Post 21 baseball squad struggles to 0-4 start to season

The Burke County Post 21 American Legion baseball team struggled to record outs against a tough Shelby Post 82 lineup in Monday’s home opener, then struggled at the plate both Wednesday and Thursday in road contests in Gaston County.

It all added up to an 0-4 start to the 2026 N.C. Area IV season.

Post 21 lost 10-4 at Shuey Field against a Shelby team that never trailed as it scored multiple runs in five different innings, then suffered a 5-0 road loss to Gaston County Post 144-266 at East Gaston High School and a 4-1 road loss to Gastonia Post 23 the next night at Sims Legion Park.

Post 21 trailed Shelby 4-0 after two and a half innings but got to the guests’ starting pitcher, JM Knapp, to the tune of four hits and four walks as he exited after just 2 1/3 innings.

Mason Mosteller and Maddox Mosteller drew one-out walks in the third before pitcher Kaden Michaels reached on an infield single.

Post 21 catcher Trevor Throneburg then rifled a double over the centerfielder’s head but was unlucky as it bounced over the outfield wall for a ground-rule double, the only thing that prevented him from clearing the bases and making it a one-run contest.

After a walk to Rhett Houston reloaded the bases, back-to-back Post 21 hitters struck out to end the inning.

Then in what proved a pivotal 15-minute stretch, Shelby made two consecutive outs to open its half of the fourth but plated two runs — claiming a four-run lead once more — on a single and two double to fuel a two-out rally.

Post 21 trailed 8-2 before Joshton Blankenship (team-high two hits) singled and scored in the sixth and trailed 10-3 when Mason Mosteller homered to left field to open the seventh and account for the final margin.

Michaels started and pitched five innings, striking out 10, though he also allowed seven hits, one walk, and six earned runs. After his exit, Nolan Ballard (IP, 2 ER), Aaron Duncan (2/3 IP, 2 ER), and Kyle Self (1/3 IP) each worked from the mound in relief.

Mason Mosteller reached base three times, walking twice, while Maddox Mosteller also singled and reached via error, Zeb Koone singled, and Michaels earned a walk. Both teams committed two errors and left five runners in scoring position in the game.

Post 21 was then limited to three hits by Gaston, singles by Throneburg, Houston, and Duncan, while Houston and Cannon Morrison drew a walk each. The hosts scored twice in the second and fourth innings and added their final run in the sixth.

Self pitched all six innings, scattering 10 hits without a walk and striking out three while allowing just three earned runs. Post 21 committed three errors to Gaston’s two.

Post 21 then took a 1-0 lead in the first inning Thursday as Koone was moved to the leadoff spot and opened with a single, quickly coming home to score on a Mason Mosteller double.

But Post 21 accounted for just three hits afterward, a single and double from Michaels and a single from Throneburg, with Maddox Mosteller drawing the guests’ lone walk.

Post 21 was outhit just 6-5 but again hurt itself defensively, committing all three errors in the contest en route to the loss and bringing its season total to 12 in four games. Post 21 also struck out 10-plus times for a fourth consecutive game.

Mason Mosteller (5 IP, 4 H, 0 BB, 3 ER, 3 K) produced a quality outing from the mound in his first start of the summer, and Cohen Christian (IP, 2 H, ER, 2 K) also saw his first pitching action in relief.

Post 21 next will look to snap its skid on June 16 at 7 p.m. at home against Asheville Post 70.