Post 21 baseball gets hot before being swept in home doubleheader

For the Burke County Post 21 American Legion baseball team, it must have felt like two steps forward but three steps back.

Post 21 posted a 2-3 record in games over the past week, tripling its season win total with that span including a shutout home win over Hickory Post 48 to complete a season sweep as well as a final-inning surge to rally past Caldwell County Post 29 on the road.

But bookending those victories, Post 21 also was blanked at Cherryville Post 100 and swept by Rutherford County Post 423 in a pivotal home doubleheader.

Post 21 (3-8) now enters the final stretch of the regular season in seventh place in the N.C. Area IV standings, a half-game ahead of an eighth-place tie between Hickory (3-9) and Gastonia Post 23 (3-9) through Wednesday. Only the top eight teams advance to the area playoffs.

Post 21 made its final road trip of the regular season late Friday to face Shelby Post 82, then wraps up by hosting four consecutive games over the next five days at Morganton’s Shuey Field: today (June 27, Cherryville), June 28 (Gaston County Post 144-266), June 30 (Gastonia), and July 1 (Caldwell).

Here’s more on each of Post 21’s last five contests …

FRIDAY, JUNE 19

Cherryville 8, Burke 0

One night after nabbing its first win of 2026 on the road in Hickory, Post 21 hit the highway again but managed just three hits and allowed multiple-run innings by the area-leading hosts at Cherryville’s Fraley Field (home of this year’s Southeast Regional) in the first, second, and fourth innings.

Post 21 also committed both of the errors in the game and allowed 12 hits, walking three batters while drawing no walks as a team.

Zach Carson, Aaron Duncan, and Barger Shook each singled, and Nolan Ballard (4 IP, 7 ER, 2 K) started and took the loss, with Carson (2 IP, 0 ER, 2 K) pitching well in relief.

SATURDAY, June 20

Burke 2, Hickory 0

Duncan made sure that Mason Mosteller’s gem would result in his first win from the mound this summer as Post 21 defeated border rival Hickory by the same score for a second time in three nights.

Mosteller started and went six shutout innings, scattering just four hits and one walk and striking out four. He needed just 72 total pitches in the outing and threw exactly two-thirds of them (48) for strikes.

Post 21 managed five hits in the error-free contest, though it took just one hit in the bottom of the fourth to account for the only scoring in the game.

After Maddox Mosteller drew a one-out walk and Rhett Houston was hit by a pitch following the second out, both players stole a base and touched home plate on Duncan’s single to right field.

Carson (two SB), Zeb Koone (double), Cannon Morrison (SB), and Trevor Throneburg added a hit apiece, and Shook (IP, BB, 2 K) earned the save.

MONDAY, June 22

Burke 12, Caldwell 8

Post 21 led 2-0 early to open last week but was forced to rally from 8-3 down after four innings and 8-6 down after six innings with six runs in the final frame to nab a dramatic victory at M.S. Deal Stadium at Granite Falls Middle School.

Koone tripled to open the top of the seventh before Carson plated him with a single to make it 8-7. Mason Mosteller then singled for his fourth hit of the game before Maddox Mosteller also singled, scoring Carson and tying the game.

Post 21 went ahead for good three batters later when Duncan was plunked with the bases loaded, and Shook (single), Morrison (HBP), and Koone (sacrifice fly) tacked on additional RBIs before the inning ended.

Mason Mosteller doubled and added two runs and two RBIs, while Carson was close behind him with three hits, scoring twice, driving in three runs, and stealing a base.

Other Post 21 offensive standouts in the comeback win were Koone (three walks, three runs), Houston (double, walk, run), Duncan (two walks, run, two RBIs), Shook (two hits, run, RBI), Morrison (run, RBI), Maddox Mosteller (two hits, run, two RBIs), and Cohen Christian (two walks).

Maddox Mosteller pitched a perfect final 1 2/3 innings to collect the win in relief after Christian (3 IP, 7 ER, 3 K) and Shook (2 1/3 IP, ER, 4 K) also pitched.

Post 21 outhit Caldwell, 13-10, and played error-free defense.

WEDNESDAY, June 24

Rutherford 8, Burke 4; Rutherford 12, Burke 4

Post 21 led 2-0 and 3-1 early in game one, then remained tied at 4-4 entering the seventh inning, when Rutherford finally chased starting pitcher Kyle Self out of the game and the floodgates opened with a four-run, two-out rally highlighted by two-run singles to left and right field.

Post 21 committed three errors compared to the guests’ two and stranded runners in six of the seven innings — including not scoring twice with two runners and no outs — as it made four outs on the base paths, including two costly running mistakes on fly balls.

After earning a win in his last start, Self nearly pitched a complete game again. He had allowed just three earned runs before departing after 6 2/3 innings in which he scattered nine hits and a walk while striking out four.

Houston (RBI) led Post 21 with three hits, Self and Mason Mosteller (double, RBI, run) added two hits, and Carson hit a solo home run to center field. Morrison singled, walked, stole a base, and laid down a sacrifice bunt, Throneburg added an RBI single, and Koone and Shook scored once each.

Post 21 then served as the guests on the scoreboard for the nightcap, which saw Rutherford race out to a 5-0 lead after three innings and never look back.

Koone (two hits, two RBIs), Duncan (two hits including a triple; run, RBI, walk), and Christian (hit, two runs) led Post 21 at the plate, while Carson (walk), Morrison, Throneburg, and Mason Mosteller (walk) added a hit apiece and Houston scored a run.

Mason Mosteller (3 1/3 IP, 7 ER, 5 K) was roughed up in defeat before Nolan Ballard (1 2/3 IP, 0 ER) and Duncan (IP, 2 ER) pitched in relief.