WEST LIBERTY — Morgantown High’s girls’ tennis team fell just one win short of perfection April 26 in capturing the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference (OVAC) tournament championship.
After winning all three doubles titles Wednesday, the Mohigans took three of the four singles crowns and added a runner-up finish.
It was MHS’s fourth straight OVAC team title.
Cat Wassick was the champ at No. 2 singles. She didn’t drop a game all day, taking 8-0 wins in four matches, including the final, against Linsly’s Lakin Snider.
Vinitha Joseph took the title at No. 3, earning wins of 8-0, 8-1, 8-2 and 8-2, beating Linsly’s Caitlin Mead in the final.
Joseph, a senior, completed a personal sweep of OVAC titles. She won singles and doubles championships all four years.
Mackenzie Sorton earned the crown at No. 4, winning 8-0, 8-0, 8-2 and 8-1 in the final, against Wheeling Park’s Ashley Trischler.
MHS’s Emme McKnight reached the final at No. 1 and lost to Wheeling Central’s Laina Anderson, 8-3, after wins of 8-0, 8-1 and by default.
Morgantown totaled 27 points, well ahead of second place Linsly (15), third-place Parkersburg South (14) and fourth-place Wheeling Park (13) in the 17-team tournament.
University High had four points and Trinity two.
At No. 1 singles, Trinity’s Molly Rubenstein lost a first-round match, 8-6. UHS’s Maya Gharib won a pigtail play-in match, 8-1, before bowing in the first round.
At. No. 2, UHS’s Grace Valenzuela made it past the first round with an
8-0 win, then lost to Wassick in round 2. Trinity’s Sarah Seitz lost her first-round match, 8-5.
At No. 3, UHS’s Macy Schlobohn won her first-round match, 8-0, then lost to Mead, 8-1, in the second round. Trinity’s Regan Baker lost to Joseph in the first round, after winning, 8-2, in a pigtain play-in.
At No. 4, UHS’s Emma Watson (8-3) and Trinity’s Caitlyn Nine (8-1) fell in the first round.
Morgantown and University next compete in regionals next week, at Marilla Park.
BASEBALL
The schedule is set for the inaugural Mon County Classic, on Friday, May 4, at Monongalia County Ballpark. Admission is free.
3 p.m., Morgantown vs. Bridgeport.
5:30 p.m., University vs. George Washington.
8 p.m., Clay-Battelle vs. Notre Dame.
All games will be streamed live on MetroNews with Lanny Frattare and Kyle Wiggs calling the games.
Sponsors are MVB Bank, L&K Marketing, BSN Sports and Chico Bakery. A special thanks to the Monongalia County Commission for its support.
Morgantown 4, Bridgeport 2: BRIDGEPORT — Colton Matthews pitched five-hit ball over six innings and went 2-for 3 with a doouble to lead the Mohigans (12-7) to victory.
“He pitched an excellent game,” MHS coach Mark McCarty said. “We haven’t gotten him on mound as much as we wanted to this year, but he’s one of our better pitchers. He did a good job hanging in there against a quality team,”
Leadoff hitter Preston Fox was 3-for-3 and scored three runs, and Caleb Taylor, who pitched the seventh inning for a save, had two RBIs for Morgantown, which plays Ripley today, at Glenville.
University 17, Buckhannon-Upshur 3: The Hawks (13-7) backed pitcher Perry Lillard’s complete game with 14 hits and routed the Bucs, at Mylan Park.
Ross Mulhall and Hunter Cottrell each collected three of those hits. Mulhall also drove in three runs and Cottrell two.
Kaden Matheny, Josh Gibson and Chandler Watts each drove in two runs for UHS, which next plays Monday, hosting Linsly.
SOFTBALL
University 11, Buckhannon-Upshur 2: TENNERTON — Layne Assif went 3-for-3 with three RBIs as the Hawks earned a mercy-rule win against the Bucs.
Halei Johnson homered and drove in two runs for UHS. Hayden Powroznik pitched the win.
BOYS’ LACROSSE
Morgantown 15, Wheeling Central 9: WHEELING — Daniel Stanton collected five goals and an assist, and Cody Calvert had a goal and six assists as the Mohigans (9-3) beat the Knights (8-5).
Hazen Powell, Riley Kane and Zander Carson added two goals each, and Noah Yohn, Carter Kline and Mike Jones tallied once apiece for MHS.
Goalie Daniel Pastilong made 11 saves for the Mohigans, who next play twice on Saturday, against Buckhannon-Upshur, at 5 p.m., and Bridgeport, at 7 p.m., at Pony Lewis Field
