MORGANTOWN — It’s not often that a 16-4 blowout leaves both head coaches talking about a player on the losing team.
However, in Thursday’s baseball game between University and visiting Preston that’s exactly what happened.
PHS freshman catcher Bryson McNew went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and a deep fly-out to centerfield. His second double just missed being a home run as it bounced high off the left-field fence. He also threw out a pair of UHS base stealers.
The Hawks are one of the top base-stealing teams in the state with 85 but on Thursday, McNew was up to the challenge as he threw out two runners in the first inning.
“It’s tough for me to talk about him because he’s my son,” PHS head coach Glen McNew said. “But for a 15-year-old to be doing as well as he is doing, He’s unbelievable, he really is.”
Bryson McNew said he relished the opportunity to play against the Hawks and the challenge of keeping their speedy offense in check.
The job the catcher did impressed UHS head coach Brad Comport.
“He’s a fantastic player,” Comport said. “Both defensively and obviously offensively. He’s got a bright future.”
While Bryson McNew was impressing both teams, it was still the Hawks that used a 12-run third inning to pick up the victory.
Brodee Latocha got things started in the third inning for UHS with an RBI single and then Mason Chaney cleared the bases with a three-run double to center field. Riley Anderson followed with an RBI triple and Colson Jenkins had an RBI single.
Chaney and Anderson both added two more RBI each in the third inning as UHS sent 16 hitters to the plate. Chaney slugged a two-run single and Anderson, who finished with three hits, added a two-run double.
“We were able to take advantage of some mistakes and walks,” Comport said. “That helped us put some runs on the board and kind of grow that lead.”
Preston cut the lead to 12-3 in the fourth inning as Robbie Lane hit a two-run single and Slayton Manko scored on a wild pitch.
UHS pushed the lead to 13-3 in the fourth as Wenkai Campbell drew a bases-loaded walk.
The Knights held off the mercy rule for one more inning with one run in the fifth inning on an RBI groundout by Manko.
Campbell then walked the game off with a three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth to send both teams home in the mercy-rule-shortened contest.
Even after the walk-off, it was still Bryson McNew that both teams were talking about. Not just because of his offensive prowess but more for his defense against the steal-happy Hawks.
“Of course, I enjoyed this game and getting up for this competition,” Bryson McNew said. “I want to throw them out and they want to run on me.”
Anderson led the UHS offense as he was just a homerun shy of the cycle, Campbell, and Chaney each collected two hits and five RBI while Mason McDonald went 2-for-4 with a double.
Bryson McNew and his brother Brady McNew each had two hits for Preston. The Knights (7-8) return to action today when they host Liberty.
University (13-13) travels to Hampshire for a doubleheader on Saturday.
By ERIC HERTER/For The Dominion Post
BOX SCORE
University 16, Preston 4
PHS 000 310 – 4 8 1
UHS 00(12) 103 – 16 12 2
PHS – Manko 4 1 1 1, Lowe 4 0 1 2, Bry. McNew 4 0 2 0, Bra. McNew 3 0 2 0, Moyer 2 0 0 0, Wharton 4 0 0 0, Moats 3 1 1 0, Peaslee 2 1 1 0, Thomas 1 1 0 0. Totals: 27 4 8 3.
UHS – McDonald 4 1 2 0, Osborne 0 2 0 0, Latocha 2 3 1 1, Campbell 2 3 2 5, Chaney 3 2 2 5, Anderson 4 1 3 3, Cash 2 1 0 0, Seggie 1 0 0 0, Jenkins 3 1 1 1, Vance 3 0 0 0, McDonough 1 2 1 0, Croston 2 0 0 0. Totals: 27 16 12 15.
2B – PHS: Bry. McNew 2. UHS: McDonald, Anderson, Chaney
3B – UHS: Anderson
HR – UHS: Campbell
WP – McDonald 3.2ip 5h 3r 1er 5bb 6k
LP – Ward 2ip 7h 6r 6er 2bb 1k
Upper St. Clair 4, Morgantown 2
PITTSBURGH — The Morgantown baseball team traveled across the state line and dropped a 4-2 decision at Upper St. Clair (Pa.) on Thursday.
Tristan Milik competed for the Mohigans on the mound, throwing six innings, allowing four runs on nine hits and two walks. He struck out four. MHS managed just three hits in the loss.
Morgantown returns home to play Linsly today.
SOFTBALL
Steubenville 3, University 2
MORGANTOWN — A matchup of two of the top teams in the OVAC ended with Steubenville (Oh.) picking up a 3-2 win at University on Thursday.
Both teams scored two runs in the first inning, but the Big Red scored the winner in the top of the sixth. Sophia Lehosit pitched five innings for UHS, giving up three runs on four hits with three strikeouts. Maddie Campbell pitched two scoreless innings, striking out four.
Lehosit drove in both Hawk runs on an RBI single in the bottom of the first that scored Campbell and Adalyn Brown.
