MORGANTOWN — For the second game in just as many days, Morgantown centerfielder Aaron Jamison drove in three runs and had key at-bats to help lead his team to two wins to open postseason play, this time in the Class AAA Region I, Section 1 winner’s bracket game vs. Wheeling Park.
With one out and two runners on base, Jamison came to the plate in the bottom of the fifth inning with his team desperate for any sort of hit. After two pitches out of the strike zone, the junior WVU commit saw his pitch and sent it over the right field fence, giving MHS (18-7) its first lead of the game that would eventually prove to be enough to win the game over the Patriots 3-2.
MHS struggled against the pitching of WPHS’s Luke Doyle, who only surrendered four hits in five innings on the mound. In fact, until Jamison’s homer, MHS had only gotten three hits. Mohigans head coach Pat Sherald knows the Patriots pitcher made a difference.
“Their pitcher (Doyle) really came out and competed tonight and helped keep them in the ball game,” he said. “Our guys also competed on the mound, so both teams really challenged the hitters on both sides.”
Maddox Bowers had the start for MHS. He threw four innings, giving up four hits, as well, with just two runs allowed. Although Bowers had only one strikeout accounted for, the defense behind — and in front of — him allowed him to continue to pitch with confidence. Catcher Ty Galusky hustled to get to a passed ball and threw home in time to tag the runner coming from third early in the game, and the MHS infield made multiple throws from across the diamond to keep the Patriot hitters at ease.
“Defensively, we made the routine plays, which is what we ask the guys to do,” Sherald said. “Offensively, we were able to get the big hit when it mattered. We got our leadoff hitter on in the inning and then Aaron came up and got a big one for us.”
WPHS jumped ahead early in the second inning when Grant Simons singled to center. A second run came the very next inning on a fielder’s choice that scored a runner from third base. The Patriots seemed to have control of the game on offense and defense alike, even getting out of a bases loaded situation without allowing a run prior to the Jamison home run.
With the slugging power of the Mohigans lineup, a two-run deficit is something Sherald knows his players won’t panic over, with his message to them being a simple one.
“We were just trying to string together quality at-bats, that’s it,” he said of the MHS effort at the plate. “The guys competed and that’s all we ask them to do, compete every inning, compete every pitch. They have a lot of confidence in themselves. We simply gave ourselves an opportunity to win a good high school baseball game tonight.”
With the victory, the Mohigans will advance to the sectional championship game on Friday night at Dale Miller Field at Mylan Park. First pitch is set for 5:30 p.m. and the opponent is TBD based on results from Thursday between John Marshall and Wheeling Park.
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Morgantown (18-7)
Kennell 2 1 0 0 Fluharty1 1 0 0 Jamison 3 1 1 3 Poach 3 0 1 0 Cottle 3 0 0 0 Mazey 3 0 0 0 Galusky 3 0 1 0 Nutter 3 0 1 0 Colasante 2 0 1 0
Wheeling Park
Tsoras 3 1 1 0 Bittinger 3 0 1 0 Marsh 3 0 0 1 Degenova 3 0 0 0 Kupsky 2 0 0 0 Hodgson 1 0 0 0 Marsh 3 1 1 0 Simons 3 0 1 1 Jamison 2 0 0 0
MHS – 000030X 3 5 1
WPHS – 0110000 2 4 0
