MORGANTOWN — A team’s best players usually show themselves in the biggest games and no one was bigger than Morgantown’s Ryan Fluharty, who excelled at the plate and on the mound as the Mohigans won their third-straight section title.
In the 8-4 win over Wheeling Park (21-9), Fluharty had two hits, a double and a home run, drove in two runs and pitched the final 2 2/3 scoreless innings.
“He’s just having a year,” MHS coach Pat Sherald said. “He’s our team leader and he’s just going out there and competing in the batter’s box. We gave him the ball when they had a little bit of momentum and he goes out there and shuts it down for us. Just an ultimate competitor.”
Fluharty’s solo home run in the bottom of the first inning game MHS (22-6) a 1-0 lead, his RBI double in the third pushed the advantage to 3-0 and then he halted a Wheeling Park rally in the top of the fifth and closed the game out with back-to-back scoreless frames.
“It means a lot,” Fluharty said of winning another section title. “This is our third year in a row winning and it’s always fun.”
Across the three games of the section tournament, Fluharty hit two doubles, three home runs and had nine RBI.
“I guess I’m just in a groove seeing the ball well right now,” he said. “Everything’s flowing.”
After Fluharty’s RBI double in the bottom of the third, the next four MHS hitters reached base and scored, taking advantage of three WP errors and four walks.
“I was really happy with the way our guys were aggressive on the base paths,” Sherald said. “They took what Park gave them on the basepaths and they were able to put up a big inning. We tell our guys all year that big innings will win ballgames.”
The Mohigans were fortunate to manufacture six runs in the frame as Wheeling Park relievers Zack Davis and Nate Bittinger held them scoreless the rest of the way.
After losing 13-3 to the Mohigans on Wednesday, the Patriots did not go away quietly and fought to keep their season alive, pushing across three runs in the top of the fourth and another in the fifth.
“That’s their character, they’ve done that all year,” WP skipper Steve Myers said. “It’s led by a group of seniors who don’t quit playing. We just ran out of innings today.”
An interference call in the fifth inning took a fifth run off the board for the Patriots and saw Myers ejected for arguing with the umpires.
Fluharty relieved starter Caleb Cottle with one out in the top of the fifth and, despite giving up five hits, did not allow a single run.
“They got momentum and their dugout was getting loud, but I’ve always loved being in those situations,” Fluharty said. “When I got the ball I knew I was going to go out there and give our guys a chance to win.”
Fluharty was the first reliever Morgantown used in the section tournament as Hunter Dakan and Dylan Travinski each threw complete games in the first two contests. Cottle allowed four runs in 4 1/3 innings, but struck out seven, including five of the first six batters he faced, further providing the Mohigans with strong starting pitching.
“Who would’ve thought that,” Sherald asked. “Coming into the season we thought we were going to have to piece it together and these guys have really stepped up.”
Morgantown advances to the best-of-three regional series where they will face either University or Bridgeport. The Hawks and Indians play in a winner-take-all section final today at 1 p.m.
Morgantown 8, Wheeling Park 4
WP 000 310 0 — 4 10 3
MHS 116 000 x — 8 7 0
WHEELING PARK — Marsh 4 0 1 0; Bittinger 4 0 1 0; Kupsky 4 2 2 0; Degenova 2 1 0 0; Conrad 4 1 3 2; Simons 3 0 2 1; Jamison 2 0 0 0; Simon 3 0 0 0; Nardone 3 0 1 0. Totals 29 4 10 3.
MORGANTOWN — Mazey 2 0 0 0; Galusky 3 1 1 1; Fluharty 4 2 2 2; Nutter 4 1 0 0; Bailey 2 2 1 0; Cottle 3 1 1 1; Neer 2 1 0 0; Travinski 3 0 2 2; Dorkins 3 0 0 0. Totals 26 8 7 6.
2B — Wheeling Park: Kupsky, Conrade. Morgantown Fluharty, Bailey, Travinski.
HR — Morgantown: Fluharty.
WP: Cottle 4.1ip, 4r, 5h, 4bb, 7k.
LP: Kupsky 2.1, 7r, 6h, 1bb, 2k.
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