Beckley Post 32 Top Prospects Junior Legion are State Tournament bound

Post 32 Top Prospects beats Clendenin 12-5 behind 14 hits

Last Wednesday night, Beckley Post 32 Junior Legion beat Clendenin Post 61 17U, 1-0 in a pitcher's duel.

Tuesday night at Linda K. Epling Stadium with postseason implications on the line, the hometown boys relied on their bats.

Hammering out 14 hits, six for extra bases, Beckley rolled past Clendenin, 12-5 thanks to some late inning thunder.

With the win, Post 32 advances to the Junior Legion State Tournament starting July 17 in Bridgeport.

Needless to say, making the state tournament in Beckley's first season having a Junior Legion team left head coach Caleb Dangerfield extremely pleased.

"It's awesome. I don't know that anybody really expected it," Dangerfield said. "This is a bunch of guys that came together to play baseball. They did everything we told them to and you can see how good a baseball team we are with the guys that we have. Here we are, and we will see you in Bridgeport next week."

Beckley took the initial lead when Landon Wyatt hit a lead-off triple and scored on a single from Drew Gallaher.

However, a walk, a triple and a throwing error in the second inning put the visitors on top 2-1. The lead increased to two runs on another Beckley error in the third.

Post 32 answered with a run in the bottom of the frame on an RBI-triple from Miken Smyth, but when the home team came to bat in the fifth, it trailed, 4-2.

"We have been like that all year. We either put up six runs in the first inning or don't score until the fourth or fifth inning," Dangerfield said. "When we start putting them on, we put them on. I just let these guys go. I don't call plays or tell them what to do. They are smart baseball players."

Once again, Wyatt was the catalyst ripping a double to the right-center gap. Gallaher followed with a single that allowed Wyatt to score on a defensive error.

Sam Barnett then stepped in and joined the hit parade with an RBI-double. A single from Clay Patton set the table for Nelson Lynch who sent both runners home with a base-knock and Beckley never trailed again.

Dangerfield made some subtle changes to the line-up that paid huge dividends Tuesday.

"I know Landon and Drew are going to be on base most of the time. Then you have Miken and Sam to drive them in," Dangerfield said. "If they are on base, they are going to score. Then you throw Clay behind them with Nelson and Brady (Williams). That is two guys that can put it to the fence at anytime."

Any thoughts of a comeback for Post 61 were put to rest when Beckley put up another five-spot in the sixth inning.

Wyatt split the right-center gap for his second triple and third extra base hit of the contest to once again ignite the scoring carousel.

Barnett also collected three hits and three RBI's i the win, while Gallaher, Smyth and Lynch all had two hits. Smyth and and Lynch drove in two runs each.

"I thought we played good. The bats definitely kept us in it when our defense wasn't what it wanted it to be. I have already had a guy ask me if we could have a defensive practice before we get to the state tournament," Dangerfield said. "It has been a thing all year that when we need our bats they come alive and you saw it today. Sam threw well, but the errors happened. It's part of the game. Brady came in and threw well. You can't ask for anything more than what we did today."