HUNTINGTON – The top two teams in Class AAAA baseball produced an instant classic on Saturday night in the state championship game of the 2026 WVSSAC state tournament at Jack Cook Field in Huntington as Morgantown and George Washington battled for a title.
In what felt like a heavyweight prize fight, the top-seeded Patriots came away with the final punch in the sixth inning, taking a 6-5 lead late in the game and holding on for the final three outs to win the first state championship in program history.
The game saw four ties and five lead changes, with George Washington earning 11 hits as a unit. MHS earned six hits in the contest.
“I’m really proud of my guys for that effort against a really good baseball team in a state championship game,” MHS head coach Pat Sherald said. “I’m just disappointed for them as a coach, of course. You spend so much time with these guys, develop them, and help them grow as players, and seeing their hearts broken is tough for sure.”
GW’s Ryan Anderson went 3 for 3 at the plate, while also putting in a solid relief effort of 3.1 innings, allowing one hit with five strikeouts.
Bean Nipper earned the lone multi-hit game for the Mohigans. His two-out double in the top of the third inning broke the ice in a scoreless game as Koa Silvers scored from second to give MHS a 1-0 lead.
The Patriots began to find success at the plate in the bottom half of the third as Jon Fala led off with a single. Three more base hits followed the first out of the inning. The second from Eli Smith tied the game at one before Anderson singled home the second run for a 2-1 lead.
The Mohigans continued the theme of offense in the fourth inning as Kai Henkins singled with a pair of runners on base. Lincoln Thronton scored to tie the game at two. MHS took a 3-2 lead on a bloop double by Mason Bowers, then added a fourth run when Henkins scored from third on a wild pitch.
MHS starter Lucas Shinn gave way to Jackson Bredeson in the fourth inning with one out, and after the second out, the Patriots tied the game on a frantic sequence.
With runners on second and third, Bredeson threw a wild pitch to the backstop that allowed the runner to score from third, but after trying to apply the tag, a throw to third got away and allowed the tying run to score as well, knotting the game at four.
The fifth inning didn’t see a run from either side. Luca Mezzanotte led off the inning, reaching base safely after a dropped fly ball in the George Washington infield.
Henkins walked, and a sacrifice bunt by Brayden Gorby moved the runners over. Then, with one out, the Mohigans executed a squeeze bunt as Bowers dropped the ball in front of the mound, and pinch runner Brooks King scored from third, giving MHS a 5-4 lead.
A single led off the inning for George Washington in the bottom of the sixth, and following a strikeout by Bredeson, another throwing error by MHS cost another run, tying the game at five.
The very next pitch, GW’s Luke Gordon doubled home Fala for the go-ahead run.
Anderson then struck out the side in the top of the seventh to end the game.
Morgantown finishes the 2026 season 31-6 as runner-up in Class AAAA, its second consecutive season doing so.
The Mohigans will say goodbye to one of the most impactful senior classes it’s seen in program history.
BOX SCORE
George Washington 6, Morgantown 5
MHS 001 301 0 – 5 6 2
GWHS 002 202 X – 6 11 2
Morgantown – Gorby 3010 Bowers 3012 Silvers 1100 Nipper 4021 Bredeson 4000 Thornton 3100 Williams 3100 Mezzanotte 3010 Henkins 2111 TOTALS 26 5 6 4
2B: Bowers, Nipper
George Washington – Fala 4320 Gordon 4021 Nelson 4110 Smith 4011 Anderson 3031 Barnett 2000 Kelley 1000 Nettles 2000 Engles 3220 Hayes 3000 TOTALS 30 6 11 3
2B: Anderson (2), Nelson, Gordon
W: Anderson 3.1ip 1h 1er 2bb 5k
L: Bredeson 2.2ip 4h 3r 4k
