The Burke County Post 21 American Legion baseball team will not play in this year’s N.C. Area IV playoffs after ending the season on a seven-game losing streak to finish last place out of nine teams.
Only the final one of the team’s five games spanning the last week was particularly close, a 9-5 home loss to Caldwell County Post 29 on Wednesday evening at Morganton’s Shuey Field.
Prior to that, Post 21 (3-13) was run-ruled in four consecutive contests — by Shelby Post 82, Cherryville Post 100, Gaston County Post 144-266, and Gastonia Post 23 — after not having suffered a run-rule defeat through the season’s first 11 games.
It means Post 21 misses the playoffs for just the seventh time ever and in back-to-back years since 1946 and 1947, the club’s first two seasons on the diamond.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 1
Caldwell 9, Burke 5
Post 21 allowed a pair of first-inning runs but took the lead for the first time in its last six games thanks to a two-out rally in the bottom of the first as pitcher Mason Mosteller doubled, shortstop Maddox Mosteller singled him in, and third baseman Aaron Duncan tripled to deep right. Duncan scored on a throwing error on the play.
But staving off Post 21’s notion of a regular-season sweep of its border rival, third-place Caldwell quickly tied the score at 3-all in the second, then chased Mosteller (4 IP, 6 ER, 2 K) off the mound with three runs in the fourth before plating three runs again in the sixth for a 9-3 lead.
Post 21 didn’t get a runner past second base again until scoring its final two runs in the sixth as Rhett Houston and Mason Mosteller led off the inning with singles to left and scored on a Maddox Mosteller single and Duncan fielder’s choice, respectively.
Mason Mosteller had a team-high three hits including two doubles (one high off the wall in left), while Carson singled twice and Houston, Maddox Mosteller, and Cohen Christian drew a walk apiece.
Nolan Ballard (3 IP, 3 ER, K) closed the game on the mound for the hosts.
TUESDAY, JUNE 30
Gastonia 14, Burke 4; 5 innings
Post 21 trailed 2-0 after the top of the first but ended a 17-inning scoreless streak by tying things up in the bottom of the frame.
Houston singled with one out before Mason Mosteller connected on his second home run of the summer (both at Shuey), a shot over the 350-foot sign in centerfield.
But Gastonia surged way ahead for good in the teams’ eighth-place battle by plating 12 runs in the second on six hits, four walks, and three Post 21 errors.
Post 21 ended up committing all four errors in the contest and being outhit by a 10-8 margin.
The hosts scored a run apiece in the second as Brooks Snipes singled and scored on a Carson sacrifice fly, and in the fourth, when Snipes singled again and crossed the plate via another Carson sac fly.
Kyle Self (1 1/3 IP, 5 ER, 3 K) started and took the loss, with Barger Shook (3 2/3 IP, ER, 4 K) pitching well in relief.
At the plate, Maddox Mosteller singled and drew two walks, and Ballard and Trevor Throneburg also had a single each.
SUNDAY, JUNE 28
Gaston 15, Burke 0; 6 innings
Post 21 allowed two runs in the top of the third, four in the fourth, and nine in the sixth in its third straight shutout loss that ended early.
The hosts were outhit, 11-4, and undone defensively, committing all three errors in the game.
Houston supplied two hits, Mason Mosteller doubled, Aaron Duncan singled, and Zeb Koone drew a walk.
Duncan (IP, 7 ER, 2 K), Christian (5 IP, 5 ER, 6 K), and Koone (2 ER) all pitched in the loss.
SATURDAY, JUNE 27
Cherryville 10, Burke 0; 6 innings
Post 21 celebrated alumni night pregame but celebrated little afterward, being two-hit and committing a season-worst five errors.
Area IV regular-season champion Cherryville, meanwhile, tallied three runs in both the first and third, one apiece in the fourth and fifth, and two in the sixth, pounding out 10 hits in the shortened contest.
Post 21’s offensive leaders in defeat included Koone (double), Houston (single), Carson (two walks), Mason Mosteller (walk), and Duncan (walk).
Houston (3 1/3 IP, 4 ER) started before Shook (2 2/3 IP, 4 ER, K) ended the game from the mound.
FRIDAY, June 26
Shelby 10, Burke 0; 5 innings
Post 21 played its final road game at Veterans Field at Keeter Stadium, the annual home of the American Legion World Series.
Second-place Shelby scored two first-inning runs, added five in the fourth, and tacked on three an inning later to win in walk-off fashion with two outs in the inning.
Post 21 did not commit an error in the game but was outhit, 13-1, with Carson walking and singling and Throneburg and Mason Mosteller walking once each as well.
Duncan (2/3 IP, 3 ER) started but quickly yielded to Ballard (3 2/3 IP, 6 ER, 2 K) before Christian (1/3 IP, ER) finished the game from the mound.
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