WHEELING – It wasn’t the start that Wheeling Park baseball coach Steve Myers was looking for, but Morgantown was more than eager to take advantage of it.
The Mohigans (2-1) sent 14 batters to the plate in the 25-minute top of the first, with nine scoring, as they routed the homestanding Patriots (2-2) on frigid Patriot Field, 10-0, in five innings.
“We had a rough start and they took advantage of it,” Myers said. “Morgantown is too good of a team to give them that kind of start.”
A hit batter, bunt single and base-on-balls loaded the bases before Dylan Travinski sent a 2-1 pitch from Zac Davis to the fence in right-center as all three runners came around to score. Then, after a walk and single, Elijah Boggs tripled to deep left as the lead quickly increased to 6-0. Koa Silvers, batting for the second time in the inning, grounded out as Mason Bowers sprinted home. A throwing error led to the ninth tally.
“We took advantage of our RBI opportunities,” Morgantown head coach Pat Sherald said. “I have to tip my hat to my kids. They had some quality at-bats. I also thought we ran the bases well.”
Parker Jeffries’ RBI single in the second accounted for the final run.
All the while, Maddox Bowers was in total control on the mound. In his first start in two seasons after a football injury sidelined him for the entire 2023 season, the righty allowed just one hit — a one-out single to left by Brayden Kupsky in the fourth. He needed just 58 pitches, of which 34 were strikes. He walked a batter and struck out one.
“Welcome back,” Sherald said while handing Bowers the game’s lineup card. “He was efficient. He kept his pitch count under 60. I’m so happy for him and we’re glad to have him back.”
Travinski swung the hot bat as he added a pair of singles to his double. Boggs also doubled in addition to his three-bagger.
“I’m still learning this team,” Sherald said. “We need to continue to get reps.”
The Patriots don’t have any time to sit back and reflect as University visits the hilltop today at 5 p.m.
“We’ve got to be ready to play,” Myers said.
One bright spot from the loss was the relief effort of Coldin Burkhart. He came on in the first inning and finished the game with two strikeouts and three walks.
“I thought he pitched really well considering the circumstances he came into,” Myers said.
By KIM NORTH/The Intelligencer
Morgantown 10, Wheeling Park 0
Morgantown 910 00 – 10 9 1
Wheeling Park 000 00 – 0 1 4
M–Mad. Bowers wp (1K, 1BB) and Nutter; Silvers rbi; Travinski 2S, D, 3rbi; Boggs D, T, 3rbi; Jeffries S, rbi
WP–Davis lp (0K, 2BB), Burkhart (1), (2K, 3BB) and Yanchak
