MORGANTOWN – Six games into the 2025 high school baseball season and the University Hawks are still learning.
Learning a new coaching staff, learning new teammates, and learning how to win.
On Thursday, the Hawks (2-4) picked up a 7-6 come-from-behind victory over visiting Parkersburg South.
“It’s high school baseball, if you put the ball in play good things are gonna happen,” first-year UHS head coach Travis Renner said. “Even today, we had too many strikeouts with guys in scoring position. But baseball is baseball and any time you can come out of baseball game, and you have more errors than the other team and you find a way to win, we will take it.”
Senior outfielder Brance McCune proved to be the difference maker on Thursday as he led off the seventh with a triple that tipped off the glove of the Patriots’ diving centerfielder and rolled to the fence and Shilling Field.
With no outs, Renner decided not to send the speedy outfielder and instead rely on a UHS offense that has been inconsistent this year.
UHS responded as Daniel Grabo reached base on an error that kept McCune and third and then pinch hitter Lukas Neer was intentionally walked to set up a bases-loaded situation.
Renner called for the suicide squeeze and McCune got halfway down the line before being caught in a rundown. However, the Patriots couldn’t execute the play properly and McCune scored when the throw to third base sailed into left field.
“I was really just trying to drive the ball and get on base for the next guy,” McCune said. “I was just going up there and remaining calm and just getting a pitch I could drive. I started running and I looked up and the ball was rolling to the fence, so I booked it.”
McCune’s seventh-inning heroics were set up by a long comeback from UHS. The Hawks trailed 4-0 after the top of the first inning as the Patriots took advantage of two walks, two hits and a UHS error.
UHS finally got on the board in the third inning when senior Brock Shuba slugged his first home run of the season over the right-field fence. The Patriot added one run in the fifth and one in the sixth for a 6-3 lead before the Hawks tied the game in the bottom of the sixth.
University took advantage of three singles and a Parkersburg South error to tie the game at 6-6.
Max Cash picked up the victory on the mound in relief as he pitched the final 2.2 innings and allowed just one hit with no walks and two strikeouts. Tommy Montague started the game and kept UHS in the contest after the rough first inning.
“Hopefully that gives us some momentum moving forward,” Renner said. “It’s a 32-game season, but I think the guys are gonna feel a lot better after today moving forward and we’re going to be a lot more confident showing up to the ball field.”
Shuba led the UHS offense with his home run and a ground-rule double. James Bryner added a double and two RBI for the Hawks.
University returns to action on Saturday when it travels to Hampshire for an 11 a.m. doubleheader.
University 7, Parkersburg South 6
PS 400 011 0 – 6 4 1
UHS 001 023 1 – 7 10 4
PS – Mclain 3 1 1 0, T. Davis, 3 2 0 0, Holliday 4 0 0 1, Walker 3 1 1 0, Thomas 1 1 0 0, Burr 3 0 1 1, Utt 3 0 1 0, McMullen 2 0 0 0, E. Davis 3 0 0 0. Totals: 25 6 4 2.
UHS – Montague 4 0 1 0, Cash 4 0 2 0, McCune 3 1 1 0, Grabo 4 0 1 0, Jenkins 3 1 1 0, Neer 0 0 0 0, Alexander 3 1 1 0, Quarric 2 1 0 1, Shuba 3 2 2 1, Bryner 3 1 1 2. Totals: 29 7 10 4.
3B – McCune
2B – Walker, Shuba, Bryner
HR – Shuba
WP – Cash (2-0) 2.2ip 1h 1r 0er 0bb 2k
LP – Davis 0ip, 2h, 1r, 1er, 1bb, 0k
