the first one to blink might be the loser. Not so, though, as the Renegades broke through for a run in the top of the fifth, but it turned out were unable to hold onto the lead.

Shortstop Ben Verschoore started the inning when his bouncer to third was misplayed. He raced to second base on the play and went to third on Carter Young’s bouncer to second base.

It looked like Fuscardo would escape another jam when he struck out Jack Whitehood, but Zach Lapreze blooped a single to right field to drive in the first run.

Post 10 didn’t wait long to retaliate. With one out, pinch hitter Will Bowser, ripped a double to left center field and was able to scamper to third when the throw from the outfield got away.

Center fielder Kyle Woodruff laced an RBI single up the middle plating Bowser. Woodruff went to third on an errant pickoff throw by Hunsberger and scored when Heath Hildreth singled up the middle.

The Maryland club came right back in the top of the sixth to tie the game when Chris Tipit led off with a double, moved to third on a ground out to the first baseman and scored on a sacrifice fly to right field by Austin Eggelstor.

That set the stage for Camerlango’s walk off heroics to end the game.

Post 10 grabbed an early lead with a run in the bottom of the first inning of the early morning game, but Seneca Valley Palomino jumped on Brent Pellen for four runs in the top of the fifth inning and that was all they needed in the 4-2 win.

Post 10, which got only four hits, scored a lone run in the bottom of the sixth inning, but it was not enough.

Kaleb Baire got two of the Post 10 hits while Woodruff and Cessna each singled. Cessna’s hit plated a run while the other scored on a Mitch Viakley sacrifice fly.

Weirton Post 10 3, Columbia, Md. 2

Columbia 000 011 00 – 2 7 4

Post 10 000 010 01 – 3 7 1

COLUMBIA: Hansberger (6K, 1BB) and Young. Norwood S; Verschoore R; Whitehood S, R, RBI; Eggelstor RBI.

POST 10: Fuscardo (8K, 3BB) and Curtis. Camerlango 2S, RBI; Woodruff S, R, RBI; Baire S, SB; Hildreth S, RBI; Cessna S, R; Silvestri S; Bowser 2B, R.

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