Photo by Andrew Grimm Weir High’s Grant Wilharm rounds third and heads for home to score the winning run after Tyler Kelly’s walk-off two-run double in the bottom of the seventh inning Tuesday at Edwin J. Bowman Field.

WEIRTON — Dave Cowden is quick to point out his Red Riders have good senior leadership.

So, after watching a three-run lead get away and heading to the bottom of the seventh down a run, it is only fitting it was one of those seniors that came through with the clutch hit.

Tyler Kelly, who Cowden noted was in need of a big hit after struggling at the plate of late, cranked a double deep into the outfield with the bases loaded, driving in the tying and winning runs for a come-from-behind, 6-5 walk-off win at a soggy Edwin J. Bowman Field Tuesday evening.

“We made a lot of mistakes, we played like a young team instead of an experienced team, but somehow we found a way,” Cowden said fresh out of the celebration. “That is what matters at the end of the day, that in the bottom of the seventh you come through.

“TK has been battling for us on the mound and has been struggling at the plate, and he comes up with the huge double to end the game for us to end the game. I am happy for him.”

The Red Riders (6-3) had held a 4-1 lead through two innings before Brooke (4-5) battled its way from the early hole take the lead in the top of the seventh with a two-out RBI double by Carson Lauttamus.

“It is a rivalry game and Brooke played well enough to win, they played tough and it could have gone either way,” Cowden said. “They’re a good team and they are getting better.

“We have a lot of seniors and that is part of (why they were able to bounce back). They have been there and done that and nothing catches them off guard. It’s a good group of kids.”

Coming up just short after falling into an early hole was an all-familiar tale for the Bruins, who fell behind Indian Creek 11-0 on Saturday in the their last outing before coming up a run short, 12-11, in that game, too.

“That’s two in a row we’ve fought back at the end of the game and came up short,” Brooke coach C.J. Besece said.

After the Red Riders’ plated two in each of the first two innings, Owen Petrella replaced Alex Jezierski in the third and put-up zeros in innings three-six to allow his team’s bats to get going. He recorded an out in the seventh before being lifted for Charlie Fuscardo.

In the fifth, the Bruins had the bases full with no one out, but only managed to get one run across — the tying run crossing when Lauttamus hit into an RBI fielder’s choice to make it 4-4.

“We have the bases loaded with nobody out and only score one run,” Besece said. “That was a chance for us to have a big inning, and we didn’t. That is pretty much the difference in the game right there.”

Grant Wilharm (bases loaded walk) and G. Cross (single) plated Red Rider runs in the first, and Elijah Gillette (double), Mason Drobish (single) and Anthony Cross (single) provided the offense in the bottom of the second.

A Lauttamus RBI triple and a Jezierski RBI single in the third kickstarted the Bruins’ comeback.

Paden City 17, Magnolia 0

NEW MARTINSVILLE — The Wildcats scored early and often to defeat Magnolia by 17 in four innings.

Ashton Little led the way with four scoreless innings of three-run ball on the mound and four RBI on two singles at the plate. Bryson Stackpole hit a double and drove in four runs. Kayden Myers hit two doubles with two RBI and Brandon Rone also drove in two.

Drake Kocher had a double and single for Magnolia.

Toronto 6, Union Local 5

TORONTO — After a couple of tough losses, the Toronto baseball team plated three runs in the bottom of the seventh for a 6-5 win over Union Local Tuesday at the Knights Baseball Complex.

Balke Close, who got the start on the mound and struck out five in five innings of work, hit the walk-off RBI single to lift Brian Perkins’ club to victory.

Dom Bouscher had three doubles and an RBI in the win, throwing the final two innings on the mound with four strikeouts.

Toronto, now 4-3 on the season, is scheduled to host Lisbon on Thursday.

Heartland Christian 11, Edison 7

COLUMBIANA — The Edison baseball team dropped an 11-7 decision to Heartland Christian on the road Tuesday.

The Wildcats got two hits and two RBIs from Gage Cline, while Hunter Rotchacker had a double, a single and two RBIs.

Ian McBane also drove in a run and Matt Parsons had a double.

SOFTBALL

Tyler Consolidated 9, Ritchie County 7, 8 Innings

ELLENBORO — A late rally by the Silver Knights netted them an extra-inning victory on the road. Tyler scored four runs in the top of the seventh to tie the game at seven and two runs in the top of the eighth to win 9-7.

Six Tyler hitters recorded multiple hits with Ashlee Spencer and Briann Templeton registering three each. Tanley McEndowney drove in three runs with two singles. Braden Wall got the win in the circle with two strikeouts as well as two hits and an RBI at the plate.

Jayci Gray hit two doubles and drove in three runs for Ritchie while Marissa Jeffrey had two singles, a double, triple and an RBI and Olivia Dodd hit a single and home run and had two RBI.

Magnolia 9, Paden City 2

NEW MARTINSVILLE — Back-to-back first-inning doubles by Haidyn Bland and Emma Steele put the Blue Eagles ahead and they never looked back, defeating Paden City 9-2 in a full seven innings.

Bland and Steele both also recorded a single to post matching two-hit performances at the plate.

Destinty Rone and Mckenzie Thomas both had a single for the Wildcats.

Indian Creek 10, Toronto 0

TORONTO — The Red Knights committed four errors and the Redskins scored three runs on wild pitches as Indian Creek shut out Toronto, 10-0, in five innings on a rainy Tuesday evening inside Michael Simpson Park.

Individually, Kiersten Dorsey tallied two singles and two RBI, Brooke Grant collected a single, a double and an RBI and Emileah Booth contributed two singles and an RBI. Also, Trinity Taylor produced a double and an RBI, and McKenna Scott singled.

Isabelle Cottrell tallied a base hit for Toronto.

Oak Glen 5, Brooke 0

NEW MANCHESTER — On the night Oak Glen celebrated its seniors, the members of the class helped propel the Golden Bears to a victory over visiting Brooke, 5-3, to stay unbeaten.

Senior Kenna Calahan had a homer, a single and drove in two runs, while classmate Maddie McKay came on in the seventh to record a save with a 1-2-3 inning.

Oak Glen had opened a 5-0 lead through four innings, but the Bruins came stroming back in the top of the sixth with three runs.

Lizzie Kell, who earned the win for Sherrie Garner’s club, closed got through six with the lead intact, though, before McKay slammed the door shut.

Sydney Brown had a homer, while Sarah Brown doubled and Olivia Munoz plated a run.

For the Bruins, Emilee Knorr and Landry Bone each had base hits, while Lex Forehsa struck out three in six innings of work.

Madonna 16, East Liverpool 6

EAST LIVERPOOL–The Madonna softball team went on the road Tuesday and evened its record at 3-3 with a mercy rule shortened, 16-6 win over East Liverpool.

Ally Laughlin and Grace Parker led the Blue Dons offense, each collecting two singles and a double.

Gigi Orecchio, Mia Pietranton, and Carmela Pulice each had a single. Maddie Cross picked up the win with four strikeouts and 3 RBIs.

Maddie Cross picked up the win in the circle with four strikeouts and added three RBIs at the plate.