RICHMOND — The Edison baseball team took back in a back-and-forth battle against Wheeling Park. The Patriots took the lead tree times, but each time the Wildcats answered back. In the end, Edison scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to rally for a hard-fought 4-3 victory on a rainy Wednesday evening out at the Edison Unified Sports Complex.

“That was an outstanding baseball game,” Edison (12-5) head coach Mike Collopy said. “Coach (Chad) Stout does an outstanding job. It was one of those games where you hate to see someone lose. It was so evenly played from the pitching to the defense and to the offense. Steve Myers was a good friend of mine, and I am sure he would not be happy the Park Patriots lost, but I am sure he is looking down with a smile on his face because that was a heck of a baseball game. I am just proud of our kids.

“Our kids battled. Every team faces their share of adversity. We have faced ours, and I think it has brought us closer together as a team. I think it has made us a little calloused. The kids battled today. I am proud of them. They competed. It was a total-team win.

“Bryce Rogers was dynamite on the mound today. I usually don’t single any one player out because it is a team game, but he deserves it. It is a credit to him. He battled. Our defense made some plays behind him. Kyle Long made that diving catch in center, and Chase Freeman made some plays in right. We competed. We battled.”

The visitord from Ohio County led by scores of 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 before the Wildcats ultimately came back to win the game.

“We did a good job,” Collopy said. “They threw a couple different pitchers at us. They gave us some different looks. Evan had that big hit, he had that big home run. That tied the score.

“I like where we are at right now. The kids are battling. We want to continue to win pitches and win days.”

Trailing 3-2, the Wildcats were able to answer for the third time in the game in their half of the sixth, however, this time Edison was able to plate a pair of runs to take the lead. Bryson Cunningham singled to center to start the inning, and he advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Santino Auteri. Nolan Haught was issued a free pass bringing Miles Gorby’s time on the mound to an end for the Patriots. Erik Blazier came on in relief, and Chase Freeman singled to load the bases. Then, Kyle Long singled scoring Cunningham to tie the score at 3. With the bases still loaded, Evan Kimmerle was hit by a pitch to plate Haught giving the Wildcats their first lead of the game at 4-3.

The bases were still loaded, but a 4-6-3 double play brought the inning to end, however, the damage had already been done.

“That’s what you have to do,” Collopy said about playing some smallball in the inning. “You have to do the little things to beat good teams. In the games we have won, we did that. In the games we have lost, we didn’t.

“We have an open line of communication with our players. Nolan Haught and Kyle Long, we have been talking to them the last couple of days, and they said that from their perspective we needed to do the little things better. It is not that we have been neglecting them, but you have to do the little things to beat good team.”

The victors were able to get two runners on base in the sixth as Kayden Russell singled to start the inning, and another batter reached on an error with two outs, however, the Wildcats were not able to score as the boys in white made two outs on the bases sending the game to the seventh.

After the Patriots took the lead for the last time, Rogers – Edison’s pitcher – retired the final seven batters he faced en route to picking up the win for the boys from Jefferson County. Five of final seven outs, including the last one of the ballgame, came via strikeout.

Rogers went the distance for Edison striking out nine while walking two.

“Absolutely, Rogers got stronger as the game went on,” Collopy said. “He competed. He threw strikes. Coach (Mark) Smyth called a great game. Coach (Cory) Wickham handles our offense. They did a great job.

“Our kids responded. Wheeling Park is a great team. They play a brutal schedule. They are not going to be awestruck against anyone. I am proud of our effort. I am proud of our team. I am proud of the way we responded.”

Gorby was saddled with the loss for Wheeling Park. Gorby struck out one and walked three in his 4 1/3 innings of work on the mound. Blazier pitched the final 1 2/3 innings. He did not record a strikeout or walk a batter.

Wheeling Park took the lead for the first time in the top of the second as four-straight batters reached base. With one out, Nolan Yanchak and Ossie Hudson delivered back-to-back singles to right to put two runners on, and then Brodie Cox was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Next, Brody Groome reached on an infield single plating Yanchak to give the boys in the red jerseys a 1-0 lead. The Patriots still had the bases loaded, however, Rogers picked off Cox at second for the second out before retiring the side on a strikeout.

The visitors had an opportunity to extend their lead in the third as Gorby walked with one out. Then with two outs, he moved up to second on a passed ball. Braydon Bartsch followed with a shot into the gap in right-center, however, centerfielder Kyle Long made a diving catch to end the inning robbing Bartsch of an extra-base hit and preventing the Patriots plating another run.

The Wildcats then knotted the score at 1 with run in the home half of the inning. Rogers reached on a single to start the inning before moving up to second on a groundout. Then, Haught singled to right to score Rogers tying the score, however, the ball got away in right, and the shortstop ended up hustling in to third on the play. The home team had a chance to take the lead, however, a groundout to third ended the inning keeping the score tied.

The Patriots got the run back in the fourth. Yanchak doubled to center to start the inning, and he scored on a single to left by Hudson to regain the lead for the Patriots at 2-1. The hosts were able to get out of the inning on a double play on a pop-up and a strikeout.

The lead did not last long. After a groundout, Kimmerle launched a solo home run over the fence in left-center to tie the score at 2-all. With two outs, Russell drew a four-pitch walk to put a runner on base. Rogers followed with a shot into the gap in left-center, however, centerfielder Rylan Moore made a diving catch to rob Rogers of an extra-base hit as well as preventing Russell from scoring the go-ahead run.

The back-and-forth affair continued in the fifth as Wheeling Park was once again able to regain the lead. Kolten Whitmire walked with one out, and he advanced to second on a single by Gorby to give the Patriots a pair of baserunners. A flyout resulted in the second out of the inning, however, a bobbled ball on the infield enabled Bartsch to reach on an error while allowing Whitmire to race around and score giving Wheeling Park the lead back at 3-2.

Wheeling Park suffered a major loss in the offseason as former head coach Steve Myers died Sept. 24, 2025 at home.

“I have no words,” Collopy, who was a friend of Myers, said. “I can only speak for myself. It is a tough situation for the team, for the coaching staff and for the community. Steve was the most genuine guy I have ever met. I am being honest. I am not getting old. My kids call me ‘Unc,’ but Steve was a nice guy. He loved baseball. His teams played the right way. He grew up with Coach Stout, and Chad’s team is continuing to play the right way. We have a big game against them coming up down at Wheeling Park.

“We were very fortunate to come out of this game with a win. I am extremely proud of how our guys played. During the game, you aren’t watching the game, you are busy coaching, but both benches were into the game. You could hear them. Both were doing it the right way.

“I know some people watched the game on TV. The weather was not the best, but it was a great atmosphere to watch a game.”

Wheeling Park is scheduled to play Bridgeport W.Va. at 5 p.m. today at home. The Indians defeated the Patriots, 14-1, in six innings April 17 at the McDonald’s Classic.

Edison is slated to play Jefferson County rival Buckeye Local at 5 p.m. Tuesday at home. The Wildcats defeated the Panthers, 17-7 in five innings April 16 at home.

Edison 4, Wheeling Park 3

Wheeling Park 010 110 0 – 3 6 2

Edison 001 120 0 – 4 7 1

WHEELING PARK (6-15): Gorby LP (4 1/3IP, 1K, 3BB), Blazier (1 2/3IP, 0K, 0BB) and Yanchak. Gorby S; Yanchak S, D; Hudson 2S, RBI; Groome S, RBI.

EDISON (12-5): Rogers WP (9K, 2BB) and Kimmerle. N. Haught S, RBI; Freeman S; Long S, RBI; Kimmerle HR, 2RBI; Russell S; Rogers S; Cunningham S.