ON THE HILL — Big Red pitcher Nolan Blackburn delivers during Thursday’s game against Wheeling Park on the campus of West Liberty University. - Kim North

WEST LIBERTY — Wheeling Park has a big weekend of action ahead against three quality Class AAA teams from around the Mountain State as it competes in the annual McDonald’s Baseball Classic Classic in Bridgeport, W.Va.

The Patriots (11-4) will begin play today against host Bridgeport at noon before meeting Huntington at 4:30 p.m. They go against St. Albans Saturday at noon.

Head coach Steve Myers’ group will be heading to the weekend event with a lot of momentum as they’ve won three straight this week, the latest coming in dramatic fashion Thursday at sun-splashed Kovalick Field on the campus of West Liberty University.

Wheeling Park junior Tino Nardone, the No. 9 hitter in the lineup, broke up a pitcher’s duel supreme between Big Red freshman Nolan Blackburn and Patriots sophomore Trenton Rosenthal with a 2-run double with one out in the bottom of the seventh to lift the hosts to a thrill-packed, 2-1, victory.

“We just hung in there,” Myers said. “Tino really hit that ball hard there to end it. He’s hit the ball really well lately. He’s been hitting the ball hard and he hit it hard in his first two at-bats, but had nothing to show for it. Now he does.”

With one out, Quinn Jamison, the winning pitcher on Wednesday, drew a walk and Nate Simon singled to left. With the count 0-2, Nardone found the gap in right-center as Jamison scored easily while Simon raced all the way around from first with the winning run.

“Quinn showed a lot of discipline there on a 3-1 pitch,” Myers recalled. “He is one of our captains. He’s been in our lineup for two years.”

The setback is one of several one-run decisions Big Red has suffered this season.

“We battled and battled. You know we’re getting close when it hurts,” veteran Steubenville head coach Fred Heatherington said. “We’ve got to come back (today) ready to play again, that’s all.”

Myers was praiseful of both hurlers.

“Both young men on the mound pitched very well,” he said. “I think our guy only threw something like 60 pitches or so. Their guy was fantastic.”

Steubenville scored the only run until the seventh in the fifth. Ty Pierce doubled to left leading off and was sacrificed to third by Brenden Dobreff. Pierce then sprinted home when Cole Bowers grounded out to short.

Big Red (3-9) had a couple of other opportunities, but the Patriots turned inning-ending double plays in the third, fourth and seventh innings to bail out Rosenthal, who was making his first varsity start and only his second appearance. He didn’t strike out a batter, but didn’t walk one either while giving up five hits. He did hit a batter but needed just 64 pitches – 39 strikes – in going the distance.

“Our defense was outstanding,” Myers noted.

Steubenville also turned a double play to end the sixth and avoid trouble.

Blackburn, who threw 90 pitches (64 strikes), struck out four and walked one in suffering the tough-luck loss. He yielded six hits.

Bubby Reese singled twice for Steubenville. Pierce singled and doubled.

Nathan Bittinger had a double for Wheeling Park.

Wheeling Park 2, Steubenville 1

Steubenville 000 010 0 – 1 5 1

Wheeling Park 000 000 2 – 2 6 1

S-N. Blackburn lp (4K, 1BB) and Smith; Reese 2S; Pierce S, D; Bowers rbi

WP-Rosenthal wp (0K, 0BB) and Conrad; Bittinger D; Nardone D, 2rbi