MORGANTOWN — Free bases, bad defense and tough-luck pitching doomed the University High School baseball team on Wednesday.
UHS (9-10) gave up 11 total walks and hit basemen on its way to a 9-4 loss to visiting Bridgeport.
“You can’t do that and expect to compete and expect to win a baseball game,” UHS head coach Brad Comport said. “You have to limit free bases and we gave away too much and it really cost us.”
The game was scoreless in the third inning before Bridgeport scored four runs in the inning as Mark Biafore slugged an RBI single and Rowan Michaelis added a two-run double as the Indians grabbed a 4-0 lead.
Bridgeport (14-2) added four more runs in the fourth inning as Dylan Duvall had an RBI single and Michaelis added an RBI sacrifice fly in the frame.
“We have been struggling a little bit at the plate,” Bridgeport head coach Robert Shields said. “I thought overall, as the weather warms up, and we get more games under our belt, we were able to battle at the plate and put some good at-bats together.”
Those at-bats paved the way for starting pitcher Conner Blake as he cruised through the first three innings.
University finally got on the board in the fourth inning as Duke Seggie hit a two-run single to leftfield that scored Mason Chaney and Max Cash.
The Hawks added one more run in the fifth as Brance McCune grounded out to shortstop but scored Mason McDonald who hit a leadoff triple.
UHS added one more run in the sixth as Seggie hit a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Cash.
“We just didn’t take care of the baseball,” Comport said. “That’s what hurt us. I thought we did a good job of competing and staying in the game. We tried to claw back in it, but it’s hard to do when you’re hurting yourself.”
Bridgeport added an insurance run in the seventh inning as Zach Rohrig hit a one-out single and later scored on an error.
Mason Chaney led the Hawks on offense as he had two hits and he also took the loss on the mound.
Michaelis and Dylan Duvall led the Indians with two hits each.
University, losers of four-straight contests, returns to action on Friday when it plays Musselman in the Morgantown High School Mon-County Ballpark Classic at 7 p.m.
By Eric Herter
BOX SCORE
Bridgeport 9, University 4
BHS 004 400 1 – 9 9 1
UHS 000 211 0 – 4 8 4
BHS – Rohrigh 5 1 2 0, Pierce 3 1 1 0, Baun 3 2 1 0, Duvall 4 1 2 1, Biafore 4 2 1 1, Lively 3 1 0 1, Michalis 3 1 2 3, Curry 3 0 0 0, Romano, 2 0 0 0. Totals: 30 9 9 6.
UHS – McDonald 3 1 1 0, McCune 4 0 1 1, Campbell 3 0 0 0, Chaney 4 1 2 0, Cash 3 2 1 0, Anderson 4 0 1 0, Latocha 3 0 1 0, Bryner 1 0 0 0, Seggie 1 0 1 3, McDonough 2 0 0 0. Totals 28 3 8 4.
3B – McDonald
WP – Blake 5ip, 7gh, 4r, 4er, 1bb, 1k
LP – Chaney 3ip, 3h, 4r, 3er, 2bb, 3k.
Morgantown 8, Wheeling Park 1
MORGANTOWN — Morgantown rebounded from its first loss in nearly two weeks with an 8-1 win over visiting Wheeling Park Wednesday evening on Dale Miller Field.
Tristan Milik pitched a complete-game four-hitter for the Mohigans (14-4), allowing just one run while striking out five.
The state’s leading hitter Dylan Travinski went 3-4 at the plate, driving in three runs. Mason Bowers and Caleb Nutter collected two hits apiece. Koa Silvers collected two RBI while Nate Wolfe and Noah Fields each had one.
MHS will take a day to rest before kicking off the Mon County Classic Friday at 4:30 p.m. against Jefferson.
SOFTBALL
University 15, Preston 0
University 13, Preston 0
MORGANTOWN — University made quick work of visiting Preston in a doubleheader sweep Wednesday on Lynch Field. UHS won game one 15-0 and game two 13-0.
In the opener, Carli Voithoffer had three hits with a double and a triple, drove in two runs and pitched all four innings in the circle, allowing just two hits and striking out seven.
Olivia Masoner had four hits and three RBI while Josalyn Phillips had two doubles, a single and three RBI. Maddie Campbell had a pair of hits and an RBI while Ashlynn Weaver had a hit and two RBI.
In the nightcap, Tegan Haney started in the circle striking out five and allowing just a single hit over 3.2 innings.
Sophia Lehosit, Phillips, Whitney Cox, Emma Stevens and Kylin Oliveto all had multiple hits. Cox drove in three runs while Phillips, Stevens and Oliveto each drove in two.
BOYS’ TENNIS
Morgantown 7, Wheeling 0
WHEELING — Morgantown swept Wheeling Park in Wheeling on Wednesday, 7-0.
Singles winners for MHS were Wyatt Abbitt (8-3), Max Chen (8-3), Larry Du (8-4) and Solas Chhin-Kreiner (8-1). In doubles, Abbitt and Chen won 8-1, Steven Tian and Chhin-Kreiner won 8-3 and Max Warner and Amari Knights won 8-1.
