Wheeling Still Winless in Tourney
Eastside Thunder gets big hit by Lanabarger in 7-1 triumphBy TRACY WATSON
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After having to wait through three rainouts, Wheeling Post 1 returned to action Saturday afternoon in the Beast of the East Tournament, only to suffer through the same fate that befell them in their only game Thursday.
Eastside Thunder's Chuck Seachrist allowed just two hits through five innings and Max Lanabarger ripped a three-run double in his only at-bat as the North-East Ohio squad dropped Post 1 by a 7-1 count in six innings at the Chamber's I-470 Complex.
The loss dropped coach Tom Pasco's squad to 13-8 on the season and 0-2 in Beast action. Meanwhile, the Buckeye Staters improved to 2-0 with the victory.
Seachrist and Wheeling Park graduate Christian Lewton were involved in a pitcher's duel early on with both cruising through the initial three frames.
However, a misplayed ball and a controversial play at the plate swung things for the visitors.
Brian McCrystal's one-out infield fly was lost in the just ahead of a Seachrist base hit that would set the stage for Tim Schonaher's two-out RBI single and a 1-0 lead for the Thunder.
Lewton allowed a single and walk to open the fourth before being pulled on a designated pitch count by Pasco. Reliever Donnie Platt, who is coming off a knee injury and pitching with a brace, was touched up for four hits, including an RBI single by catcher Jarrett Harris, a two-run double from McCrystal and Lanabarger's three-run double for a 7-0 advantage.
Harris' single scored Scott Pavlik, who appeared to be tagged out by Post 1 catcher Heath Beecher but was ruled safe after sliding past the plate and diving back to touch it.
"I honestly felt like Christian Lewton threw a fantastic game," Pasco said. "We had him on a pitch count because of overuse and injuries and wanted to get Donnie (Platt) some work coming off his injury.
"He is just getting back, but Donnie is going to do some very big things for us this season.
"They have a nice team and hit the ball very well. I really don't think we had any major mistakes, but there were some almost plays that we didn't make."
Wheeling finished with four hits, including three doubles, with Beecher's fifth inning two-bagger plating Post 1's only tally. Pasco's team did strand five runners in the game and advanced runners to third in second, third and fourth frames.
"Not getting key hits were a big part of things," Pasco said. "There is an old saying that 'good pitching, good defense and timely hitting will get you wins,' but we just didn't get the hits.
"We had a runner caught in the pickle-play in the fourth inning, but that was me trying to manufacture a run and it backfired. But I can guarantee you that you will probably see that play again this season."
Harris and McCrystal, who took the hill in the sixth to finish things off, both had a pair of hits for the winners. Ryan Sengewalt and Dillon Mangino also doubled for Wheeling.
