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Huge Hit

Solo home run leads Cougars over Bulldogs

The Inter-Mountain photo by Kevin Hostetler Bulldog Austin Lanham fields a ball during Tygarts Valley’s loss to East Hardy. The Bulldogs are down 0-1 in the series. The teams play again today.

MILL CREEK — Corey McDonald crushed a solo homer in the seventh inning Tuesday to help East Hardy defeat Tygarts Valley, 4-3, in Game 1 of the Class A Region II championship series. Game 2 is set for 6:30 p.m. today in Baker for the best-of-three series.

“It was a tough loss tonight,” TVHS coach James Markley said afterward. “We’re proud of the way we played, we just couldn’t get the job done. It was a well played game by both teams. Now, we really have to fight back and go over there and win, so we can force a Game 3.”

Both teams played competitively and kept the score knotted at 0-0 for the first three innings. Ashton Mathias, from East Hardy hit the ball to center field allowing teammate Clay Skovron to score for East Hardy in the fourth inning.

During the fifth, Tygarts Valley’s Garrett Swecker hit a home run to center field, driving in Ethan Lanham in to tie the score

at 3-3.

The Inter-Mountain photo by Angelea Goodwin Tygarts Valley High School pitcher Rece Wamsley gave up four runs on seven hits while striking out nine batters and walking another.

Rece Wamsley began the seventh inning with pitches that were hard enough to strike out two East Hardy batters.

Then, East Hardy’s McDonald stepped up to the plate and positioned himself for Wamsley’s pitch. McDonald swung at the ball and hit a home run putting East Hardy up by one.

Brett Tharp earned the victory for EHHS. He went the distance on the mound, allowing three runs on four hits. He struck out 4 batters and walked 1.

The Cougars collected eight hits in the game. McDonald set the pace, going 2 for 4 with a home run, two runs scored and two RBIs. Mathias also generated multiple hits, going 2 for 3 with an RBI. Skovron was 1 for 3 with an RBI and a run scored, while Jeffrey Mills, Brett Tharp and Austin Whetzel had one hit each.

Wamsley shouldered the loss for the Bulldogs. He went 6 2/3 innings, surrendering four runs on seven hits while striking out nine batters and walking one other.

For the Bulldogs, Swecker went 1 for 2 with a home run, two RBIs and a run scored. Caleb Riggleman finished the day 2 for 3 with a double and one run scored, while Marcus Reynolds went 1 for 3. TVHS had four hits in the contest.

The Bulldogs must win tonight to force Game 3 in Mill Creek on Thursday. If East Hardy wins tonight, they will eliminate TVHS and advance to the Class A State Tournament next week

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