POTOMAC PARK — Five Fort Cumberland hitters had multi-hit games, and Post 13 outlasted Garrett County, 11-7, in a shootout Tuesday at Memorial Field.
The triumph is Fort Cumberland’s fifth in a row and moves it to 7-2 overall and 5-1 in Mountain District play. Post 13 is a win away from the district title.
Post 71/208/214 falls to 6-6 overall and 1-5 in the district.
Fort Cumberland led 6-2 following a four-run second inning, but Garrett County jumped ahead 7-6 after plating two runs in both the third and fourth innings.
An error on a Brayden Upole grounder tied the score at 6, and Cole Folk tallied an RBI single a batter later for the lead.
Fort Cumberland leveled the score an inning later when a Steven Spencer single resulted in an error by the Garrett County left fielder, which allowed a run to cross.
Post 13 took the lead for good in the sixth on a two-RBI Kohen Madden base hit. Caleb Langham added an RBI single later in the inning, and Bryce Madden walked with the bases loaded during the four-run frame.
Bryce and Kohen Madden both finished 2 for 4 at the plate with three runs batted in. Landon McAlpine was 2 for 2 with a double and an RBI, Myles Bascelli doubled and singled, and Spencer singled twice.
McAlpine was the winning pitcher, tossing three shutout innings in relief on one hit with four strikeouts and two walks. Landyn Ansel threw the first 1 2/3 and allowed three runs, and Bryce Madden surrendered four runs over the next 2 1/3 frames.
Folk and Jared Haskiell doubled for Garrett County. Folk had a three-hit day and scored twice, and Kellen Hinebaugh and Haskiell drove in a pair of runs each.
Garrett County used five pitchers. Robert Deatelhauser fared the best out of them, allowing an unearned run on four hits in 2 1/3 innings pitched. Haskiell, Luke Ross, Ryan Bird and Upole also threw Tuesday.
Both Garrett County and Fort Cumberland are back in action this weekend at the Hillbilly Hardball Classic at Mylan Park in Morgantown, West Virginia. The tournament had previously been played in Elkins.
Fort Cumberland will be in Pool 1 along with Greenville (Ohio), South Charleston (West Virginia) and Wheeling (West Virginia).
Garrett County is in Pool 4 with Berkeley County (West Virginia), Blackhawk (Pennsylvania) and St. Clairsville (Ohio).
Pool play takes place Friday and Saturday with a bracket beginning on Sunday.
Garrett opens with Blackhawk at Dale Miller Field at 9 a.m. Friday and plays St. Clairsville after.
Fort Cumberland faces Wheeling on Shilling Field on Friday at 11:15 a.m. and plays twice on Saturday beginning at 9 a.m.
Potomac Valley Post 64 is also competing in the tournament and is in Pool 3 along with Beckley (West Virginia), New Philadelphia (Ohio) and Uniontown (Pennsylvania).
Potomac Valley opens against Uniontown on Friday at 9 a.m. at Shilling Field.