Local Sports, Sports

Prep roundup: Local teams hoping for May flowers as spring season enters final weeks

MORGANTOWN – They say April showers bring May flowers, and no one hopes that saying is truer than local teams chasing postseason competition.

SOFTBALL

The No. 2 University softball team dropped a one-run game to No. 9 Spring Mills, 3-2, on Monday for their 5th defeat of the season.

The Hawks were winners of five straight before the loss, and will aim to bounce back against Steubenville in the 5A OVAC semifinals on Wednesday evening.

Sixth-ranked Morgantown snapped a three-game skid with a 9-2 triumph over North Marion on Monday evening. MHS tallied nine 11 hits with four batters earning multiple.

Senior Maddie Stone was 2 for 4 with 5 RBI in the contest. Senior Maddie Wisman threw a complete game in the circle with 19 strikeouts and four hits allowed.

Preston fell to Buckhannon-Upshur 11-0 on Monday, falling to 7-13 on the season. The Knights will close the week traveling to Bridgeport and Fairmont Senior.

BASEBALL

Top-ranked Morgantown earned its fourth win in a row against Robert C. Byrd on Monday night, improving to 19-3 in 2026. Senior Brayden Gorby tallied 3 hits, 3 RBI, and a run for the Mohigans. Sophomore Jackson Bredeson threw two scoreless innings of relief without a run crossing the plate.

MHS will battle Steubenville for the OVAC 5A baseball title on Friday evening to conclude the week.

University High dropped its fourth consecutive contest on Tuesday against Bridgeport, 11-2. The Hawks will aim to snap the skid against Lincoln to end the week. Senior Colson Jenkins was the bright spot in the UHS lineup, going 3 for 3 at the plate with an RBI.

The Hawks will host Parkersburg South on Friday evening at 5 p.m. at Shilling Field.

Preston dropped its opening pair of contests to begin the week with a 3-1 defeat to North Marion on Monday, followed by a 7-3 loss to Elkins on Tuesday.

The Knights will aim to get back in the win column on Thursday with a trip to Fairmont Senior, whom the Knights defeated 9-0 on April 8.

Clay-Battelle made its first appearance in the top ten of the Metronews Power Rankings this week. The Cee-Bees traveled to Notre Dame Wednesday evening in search of their 10th win of the season, and will host Lewis County on Thursday to close out April.

Trinity Christian won its fourth game in a row on Monday with a 7-6 victory over Madonna. The Warriors scored two runs in the top of the seventh inning with the game tied at five, and held on to the advantage to down the Blue Dons.

TCS will host No. 5 Cameron to begin next week.

LACROSSE

Morgantown High remained unbeaten with a 20-3 victory over Wheeling Central on Tuesday in an all-around effort.

Eight different players scored for MHS, led by senior Luke Quigley with four goals and five assists. Junior Anthony Vessecchia netted five, and senior Zion Joseph tallied four goals. The Mohigans collected 51 groundballs and won 68% of the faceoffs in the game.

MHS will host crosstown rival University on Friday, aiming to conclude the 2026 regular season with a zero in the loss column.

The Hawks improved to 8-5 on Tuesday with a 21-0 shutout over Preston on Baker’s Ridge, and will look to spoil Morganton’s perfect-season bid on Friday night.

(This information does not reflect any results for any teams from any events from Wednesday, April 22)