(Story by Luke Wiggs – Panhandle News Network)
HEDGESVILLE, W.Va. — A weekend rain postponement of the Hedgesville-Musselman sectional championship didn’t do much to cool the Eagles’ bats.Hedgesville scored eight runs in the second inning en route to a 12-2, 5-inning victory over their cross county opponents.“We had a good day of hitting at practice on Saturday, kept it loose.” said Eagles head coach Eric Grove. “Because when you’re up in a series like that, the pressure is really on the team that’s one win away. Now we’re both one win away, and we’ll see who plays better under pressure tomorrow.”Musselman waited no time getting the scoring started. Kyle Lore lead off the game with a double and then traded places with Bayden Hartman who also recorded a two-bagger.Hedgesville responded in force with a run in their half of the inning. Braylon Conner led off with a double of his own and came around to score after Brett Pederson grounded out.Leadoff doubles became a trend for the Eagles as Landon Pence did just that to begin the second. After a Trenton Knieriem walk, a ground out, and a Gage Ganoe single, the bases were loaded for Hedgesville with one out in the second frame.Braylon Conner then reached on a throwing error by the MHS shortstop that plated two runs. Noah Brown flew out to deep center to score Ganoe and make it 4-1.
Brett Pederson added to the damage, doubling down the left field line scoring Conner. Later, another double off the bat of Connor Quinn brought home two runs and made it 7-1, chasing the Musselman starter from the game.Chris French then drove in the eighth run of the inning, and the ninth came across by way of another error by the MHS shortstop. Musselman reliever Aiden Sites was then able to record a strikeout and put an end to an eight-run Eagle inning.Musselman chipped into the deficit in the third after Hartman walked with one out and later scored on a wild pitch.Hedgesville, ambitious on ending it early, put Ganoe and Knieriem aboard to start the fifth and scored both scored on an error by the Musselman third baseman, the third committed by the Applemen in the loss.Noah Brown who reached on the error, scored from second on an Ein Wolf single to end things 12-2 in the 5th.Hedgesville starter Lane Delauter went the distance in the shortened game, striking out four.The teams rematch tomorrow in a winner-take-all sectional championship game in Hedgesville.“We have to take advantage of playing at home.” Grove said, “I anticipate a bounce back from them tomorrow. We have to be strong and focused in and hopefully our home crowd will buoy us home.”