Warren's Braylen Murray fouls off a pitch before hitting a two-run single in the second inning of the Warriors' 18-8 five-inning setback to Parkersburg South on Thursday evening at Hank Greenburg Field. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

PARKERSBURG — TJ Thomas turned three at-bats with the bases loaded into six RBIs and teammate Carter McLain became the third Parkersburg South player to reach the 100 career hit milestone here Thursday evening at Hank Greenburg Field during the Patriots’ 18-8 five-inning mercy rule triumph against Warren.

Winning pitcher Dylan Holliday, who worked the first three frames before giving way to Ty Davis, trailed 2-0 after the top of the first. Although the righty struck out Braylen Murray and Jacob Stauffer to get things going, Jake Sealey singled to center and then Warrior catcher Brandon Cline blasted a two-run bomb to left.

Murray, who walked two and allowed four hits and four earned runs in the first, was relieved in the second by eventual losing pitcher Bo Jonas. He was victimized by two errors during an eight-run third where all the runs were unearned.

McLain’s leadoff double to left-center – his 100th career knock – opened the bottom of the first and he scored on Davis’ RBI single to center. Following a sacrifice by Holliday, Easton Walker delivered a run-scoring single to right to tie it. After walks to Ashton Burr and Landon Utt, Thomas came up with the bases juiced for the first time and promptly made it 4-2 with a single.

The 6-6 Warriors of head man Chad Porter, whose pitchers issued a dozen walks and plunked a pair of Patriots, sent nine batters to the plate in the second and forged ahead 5-4.

Warren's Tate Jonas rounds third and heads for home during the second inning of the Warriors' 18-8 five-inning setback to Parkersburg South on Thursday evening at Hank Greenburg Field. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

Haiden Strong got things going with a single and Jayce Hilverding followed with an infield single, although he was erased when Tate Jonas hit into a fielder’s choice. However, Murray’s two-run single to left followed and tied the game. After Stauffer took one for the team and Sealey walked to load the bases, Cline was hit by a pitch to force in a run. The two Warriors also reached in the fifth after getting hit by a pitch again.

PSHS, which snapped a two-game slide and improved to 13-9 for skipper Bryan Youngblood with University set to invade at 5 p.m. Monday, answered with four runs in the second and then the big third inning.

“It’s good to get back in the ‘W’ column,” admitted Youngblood, who got an RBI double from Holliday in the second as well as Thomas’ bases-clearing three-bagger. “The wind was taken out of our sails a little bit when we lost that walk-off to Wheeling Park (6-5 on Tuesday) in the OVAC semifinals. We battled hard to get to the OVAC semis. We hadn’t been there since 2018 when I was on Todd Burner’s staff.

“We won the OVAC that year against Wheeling Park. I felt the wind was taken a little bit out of our sail’s last night. Last night was senior night. It was an emotional night and we dropped one to Marietta (6-4). It was nice to come out and get this one tonight. It was nice to come out and put some runs up. The strike zone was a little inconsistent, a little tight on both sides, and we managed.”

After sending 10 batters to the plate in the second, the Patriots had a dozen step to the dish in the third. Following an RBI single by Thomas, Conner McMullen coaxed a bases-loaded free pass and No. 9 hitter CJ McCartney followed with an RBI hit by pitch. McLain then stepped to the plate and made it 15-5 when he stroked a three-run triple to right. Davis followed with a sacrifice fly for the 11-run bulge.

Warren catcher Brandon Cline trots toward third after launching a two-run homer in the top of the first Thursday evening at Hank Greenburg Field during the Warriors' 18-8 five-inning setback to Parkersburg South. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

Warren, which plays host at 5 p.m. today to Morgan, pushed a run across in the fourth when Murray singled and eventually scored on a passed ball. However, the Warriors left the bases loaded as the visitors went 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position.

The Warriors tacked on two runs in the fifth to initially avoid the mercy rule as No. 8 hitter Al Winters reached on an error and Tate Jonas also walked and later scored. Sealey had the only RBI via a fielder’s choice.

“Obviously it’s disappointing. I feel like that’s a lot closer game than 18-8. I thought we did some really good things offensively,” said coach Porter, who watched Patriot Kyle Cox walk it off in the fifth after his two-run single.

“We got to do a better job in all phases of the game, but offensively was a real positive tonight, and obviously the fact we competed all the way to the end. We didn’t give in. We fought. We just have to be better in all phases. We have to be good in all phases.”

Thomas had the only three-hit effort while teammates Walker and McLain joined Warriors’ Murray and Hilverding with two hits apiece.

Parkersburg South's Carter McLain, who joined fellow Patriots Dylan Holliday and Ty Davis with his 100th career hit via a double in the first inning, legs out a bases-clearing triple for hit No. 101 in the third inning of Thursday's 18-8 five-inning victory versus Warren at Hank Greenburg Field. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

“We see Warren again and I can guarantee the next game is not going to be like this one,” added coach Youngblood, who said of Thomas “TJ’s been struggling a little bit. He’s been hurt and it’s been affecting his performance.

“We slid him into that DH spot so we could save his back a little bit tonight with him not having to play the field. TJ seems to be firing on all cylinders right now. When TJ gets the bat on the ball he sends it. He’s a big powerful kid.”

Contact Jay Bennett at jbennett@newsandsentinel.com

Parkersburg South third baseman CJ McCartney fields the ball and prepares to throw to second for a force out during the Patriots' 18-8 five-inning victory versus Warren on Thursday evening at Hank Greenburg Field. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

Parkersburg South shortstop Eli Davis records an assist during the Patriots' 18-8 five-inning victory versus Warren on Thursday evening at Hank Greenburg Field. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

Parkersburg South's TJ Thomas batted with the bases loaded in each of his first three at-bats during the Patriots' 18-8 five-inning victory versus Warren on Thursday evening at Hank Greenburg Field. Thomas, who walked in the fourth and finished with six runs-batted-in, had a two-run single in the first, a bases-clearing three-bagger in the second as well as a run-scoring single in the third. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)