Pitching and defense lead Miners to 7-2 win over Fort Hill

Mar. 22—CUMBERLAND — Mountain Ridge's pitching and defense led it to a 7-2 road win over Fort Hill on Tuesday afternoon at Holler Field in the Hot Stove Complex.

The Miners (1-0) won the season opener for both teams after taking the lead for good in the third inning.

"First time we saw live pitching, I was pleased," Mountain Ridge head coach Todd Snyder said. "We had very few strikeouts, kids were swinging the bat which is a good thing."

The Sentinels (0-1) also leaned on their defense to stay in the game as the offense struggled to find momentum.

"We started out good, played decent defensively," Fort Hill head coach Jeff Brode said. "Just made a few mistakes, we had a missed play and then a walk. Next thing you know, they're at the top of the order."

It looked like a pitcher's duel through the first two innings. Neither team scored with the teams combining for four hits.

"We made some real nice plays in the infield," Brode said. "We had a miss played ball in the outfield that led to a few runs."

That changed in the top of the third inning when Mountain Ridge scored three runs. With runners on first and second, Uma Pua'auli hit a two-run single to left to give the Miners a 2-0 lead.

"It was an excuse me swing," Snyder said. "We had a couple balls that were hit hard, but they were hit right at them. Once we were able to get on, we started running and causing some problems with the running game. It opens up our offense, the kids start feeling comfortable at the plate."

Landon McAlpine added an RBI triple to center to extend Mountain Ridge's lead to 3-0.

McAlpine also started on the mound for the Miners. He struck out the side in order in the bottom of the third inning. All three were swinging strikeouts.

"He was going to his changeup," Snyder said. "He was able to start spotting it up, start getting better breaks. When that changeup is going well, it's a very good out pitch for him."

Each team scored a run in the fourth inning. Pua'auli drew a walk with the bases loaded. The Sentinels scored the runner from third on an error.

After a scoreless fifth, Pua'auli picked up his third RBI on a groundout to third.

Down 5-1 in the sixth inning, Fort Hill had runners on first and second. A throwing error scored the runner from second to cut the Sentinels' deficit to 5-2.

"That inning, we had a chance," Brode said. "Bases loaded, we got one. Had a chance, they made a play. That's baseball, they made plays."

Fort Hill loaded the bases with two outs, but a groundout left the runners stranded to end the inning.

Tyson Shumaker sealed the game in the seventh inning. He hit a ball to left field that landed a few feet shy of a home run. It was a two-run triple that pushed the Miners' lead to 7-2.

"It was huge, it sealed the game," Snyder said. "It gave us that insurance run where they would have to come up with a rally."

Mountain Ridge finished with an 8-5 advantage in hits.

Stolen bases were a key factor for Mountain Ridge as it finished with an 8-2 edge and scored four runs off of them.

"It's a huge emphasis," Snyder said. "If you can get guys in scoring position in high school baseball, there's a real chance you're gonna score a run. We try and take advantage of that, it's one of the things we do."

McAlpine pitched a complete game allowing five hits, two runs and one walk. He struck out nine batters.

"I wasn't sure what we would get," Snyder said. "We're coming off maybe 10 innings returning from our pitching staff last year. I wasn't sure where we would be. I was tickled to death for Landon. He's got a strong arm and he's gonna keep getting stronger and better for us."

Pua'auli went 3 for 4 with three RBIs and a walk.

"Uma's solid all around," Snyder said. "He had a solid day, he came through in the clutch. Very pleased with Uma, he's done great in the lead-off spot."

Anthony Burns pitched the first four innings for Fort Hill. He allowed four hits, four runs and five walks with one strikeout. He went five innings without allowing a walk.

"Anthony's not gonna strike a ton of guys out," Brode said. "He didn't walk anybody until the nine hole hitter. We preach to him, let them put the ball in play. We need to make plays behind him."

Landon Sturtz and Owen Seifarth finished the game out of the bullpen.

Shane Welsh led the Sentinels, going 2 for 3 with two stolen bases.

"Shane's a player, he's a tough kid," Brode said. "He carried us a lot last year. He's gonna put the ball in play, he's gonna hit the ball hard."

Both teams play on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. Fort Hill hosts Southern at the Hot Stove Complex. Mountain Ridge travels to face Jefferson at Shenandoah Junctions, W.Va.

"They're a quality opponent, one of the best teams in West Virginia," Snyder said. "It's gonna be a quality challenge for us. Hopefully we can get it in and kids can get experience against a quality opponent."

Jordan Kendall is a Sports Writer for the Cumberland Times-News. Follow him on Twitter @JKendallCTN.