Post 33 scores 10-straight to win big

MINGO JUNCTION -- For the second time in as many nights, Jefferson County Post 33 overcame a third inning deficit to rally for victory.

After plating the final five unanswered runs on the road in a 5-4 win at New Philadelphia Post 139 on Wednesday night, Jefferson County scored the final 10 unanswered runs Thursday evening at Muth Field to down the visiting Wheeling Wildthings by a 12-4 count.

"We found our bats, strung some hits together and did some well-executed base running," Jefferson County assistant coach Clayton Criss, a Big Red and Post 33 alum filling in for head coach Anthony Pierro, said. "The kids are starting to put it together and are looking good heading into the weekend."

After seeing an early 2-0 lead get away and facing a 4-2 hole, Post 33 scored two each in the bottom of the third and fourth to tie the game then retake the lead.

An inning later in the fifth, the Jefferson County bats exploded for six runs to all-but put the game away.

Gavin Pownall opened the scoring with an RBI single in the second and scored on Zach Smith's two-out RBI single to make it 2-0.

After the Wildthings (5-4) tied the game in the top of the third with a Grant Simons two-run triple, Gian Degenova plated a run with an RBI groundout and Ryan Conrad knocked a solo homer to make it 4-2 visitors.

Post 33 (11-2), though, responded with some two-out lightning to tie the game back up in the bottom half, Pownall again providing a big hit with a two-run single.

An inning later, Silas Hyde avoided a tag with an acrobatic maneuver during a play at the plate to make it 5-4 Jefferson County, then Hakim Edwards scored on a two-out error to make it 6-4.

Nick Maurer, though, was injured on the play trying to get to third base. He left the game.

Then, Kaden Jurosko scored on another Wildthings error to start the onslaught in the fifth, before Cooper Blackburn knocked an RBI single, Sal Barcalow drove in a run with an RBI groundout, Hyde ripped a two-run double and Edwards plated the game's final run with an RBI single.

"It's a good confidence builder that so many guys got hits," Criss said. "We had guys step up and come up big, we preach the next man up mentality and we had some of those guys that (started the game on the bench) step up."

The teams meet again on Saturday morning in a tournament both programs have entered in Coshocton.

"That's a quality ball club," Criss said of the Wildthings. "We see them again Saturday morning. We were fortunate to string together some hits and get some runs across. That's a good team and we look forward to playing them again."

IN NEW PHILLY

On Wednesday, Post 33 fell behind 4-0 before rallying for a 5-4 victory over the Post 139 Black Sox.

Landon Pownall had a two-run double, Barcalow drove in a run with a double and Hyde also drove in a run, while Aydan Manning struck out five batters in three innings of work and Barcalow went the final three innings for the save.

Jefferson County 12, Wheeling Wildthings 4

Wheeling Wildthings 0-0-4 0-0-0 0 – 4 4 3

Jefferson County 0-2-2 2-6-0 x – 12 10 0

WHEELING WILDTHINGS (5-4): Degenova (1IP, 0R, 1H, 0K, 0BB), Kupsky (1IP, 2R, 2ER, 3H, 1K, 1BB), Westfall (1IP, 2R, 2ER, 1H, 1K, 3BB), Bittinger (LP, 2R, 1ER, 1H, 0K, 1BB), Simons (1IP, 6R, 5ER, 4H, 1K, 3BB), Saunders (1IP, 0R, 0H, 2K, 1BB) and Bush.

JEFFERSON COUNTY (11-2): N. Blackburn (3IP, 4R, 4ER, 2H, 0K, 3BB), Hyde (WP, 1IP, 0R, 0H, 0K, 1BB), Moses (SV, 3IP, 0R, 2H, 3K, 1BB) and Smith and Rusnak.