GRANVILLE — The only thing that could stop Conner Chancey on Saturday was his pitch count.
The Musselman senior pitched 6.2 strong innings against Morgantown Saturday morning at Kendrick Family Ballpark but reached 111 pitches while recording the penultimate out and had to be replaced.
The Applemen (12-10) were leading 8-5 when Chancey was pulled but the Mohigans (16-5) knew they finally had a chance and made the most of it. From the time Chancey exited, MHS worked a walk and then hit three straight singles to score four runs and walk off with an exciting 9-8 win.
“I’m really proud of our guys for staying in the fight all game and coming up with some really big hits in that situation and playing some really smart baseball,” MHS coach Pat Sherald said. “I thought their starter Chancey really competed for them. He went out there and challenged our hitters for seven innings. You’ve really got to tip your hat to him for his effort.”
Chancey’s final line was six runs in 6.2 innings on six hits with two walks and seven strikeouts, but he was tagged with a no-decision.
“The last couple of innings we knew where his pitch count was so we had to take until we got a strike to run that pitch count up,” Sherald said. “We were fortunate enough to run that pitch count to 110 so he had to be pulled and we could get into their bullpen.”
When Chancey was taken out, Lukas Neer worked a walk against Musselman’s reliever. MHS then got three straight hits from players who started the game on the bench.
Tristan Milik laced a ball into left field to score Weston Mazey, who led off the bottom of the seventh with a hit-by-pitch. Then Noah Fields singled into center to score Neer.
Caleb Nutter ended things with a sharp single into right field that scored Milik. Musselman’s right fielder couldn’t get a handle on the ball, allowing Fields to run home and score the game-winning run.
“Outstanding at-bats,” Sherald said. “We’ve got some maturity there. Those guys were on the bench to start the game so hats off to them for mentally staying in the game and being ready when the phone rang.”
Musselman built its lead not with powerful batting, but with a barrage of productive at-bats. In the top of the third, the Applemen started off with seven straight at-bats that either reached base or drove in a run. Four runs came in by way of a bunt single, a bases-loaded walk and two RBI groundouts, all against MHS starter Judd Messerly.
“I told him they haven’t been to hit a ball more than four feet and they scored four runs,” Sherald said.
Messerly allowed four runs in 3.2 innings before giving way to Maddox Boggs, who allowed three runs in 3.1 winnings while getting the win.
“I told them we pitched enough to win both games,” Sherald said. “we’ve just got to clean up some small mistakes and once we can do that, we’ll put together a solid seven innings.”
MHS scored its earlier runs on an RBI single by Dylan Travinski in the bottom of the first. Parker Jeffries had a two-run inside-the-park home run in the bottom of the first and then a run-scoring triple in the third. Neer had an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth.
Morgantown fell to Jefferson, 4-3, earlier in the morning on Saturday.
Travinski pitched all seven innings for the Mohigans, allowing four runs on nine hits with five strikeouts. All of Morgantown’s offense came in the bottom of the fourth. Koa Silvers and Travinski drove in a run each before Fields hit a solo home run.
BOX SCORE
Morgantown 9, Musselman 8
Muss 004 130 0 — 8 12 2
MHS 301 010 4 — 9 9 6
MUSSELMAN (12-10) — Lore 4 1 2 0; Gill 4 1 3 1; Boyles 4 1 2 0; Myers 3 1 1 1; Levie 3 0 1 1; McClintock 4 1 1 1; Hinchman 3 1 0 0; Woolaston 1 0 0 0; Chancey 4 0 1 2; Gilbert 2 2 1 0; Woolum 1 0 0 0. Totals 33 8 12 6.
MORGANTOWN (16-5) — Silvers 3 1 1 0; Mazey 2 2 0 0; Travinski 4 2 2 1; Jeffries 4 1 2 3; Neer 3 1 1 1; Dalton 2 0 0 0; Milik 2 1 1 1; Gamble 1 0 0 0; Fields 2 1 1 1; Watson 2 0 0 0; Nutter 2 0 1 1; Nipper 2 0 0 0; Bowers 1 0 0 0. Totals 30 9 9 8.
2B — Musselman: Boyles
3B — MHS: Jeffries
HR — MHS: Jeffries
WP: Boggs 3.1 ip, 3r, 5h, 0bb, 5k
LP: Aulisio 0ip, 3r, 2h, 1bb, 0k
