MOUNDSVILLE — Fifth-seed Buckhannon-Upshur held off fourth-seed John Marshall, 5-4, Wednesday night to avoid elimination in the Class AAAA, Region I tourney.

The Bucs (10-16) visited top-seed Wheeling Park on Thursday.

They dropped a 1-0 verdict to the Patriots on Tuesday evening, and will need two wins to advance from the top bracket of the region and face the winner of the bottom bracket in a best-of-three series.

Second-seed Morgantown is currently in the driver’ seat of the bottom bracket. The Mohigans host the winner of Thursday’s elimination game between No. 6 Preston and No. 3 University this evening, needing just one win to advance.

B-U appeared to be in complete control on Wednesday, leading 5-1 headed into the bottom of the seventh inning.

But the first four batters of the frame reached base for the Monarchs, who cut the deficit to 5-3 on Kayden Knapp’s run-producing double and a wild pitch.

Jacob Cisar’s RBI sacrifice fly then made it a one-run game with just one out in the inning.

Weldon Zirkle, who had relieved starter Landon Marple in the inning, then got a groundout and a strikeout with the go-ahead runners on base to end the game.

The Bucs picked up an unearned run in the first and two more in the third to take a 3-0 cushion.

Luke Kesling had an RBI sacrifice fly and Marple a run-producing single in the third.

In the fourth, Wyatt Mason singled and moved to second on Jevon Westfall’s sacrifice bunt.

Jaxon Spratt followed with a double to plate Mason and Zirkle an RBI single to score Spratt.

John Marshall picked up an RBI single in the sixth from Jesse McDowell.

Marple had limited John Marshall to just four singles before running into trouble in the seventh.

He went six-plus innings, giving up three runs in five hits and fanning eight.

Zirkle finished with three hits and Marple two hits, including a triple, and Garvin two safeties for the Bucs.

Hunter Coulter went the first 3 1/3 innings in taking the loss, allowing three runs on five hits, fanning eight and walking five.

The Monarchs finished with a 13-17 record.