MORGANTOWN – When the University High School baseball team needs a big hit, it goes straight to the bank to pick up some Cash.
Max Cash to be exact.
The senior designated hitter hit his second walk-off hit in four games on Monday. This one was a two-run homerun to beat Wheeling Park 6-5.
With two outs in the bottom of the seventh and a runner on second base, Cash stepped to the plate and smacked the first pitch he saw over the left field fence at Shilling Field.
“A base hit. That’s all I wanted,” Cash said. “I just wanted to keep it simple and get a hit to keep our team going.”
Instead, Cash connected on the fast ball and easily cleared the fence. His clutch hitting is becoming a calling card after he registered a walk-off single this past weekend in a 3-2 victory over Ripley.
“Max has already been in that situation, and he’s come through for us,” UHS head coach Travis Renner said. “It’s nice to see his number coming up to bat in that similar situation.”
University (5-10) picked up just its second in 12 contests. The Hawks have struggled at times this year with untimely errors and a lack of offensive production. This win over the Patriots (2-7) might just be what UHS needs as it enters the final month of the season.
“I’m hoping this gets us going,” Renner said. “We were hoping that a win over Ripley would be a push in the right direction. But then we played two great teams in George Washington and Huntington and found ourselves in the same situation where we are right there at the end and couldn’t get a win.”
Wheeling Park grabbed an early lead in this game with one run in the second inning off a UHS error. University responded in the third inning when Logan Waldo hit his first home run of the season over the right-center fence.
The Hawks took a 3-1 lead in the fourth inning when Brayden Solomon connected on a two-run single. However, UHS saw Wheeling Park build a 5-3 lead in the fifth inning when Mile Gorby drew a bases-loaded walk, Jaxon Updegraff hit a two-run single, and Brayden Bartsch hit an RBI sacrifice fly.
“That’s kind of the story of our year,” Renner said. “We give the other team some runs with errors, walks, and not paying attention on the basepaths. We don’t take advantage of opportunities, and that’s how we find ourselves down late in the game.”
The difference was that the Cash came through on Monday. Sam Burgess got things started in the bottom of the seventh with a pinch-hit single, and then pinch-runner Chance Johnson scored on an error on Noah Templeton’s two-out double, setting up Cash’s heroics.
“I talked with our guys out there, and I told them that I hate to sound like this because of the moment we just had is what everyone dreams of,” Renner said. “But we can’t keep putting ourselves in situations like this. We need to play a complete game.”
Devin Enos picked up the win on the mound as he pitched the final two innings without surrendering a run. Joey Deriggie pitched the first five innings and scattered four hits.
Gorby was the tough-luck loser for the Patriots as he pitched the entire game without allowing a walk.
Waldo and Templeton each had two hits in the game, with Templeton picking up two doubles. Brody Groome led the Patriots with two singles.
UHS returns to action on Wednesday when it plays at rival Morgantown.
University 6, Wheeling Park 5
WPHS 010 040 00 – 5 5 2
UHS 000 120 03 – 6 8 3
WPHS – Whitmire 4110, Gorby 3111, Updegraff 4012, Bartsch 3001, Yanchak 2000, Hays 4000, Hays 4000, Cox 3000, Groome 3120, Moore 1100. Totals: 27 5 5 4.
UHS – Templeton 3121, Cash 4112, Ca. Velickoff 3000, Alexander 3000, Jenkins 3000, Shuba 2100, White 3110, Waldo 2121, Co. Velickoff 1110, Solomon 3012. Totals: 27 6 8 6.
2B – Templeton 2
HR – Waldo, Cash
WP – Enos 2ip 1h 0r 0er 2bb 0k
LP – Gorby 6.2ip 8h 6r 6er 0bb 2k
