MORGANTOWN — Just 24 hours after earning a 17-0 victory over Brooke, the Morgantown High softball team dropped a close game 6-4 to Wheeling Park at ISS Field Tuesday evening.
After a scoreless game through five innings, the Patriots (11-5) scored all six of their runs in the top of the sixth inning to blow open a lead. MHS (9-6) answered with four runs in the bottom half of the same inning, but couldn’t find another hit with the bases loaded and two outs.
MHS pitcher Micah Wilson threw all seven innings and gave up eight hits and six runs while earning six strikeouts. She also led the Mohigans in hitting going 3 for 4 at the plate.
This is the fourth loss for MHS this season by two runs or less.
“I never have a fault with our effort, I think that’s one of our outstanding positives for the year so far,” MHS head coach Lorri Lipscomb said after the game. “We didn’t have our best defensive game today when normally we’ve been pretty solid. You’re going to have games like that though, and Wheeling Park always comes and plays their best against us.”
MHS committed four errors as a team on defense, two of which led to runs scored in the six-run sixth inning for WP.
The Patriots also committed four errors themselves. After building a four-run lead and having just one out on the board, the Patriots would add to the lead. Back-to-back singles scored two more runs and gave the visitors a 6-0 advantage going into the bottom half of the sixth.
The Mohigans finally broke their drought as Emily Peterson singled, scoring Liz Alsop from third. Then three straight runs came in three straight at-bats. Two of the four WP errors came on back-to-back plays at third base, allowing two runners to score and cut into the lead 6-3 with two outs.
Beth Robinson then walked with the bases loaded to add the fourth run and keep the bases full. Alsop stepped up to the plate and made good contact but hit a laser straight to the left fielder for a flyout.
The Patriots would hold on in the seventh inning to earn a strong road victory over Morgantown 6-4.
“We knew it was going to be a battle tonight, and I thought we got opportunities, we just didn’t get the runs when we needed them,” Lipscomb said. “Micah has been solid for us all year and she doesn’t get rattled so that she can finish strong for her offense. She got the ground balls for us tonight, the defense just had some mistakes.”
MHS will hit the road this weekend, first for a game on Friday against Bridgeport and then on Saturday at John Marshall.
Wheeling Park 6, Morgantown 4
WP 000 006 0 – 6 8 4
MHS 000 004 0 – 4 6 4
Morgantown – Alsop 4110, G Robinson 1000, A Brown 1100, Peterson 3011, Wilson 4030, Harki 2000, Larimer 4000, Wisman 2000, A Robinson 3000, B Robinson 2011
Wheeling Park – Derrow 2000, Strothers 4011, Randolph 4121, Kelly 3100, Randolph 3000, Seivertson 4131, Thomas 4110, O’Bryant 4110, Kozlowski 3102
WP: Thompson 7.0ip 6h 4r 1er 3bb 2k
LP: Wilson 7.0ip 8h 6r 0bb 7k
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