Parkersburg South’s Peyton West delivers a pitch during Saturday’s game against Parkersburg at Bennett Stump Field. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

PARKERSBURG — Round one of the Parkersburg versus Parkersburg South new rivalry in the Mountain State Athletic Conference went to the Patriots here Saturday afternoon at Bennett Stump Field inside City Park as the Big Reds watched a 4-1 lead going to the sixth turn into a 19-8 eight-inning setback.

Peyton West nearly finished with a complete game victory, but was lifted in the seventh after running out of pitches as C.J. McCartney earned the mound win in relief.

Big Red starter Noah Holland, who didn’t factor into the decision, was unable to finish the sixth inning as the Patriots of skipper Bryan Youngblood scored seven times for an 8-4 advantage. However, PHS scored twice in the sixth and seventh to force extra innings before South sent 15 batters to the dish in the top of the eighth.

“That’s baseball. We didn’t throw strikes. We walked 10. We hit six. You’re going to lose a game when you do that. Neither team played well. I think we set baseball back a good 20, 30 years here today, but you got to throw strikes. That’s the name of the game,” admitted PHS head man Alan Burns, who watched Connor Elkins fire a no-hitter with two walks and four strikeouts in a 5-1 win versus East Fairmont before taking on the Patriots.

“He did a great job in game one and threw a no-hitter. That was super. The kids played really well. The kids played well the first two innings there and then they kind of let their foot up and didn’t put them away, which you need to do. Gave them a chance to get back into it and then we just kind of ran out of pitching after five games in one week and three games in two days, but the pitchers need to be able to throw strikes.”

Parkersburg’s Gavin Fling (7) tags out Parkersburg South’s Josh Benson (20) during a rundown at Saturday’s game at Bennett Stump Field. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

No. 9 hitter Logan Graham led the Patriots by going 2-for-4 with two runs scored, a pair of steals, a bases-clearing triple that capped the seven-run sixth and five runs-batted-in.

Easton Walker had two hits for the victors, who also got a pair of RBIs apiece from McCartney, West, Seth Menarchek and Jackson McVey, whose twin brother Logan was plunked twice that led to a pair of runs.

“Last night we went to extra innings with GW,” said Youngblood. “A disappointing loss (9-8 in nine innings), but we’re young this year and they are a top five team in the state easily and we proved we can play with them. That’s the things we got to build on this year. We knew this year was going to be somewhat of a rebuilding year just because of the people we lost last year, 11 seniors, a couple all-staters, a couple honorable mention all-staters mixed in there. Our record definitely does not indicate how good of a baseball team we are.

“Second night in a row with extra baseball and this time we came out on top. This time it was in our favor. We strung together a few good at-bats. We worked some counts and put ourselves in a situation to win a ballgame. It’s tough to do when you are playing a lineup that’s half full of sophomores. They are still learning the game. At a lot of schools some of these kids would still be playing JV baseball, but here they are. I’m not complaining. It’s just a fact and it’s a challenge, and I do enjoy a challenge.”

PHS (6-3, 3-2) jumped in front 3-0 after one as Gavin Fling had a leadoff single and Parker Woods followed with a base on balls. It was 1-0 after three-hole hitter Chaz Elam delivered a run-scoring single. Elkins then had an RBI groundout before West was called for a balk that allowed Elam to score.

Parkersburg South’s Carter Fluty tracks down a fly ball during Saturday’s game against Parkersburg at Bennett Stump Field. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

Walker doubled and scored in the second after a Menarchek sacrifice when Jackson McVey grounded out. However, Tyler Cameron was hit by a pitch and after CJ Carrodus had a bunt single Fling made it 4-1 with an RBI groundout.

Parkersburg South’s big sixth frame started with McCartney and West coaxing consecutive one-out free passes as Carter Fluty followed with an RBI single. Walker and Menarchek also had RBIs in the frame.

The Big Reds, who welcome in Warren at 5 p.m. Tuesday, opened the sixth with Holland reaching on an error and an Elkins single. They got one run back with a Jaxon Myers RBI groundout and it was 8-6 when Elkins raced home on a wild pitch.

PHS, which used Elam, the losing pitcher Myers, Woods and Nick Romine in relief of Holland, managed to force extra innings.

Fling opened the seventh with a walk and Woods then reached on the Patriots’ fifth error. Down to their final out with runners on second and third, Elkins then delivered the tying two-run single as South was forced to go to the bullpen.

Parkersburg’s Jaxon Myers (4) tags out Parkersburg South’s Easton Walker (8) and turns a double play during Saturday’s game at Bennett Stump Field. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

“Peyton did pitch a really good game. He kept them at bay,” said Youngblood. “They touched him up a little bit to start off with, but he pitched a heckuva game. He pitched some varsity for us last year as well.

“He has a little bit of that varsity experience, but not a full season under his belt. I wanted to see him get the win, but he did pitch very effectively and he’s part of the reason why we were in that game and we were able to come back and get the W.”

Logan McVey’s second time taking one for the team started the barrage in the eighth that featured four hit batsmen, a quartet of base on balls as well as a pair of two-run singles by McCartney and West. Menarchek, Jackson McVey and Graham each drew a bases-loaded free pass while catcher Easton Miller also got an RBI thanks to a hit by pitch.

“That’s two wins in the MSAC and if you look at who we’ve played, I think one of the coaches was saying, so far the combined record of the people that we’ve played so far is 39-19,” added Youngblood, whose squad heads Monday night to Riverside.

“Being in a new conference this year it’s going to take a minute to get adjusted to it, but we accept the challenge and encourage the kids to accept the challenge.”

Parkersburg’s CJ Carrodus lays down a bunt for a single during Saturday’s game against Parkersburg South at Bennett Stump Field. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

The Big Reds got two hits apiece from Myers and Carrodus against the Bees while Myers, Elkins, Cole Sisk and Woods each knocked in a run.

“We told them to learn from the loss, remember the win, have a good Easter and we’ll fix things on Monday,” Burns said of the message to the team following the loss.

Contact Jay Bennett at jbennett@newsandsentinel.com

Parkersburg South’s Seth Menarchek lays down a sacrifice bunt during Saturday’s game against Parkersburg at Bennett Stump Field. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)