On a chilly, windy Tuesday night at Hank Greenburg Field, the Parkersburg South Patriots celebrated their 1975 state championship team and delivered a commanding 10-1 win over the Fort Frye Cadets.
The Patriots came out swinging and never looked back, opening the game with six straight singles and putting up four runs in the first inning alone. Landon Utt, who had a career night with four hits, helped drive in early runs along with Carter McLain, Ty Davis, Dylan Holliday, Easton Walker, and Eli Davis.
McLain kicked off the scoring with a heads-up double steal, and Ty Davis followed with a sacrifice fly. Holliday scored on a wild pitch, and Utt capped the inning with an RBI single to right field.
Parkersburg South, now 9-7 on the season, kept the pressure on through the fourth. A walk to CJ McCartney set up another run, and by the end of the fourth inning, the Patriots led 6-0.
Holliday was solid on the mound, going five innings, allowing just one run on five hits, walking one, and striking out seven. He also contributed at the plate with a sacrifice fly.
Fort Frye, now 5-4, scored its only run in the fifth thanks to a bases-loaded walk to Jack McCurdy. But that was the extent of their offense, as South’s pitchers and defense stayed sharp.
Ben Howell came in for relief and struck out three in two innings. He sealed the game with a slick 1-6-3 double play after allowing a pinch-hit single in the seventh.
The Patriots added more insurance in the sixth. McCartney, McLain, and Matthew Mullen all walked and scored. Pinch-hitter Peyton West knocked in a run with a single, and Utt finished his big day with a two-run double, his second of the game.
“Dylan filled up the strike zone and let our defense work,” said South head coach Matt Youngblood. “He’s pitching with confidence this year, and we’re seeing it in the results. Landon looked sharp both behind the plate and with the bat. It’s good to see him back in rhythm.”
Youngblood also emphasized the importance of the win after a tough loss to Charleston Catholic. “We needed this to get our confidence back. We’ve got a solid team, and as we head into regionals, we want to be playing our best baseball.”
For Fort Frye, head coach Trey Engle noted the effort from pitcher Clayton Miller, who made his first mound appearance in four years. “He actually threw well — maybe even too many strikes,” Engle said. “We’re a young team, and this is part of the learning curve. We’ve just got to figure out how to create runs.”
The Cadets look to bounce back Thursday in a Twin State League matchup at Point Pleasant, while Parkersburg South travels to face John Marshall today.
