Asheville Post 70’s Kyle Cagle.
ASHEVILLE – Shane Galloway did not expect any opponent in the American Legion state playoffs to lay down or roll over.
Not even for the greatest regular-season team in Asheville Post 70’s long history. So in that sense, the coach is not disappointed at all about the Cardinals’ predicament.
Asheville (15-3) and Gastonia (8-13-1) are tied at a game apiece in a first round, best-of-five series that resumes Wednesday on Post 23’s home turf.
Their doubleheader in Gaston County begins at 5 p.m. If it’s needed, Game 5 would be Thursday night at Roberson’s Holmes-Smith Field at 7 p.m.
“Gastonia is an above-average team that can beat anyone on any given day,” Galloway said.
“In my heart, I believe we’re better. We’re going down there (Wednesday) and if we have the opportunity to win both games, we need to take it and not look back. Baseball is a funny game. I don’t want us to leave any doubt.”
Asheville is the Area IV Western Division champion (its first regular-season title since 1947), while Gastonia placed eighth in the Eastern Division.
Galloway said he expects to start Devin Mangum and Trenton Davis in Wednesday’s doubleheader. Cagle, who is a recent Reynolds graduate and Carson-Newman (Tenn.) recruit has given those starting pitchers a tough act to follow.
Cagle was masterful in Sunday’s Game 1, working the first six innings of an 8-0 win with eight strikeouts, four hits and three walks. Langston Haden then threw a scoreless seventh. Holden Upright, Jared Patterson and Nate Fore came up with two hits each for the Cardinals.
“I felt really good,” Cagle said.
“We beat a good team, so that’s a good feeling itself. (Patterson) caught a good game and everyone executed. We’re still confident right now. We just have to play every inning of every game like the score is 0-0 and it’s a battle. It’s anybody’s game.
The second half of Sunday’s doubleheader was the first home loss for Post 70. Gastonia broke a 7-7 tie with a run in the top of the seventh to take an 8-7 win.
Patterson homered, and in defeat, Asheville outhit Gastonia, 13-9. Fore, Mangum, Davis, Jacob McCarthy and Danny Trizano collected two hits apiece.
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