Defending state champ Knights top Big Reds, 12-1 | News, Sports, Jobs

Parkersburg first baseman Cooper Cancade, right, holds on Cabell Midland’s Landon Nida during a high school baseball game Friday.
(Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

PARKERSBURG — Class AAA defending state champion Cabell Midland waltzed into new-look Bennett Stump Field at City Park here Friday evening and left town with a convincing 12-1 Mountain State Athletic Conference five-inning mercy rule win versus Parkersburg behind four runs-batted-in apiece from Luke Samuel and Aden McCormill.

Conner Storey was chased before completing the second inning as the Big Reds of skipper Alan Burns slipped to 6-8 with a noon Saturday affair on tap when Spring Valley invades.

“They hit the ball. I don’t think Conner threw as well as he normally does,” admitted the coach. “A couple of plays I think could’ve been made behind him, but you know they are a good hitting team.

“Crap, you have the kid who hits the home run (Samuel’s three-run bomb in the third off Owen Slone), next time up he goes opposite field. That’s what good hitters do. Wherever we were pitching the ball, that’s where they were hitting it. They had more hits to the right side than they did left side. They go with the pitch.”

Owen Maynard threw two-hit ball over four innings and survived five free passes to earn the win. Eli McGinnis allowed a one-out single to Big Red shortstop Caden Parker during a scoreless fifth.

Parkersburg’s Caden Parker gets out of the way from an offering by Cabell Midland’s Owen Maynard.
(Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

“He got a little tired and he needs to go run some,” said Cabell Midland head coach Tracy Brumfield of Maynard, who walked three in the fourth when he allowed his only run.

“I’ll make sure he does. He threw a good game. He’s been throwing good all year and he’s been solid for us. He’s only a sophomore. Owen did a good job tonight.”

Ray Ray Williams’ one-out single and No. 3 hole hitter Kenyon Collins’ double to the fence in left put runners on second and third for Samuel, who lifted a sacrifice fly to center to put the Knights (14-6) ahead for good. McCormill, who went 2 for 4, followed with an RBI single and made it 3-0 when he crossed on a Big Red error. Ben Fulks, who had an infield single and stole second, later made it 4-0 when he came home on a passed ball.

Jaxon Myers coaxed a one-out walk in the bottom of the first, but Maynard got a 4-6-3 double play turned by Bryce Alfrey and the shortstop Collins.

By the time the Big Reds came to the dish in the second, the Knights led 9-0.

For the second straight inning, CMHS sent nine batters to the plate. Landon Nida, who walked and stole second, came home along with Collins and courtesy runner Alex Cremeans when McCormill laced a bases-clearing three-bagger to center. Fulks and Cade Johnson, who went 3 for 4, also added an RBI.

“We’ll go with Landon Bryan. It’s just another day in the MSAC. Spring Valley just beat Cabell Midland (6-3) last night,” coach Burns added.

“They are coming into town. Tonight they played at Ripley and then they are coming up here, spending the night and play us at noon and South at four.”

Slone issued back-to-back base on balls in the third to Williams and Collins before Samuel left the yard to left-center. McCormill followed with a shot to center, but Big Red Peyton Davis was able to track it down.

“That’s what I told the kids. I said I know that was a long drive, but we came out and we did what we needed to do,” Brumfield continued. “We put the ball in play and hit the ball hard.

“He’s (Samuel) done a good job. He DHs and we trade him and Eli McGinnis back and forth behind the play, and today was his day and he had a good day at the plate.”

Cooper Cancade’s single to lead off the second and Jesse Showalter’s knock to center to open the third were the Big Reds’ only other hits.

Cabell Midland will attempt to start a winning streak when the Knights return to action noon Saturday at host Boyd County.

Contact Jay Bennett at [email protected]