Photo by Kim North John Marshall first baseman Aidan Clegg applies a late tag to Brooke’s Zac O’Mery on a pickoff attempt during Thursday’s game on Monarch Field in Glen Dale. The Monarchs held off the Bruins, 4-3.

GLEN DALE – Coming of an 8-0 blanking at Morgantown on Wednesday, John Marshall was looking to bounce back against W.Va. Class AAA Region I rival Brooke 24 hours later.

The Monarchs (10-3) did just that in taking the lead and then holding off the Bruins, 4-3, between rain drops at Monarch Field.

“It was a very good game,” John Marshall head coach Mark Cisar said. “I was a little disappointed in our guys because we had a chance to do some things a couple of times and didn’t, but we were facing a good pitcher. We had a timely hit when we needed it, which is something we didn’t get yesterday (at Morgantown).

“We had seven or eight hits yesterday (Wednesday) but couldn’t get the one we needed.”

With the contest knotted at 1 entering the bottom of the fifth, John Marshall exploded for three runs on a like number of hits for a 4-1 advantage. Aidan Clegg started the outburst with a single to right. He went to second when Jayden Astipalitis, the Monarchs’ No. 9 hitter, was hit by a pitch from Andrew Murdock. After both runners advanced on a wild pitch, Cain Martin, who was in a similar situation in the third, laced a 2-2 pitch just inside the left field line for a double that plated both runners. With one out, Mason Markonich’s seeing-eye single up the middle chased home Martin. Murdock escaped further damage with back-to-back strikeouts.

“Cain couldn’t get the bunt down the previous at-bat, but he came through big for us when we needed him too,” Cisar added. “I called him down (before the double) and told him this is high school baseball and not everything is going to go your way all the time. Stay patient. Murdock threw him some good pitches, but he left one up (in the strike zone) and Cain ripped it down the line.”

The Bruins (6-12-1) closed the gap to 4-2 in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Murdock scored Zac O’Mery. They drew to within a run in the seventh when Aidan Provenzano doubled leading off. He was replaced by courtesy runner Blake Bennett who advanced to third on a sly ball off the bat of Dustin Engle. Blaine Beatty’s groundout scored Bennett, but that would be as close as Brooke would get.

“That was a good game. That’s what I just told my kids,” Brooke head coach Doug Costain said. “Both teams had a chance to win. One day we’re going to put it all together. All of our goals are still in front of us and nobody in our region has dismantled us. We’re going to keep battling until we can figure it out.”

John Marshall led 1-0 on Kayden Knapp’s two-out single in the bottom of the first knocked in winning pitcher Hayden Hughes. Brooke evened the count in the third on an RBI single by O’Mery.

Both teams had opportunities for more runs, but couldn’t capitalize as each left four runners on base, with the Monarchs stranding three in scoring position.

Hughes went the distance, needing 103 pitched – 65 strikes – to get the job done. He struck out three, walked one and gave up five hits.

“Hayden was outstanding on the mound once again,” Cisar praised. “He threw a lot of pitches, with this being the most he’s thrown all season, but he gutted it out.

Murdock, a West Liberty University signee, fanned four, issued two free passes and yielded half-a-dozen hits. He threw 82 pitches, with 52 being strikes.

Clegg singled and doubled for John Marshall, while Knapp, a West Virginia Wesleyan signee, singled twice. O’Mery had a pair of singles for the Bruins.

John Marshall remains home Friday to welcome Hedgesville. The two also play on Saturday. Meanwhile, Brooke hosts East Liverpool today.