Post 21 losing streak up to 11 games after chippy loss at Caldwell

The Burke County Post 21 American Legion baseball team lost six more successive games spanning the last seven days as its skid reached 11 games following a 2-1 start to the summer.

Post 21 most recently fell by an 11-6 margin at Caldwell County Post 29 on Wednesday at M.S. Deal Stadium in Granite Falls.

That setback was preceded by a 14-1 home loss to Cherryville Post 100 on Tuesday, 17-0 and 10-1 doubleheader home losses to Asheville Post 70 on Monday, a 5-2 home loss to Gaston County Post 144-266 on June 21, and a 12-2 loss at Cherryville on June 20.

On Wednesday against Caldwell in a rematch of a 2024 Area IV first-round playoff series that Post 21 won in five games, things got chippy early and stayed that way throughout.

The contest featured 13 hit batters — three Post 21 batters were hit in the second inning alone, and Post 21’s Cannon Morrison was plunked three times in all — some of which appeared intentional in the late innings when staredowns, taunts, and questioned umpire calls became the norm as a dugout-clearing melee between the border rivals was seemingly only narrowly avoided.

Post 21 (2-12) broke an early 1-1 tie and led 4-1 after a Jacob Davis solo home run to left field and subsequent RBIs via Rhett Houston and Austin Reynolds in the top of the third inning.

But Caldwell scored in the next four innings, with two runs in the third, three in the fourth, four in the fifth, and one in the sixth to lead 11-4 before Post 21 managed a pair of seventh-inning runs in a rally that fell short.

Davis (42/3 IP, 7 H, 3 BB, 8 ER, 6 K) started on the mound and shined at the plate, going 3 for 4 with two doubles in addition to his homer and two RBIs. He was denied more RBIs and likely another extra-base hit when his rope down the third-base line with two hits and two runners on in the fifth struck courtesy runner Wyatt Hullette in fair territory to end the half-inning.

Other Post 21 offensive leaders in the loss included Maddox Mosteller (single, two walks, run), Brady Davis (single, run, RBI), Morrison (single, RBI, two SB), Laine Barrier (single, SB, run), and Zach Carson (single, run).

Despite the 17 total runs, both teams left plenty of runs off the scoreboard, as Post 21 stranded the bases loaded in four innings, with 15 total runners left on (10 in scoring position) to Caldwell’s nine total (six in scoring position).

In Post 21’s five-inning road loss to Cherryville late last week, the hosts scored three runs in the bottom of the first, second, third, and fifth innings, ending it via run rule on a two-run single with no outs in the fifth.

Carson singled, was hit by a pitch, and stole a base, scoring both of Post 21’s runs in the first (as it briefly led 1-0) and in the fifth.

Mosteller added two hits including a double, Barrier and Jacob Davis each singled and drove in a run, and Morrison, Brady Davis, and Aaron Duncan drew a walk apiece, with Kyle Self (22/3 IP, 9 ER, 4 K) and Cayden Barker (11/3 IP, 3 ER) splitting time on the mound.

The next day at Morganton’s Shuey Field, Post 21 trailed Gaston 2-0 after guests’ runs in second and fourth but tied the game 2-2 in bottom of the fourth as a Duncan single scored Jacob Davis, who had reached on a leadoff walk before Morrison reached on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a two-out error.

But Gaston immediately rallied to regain the lead with two runs in the top of the fifth and tacked on an insurance run in the seventh to account for the final margin in one of Post 21’s three losses by three runs or fewer in the current extended skid.

Carson (SB), Duncan, Houston, Brady Davis, and Zeb Koone had a hit apiece, and Duncan (6 IP, 4 H, 4 BB, 2 ER, 3 K) turned in a solid pitching performance as Post 21 was outhit just 6-5 but committed three errors.

In Monday’s doubleheader, Asheville scored five runs in the first, seven in the third, and five in the fifth, while Post 21 managed only a Koone third-inning single while committing three errors, allowing 14 hits, and issuing six walks. Houston reached via error as the hosts produced only two base runners in the contest, both in the third.

Brady Davis (21/3 IP, 9 ER, K), Houston (2/3 IP, ER), and Reynolds (2 IP, 3 ER, 2 K) shared mound duties in defeat.

Post 21 then trailed just 2-1 after two innings and 4-1 after four in the nightcap, when the area leaders pounced for six runs in the bottom of the sixth. (Asheville served as the designated “home” team for the second game of the twinbill at Shuey).

Barrier tripled to lead off the second and scored the hosts’ lone run on a Houston RBI groundout.

Mosteller, Morrison, and Jacob Davis each singled and walked, and Reynolds (SB) and Wyatt Hullette walked once each, with Mosteller (5 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 3 ER) keeping Post 21 in it from the rubber. Post 21 was outhit just 6-4 but issued six walks and committed the game’s only error.

And in Tuesday’s second loss to Cherryville, like four days earlier when the teams met, the opposition scored multiple runs in four of the five innings.

After trailing just 2-1 through two, Post 21 allowed three runs in both the third and fourth innings and six in the fifth. The hosts were outhit by a 9-3 margin, drawing only one walk while issuing nine and again committed more errors than their opponents (2-1).

Self (RBI) and Morrison (single, run) were responsible for the lone run, while Houston and Jacob Davis singled, and Brooks Snipes walked and stole a base.

Houston (32/3 IP, 6 ER, K), Hullette 2/3 IP, 5 ER), and Carson (2/3 IP, ER) each pitched in the loss.

Post 21 traveled to face second-place Shelby Post 82 late Friday on the road, with its margin for error trimmed to next to nothing as it seeks a top-eight finish and playoff berth in Area IV.

Post 21 ends the regular season with games at Wilkes County Post 31 today (Saturday, June 28), versus Rutherford County Post 423 on June 29, and at third-place Gastonia Post 23 on July 1.