Parkersburg Post 15’s Eli Davis (2) exchanges a high-five with Nic Akers, who scored the team’s first run against Doddridge, Wednesday at City Park. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

PARKERSBURG – Reminiscent of a scene out of a movie when the rain delay subsides and the momentum shifts to the trailing team, Parkersburg Post 15 turned the tables on the Doddridge Summer Dawgs Wednesday night at City Park.

Discipline at the plate and a combined 18 base on balls issued by five Doddridge pitchers enabled Post 15 to rally from a 5-1 deficit and pull off a 16-6 win in five innings.

Post 15, which improved to 16-7, sent 14 batters to the plate in an eight-run fourth inning and another 11 batters in a seven-run fifth inning which ended on back-to-back, bases-loaded one-out singles from Easton Miller and Cam Cumpston.

“I wasn’t happy with the delay, but I was happy with our plate discipline,” said Post 15 coach Mike Goodwin, referring to the 20-minute stoppage in play with two outs in the top of the third inning and Doddridge leading 3-1.

“I don’t know how many walks we had, but we had a bunch,” Goodwin continued. “Sometimes these guys want to hit the ball so bad and are impatient. But today, they weren’t. I don’t know if the rain delay chilled them out or just kind of softened things up a little bit.

Doddridge catcher Dayne Murphy shows the umpire the ball after tagging out a Parkersburg Post 15 baserunner at home plate Wednesday at City Park. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

“They were patient. Extremely patient and that was to our benefit.”

With six starters absent, Wednesday’s showing was not indicative of what Doddridge usually puts on the field. Thursday is a pivotal point in the season as the No. 2 seed in its Area tournament is up for grabs in meeting between Doddridge (8-8) and Bridgeport.

“We were short a bunch of players, but there’s no excuses,” Doddridge coach Ben Hall said after his team slipped to 8-8. “Tonight, I thought we had a good enough lineup to win. We didn’t execute when we needed to, and we just let adversity overcome us.

“We had three guys that don’t pitch, try to pitch through that tonight. We had to save our two aces for (Thursday) because it is a very important game.”

Cumpston started for Post 15, allowing four runs on seven hits over 2 1/3 innings of work. Mason Boice nearly had identical numbers with the exception of base on balls. Cumpston did not allow a walk, while Boice was charged with three free passes.

Parkersburg Post 15 starting pitcher Cam Cumpston delivers a pitch during Wednesday’s game against Doddridge at City Park. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

Bronson Linville retired one batter in the top of the fifth inning, which allows Post 15 to have all hands on deck for Friday’s championship game at the Don Coss Tournament in Cambridge. First pitch follows a semifinal matchup scheduled still to be determined starting at 6 p.m. between Cambridge and Zanesville.

“We kept Cam under 45 pitches, so we can bring him back,” Goodwin said.

Against Post 15, Doddridge opened the scoring with a run in the first inning. After Caleb Hall reached on a bunt single to load the bases, Parkersburg turned a double play and allowed Corbin Hall to score from third base.

Parkersburg answered right back in its first opportunity at the plate. Miller hit a one-out double, and courtesy runner Nic Akers scored from third base on Cooper Cancade’s two-out single.

Rain started to move in as the game reached the top of the third inning. Before the umpire signaled players to take cover for the 20-munte delay, Caleb Hall pulled a 2-2 offering from Boice over the right field fence for a two-run homer.

Doddridge starting pitcher Josh DeHaven delivers a pitch during Wednesday’s game against Parkersburg Post 15 at City Park. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

When play resumed, Doddridge tacked on another run on Malachi Kelley’s RBI single with runners at the corners and two outs. Post 15 escaped further damage when center fielder Eli Davis threw a dart to home plate to retire Dayne Murphy trying to score from second base on a Josh DeHaven base hit.

Doddridge extended the lead to 5-1 in the fourth inning. Landon Clevenger hit a lead off double and scored on Maxwell Nicholson’s single.

Doddridge starting pitcher Josh DeHaven walked two batters and hit another in the Parkersburg half of the fourth then was taken out after 3 1/3 innings of work.

Post 15 saw three different pitchers in the eight-run fourth inning. Miller and Boice both produced run-scoring singles, while Cooper Anderson delivered an RBI double.

After allowing six walks in the fourth, Doddridge was charged with another eight walks in a seven-run fifth.

Parkersburg Post 15’s Easton Miller leaves the field of play for a courtesy runner after hitting a first-inning double against Doddridge Wednesday at City Park. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

Doddridge outhit Post 15, 9-8, but patience at the plate enabled Post 15 to put the mercy rule in effect with one out in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Miller went 3-for-4 at the plate with a double and two RBIs. The only at bat preventing him from hitting 1.000 for the game occurred in the second inning. His fly ball to deep center field was caught by Luke Rokisky just before Rokisky greeted the outfield fence.

“I felt awesome at the plate,” Miller said. “I was just looking for something in the outfield.

“As a team, we are doing well right now. We are coming back and winning games.”

Parkersburg (Post 15) 16,

Doddridge’s Caleb Hall (7) walks back to first base after reaching on a bunt single during Wednesday’s game against Parkersburg Post 15 at City Park. Hall later hit a two-run homer. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

Doddridge Summer Dawgs 6

Doddridge 103 11 – 6 9 2

Parkersburg 100 87 – 16 8 0

WP: Mason Boice 2.1IP 7H 4R 4ER 3BB 0SO

Cam Cumpston (starter) 2.1IP 7H 4R 4ER 0BB 1SO

Bronson Linville 0.1IP 0H 0ER 1BB 0SO

LP: Josh DeHaven 3.1IP 5H 6R 6ER 6BB 2SO

Corbin Hall 0.0IP 1H 3R 2ER 3BB 0SO

Luke Rokisky 1.0IP 0H 5R 5ER 6BB 1SO

Dayne Murphy 0.0IP 0H 2R 2ER 3BB 0SO

Landon Clevenger 0.0IP 2H 0R 0ER 0BB 0SO

Leading hitters

Doddridge: Corbin Hall 1-2, 2 runs; Caleb Hall 2-3, HR, run, 2 RBIs; Luke Rokisky run. Dayne Murphy 2-3, RBI; Malachi Kelley 1-2, RBI; Josh DeHaven 1-2; Landon Clevenger 1-2, 2B, run, RBI; Maxwell Nicholson 1-3, RBI

Parkersburg: CJ McCartney run, RBI; Easton Miller 3-4, 2B, run, 2 RBIs; Cam Cumpston 1-4, 2 runs, RBI; Cooper Cancade 1-1, 2 runs, RBI; Wyatt Boice 1-3, run, RBI; West 2 runs, RBI; Cooper Anderson 1-1, 2B, 2 runs, 3 RBIs; Seth Menarchek 1-2, run, RBI; Nic Akers 2 runs.

Parkersburg Post 15 coach Mike Goodwin, left, and Doddridge coach Ben Hall meet during Wednesday’s rain delay at City Park. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)