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Morristown West had to come from behind in the final inning for its latest baseball victory.

The Trojans slipped past Union County, 3-2, Friday night at a rainy Trojans Park when Charlie Dewald laced a single off the glove of the third baseman to bring home Jordan Watson with the winning run with two out in the bottom of the seventh.

It was the eighth win against 10 losses for Coach Justin Pickett’s Trojans while Union County fell to 14-6.

Union County got both of its runs in the top of the fifth inning and kept its lead as the Trojans left two runners on base in five consecutive innings before pulling out the victory.

A pair of opposite-field hits got the winning rally started.

Paxton Seal led off the seventh with a drive over the right fielder’s head that went for a triple as the ball hit the wall and rolled toward center field.

Jordan Watson followed with a double down the left-field line to tie the game at 2-2. Losing pitcher Max Richardson got the next two batters to ground out before intentionally walking Gavin Mitchell who already had three hits on the night.

Dewald then hit a line shot for the game-winner.

Light rain started falling in the fifth and turned into a steady rain by the time the game ended.

Pickett said, “That was a big win for us against a really good team. They have some good arms and play great defense.”

Bryson Shepard got only one out on the mound but picked up the victory. Landyn Spencer pitched five strong innings before leaving with two out in the sixth. Watson came on and got the last out of the frame and the first two men in the seventh.

The next two Patriots walked and Pickett brought Shepard to the mound. He promptly struck out a batter to keep the Trojans within a run and set up the winning rally.

Pickett said, “We had great pitching all night. Landyn went out there and did a great job and Watson came in there and did what we expected him to do. Then we brought Shepard in to get the final out.

“We were down but the thing about these kids all year long is that they don’t give up,” he added. “It’s just a matter of time until they find a way to get on the scoreboard and that’s what we did tonight.”

He closed, “We had chances throughout the game and were waiting on a timely hit. The kids believe in each other. I thought we hit the ball well and had good at bats.

“It was just a good baseball game all around.”

Richardson took the loss as he became the fourth Union County pitcher at the start of the seventh. Brady Stinnett was the starter and didn’t allow a run before he was replaced by Eben Hansen with two on and none out in the third. Hansen struck out the next three batters and his team got on the scoreboard in the next inning.

Trot Russell walked to lead off and was sacrificed to second by Ian Setzer. Spencer got the second out on a fly to right but the Patriots, who hadn’t had a hit all night, got three straight singles from Hansen, Dylan Ford and Landon Hamic to score their only runs.

A base-running mistake cost them a chance at more when West catcher Cody Blair threw Ford out at third after the throw to the plate when Hansen scored on Hamic’s hit.

West got one run back in its half of the frame as a pair of errors, a single by Mitchell and an infield hit by Dewald. Catcher Hamic got the final out of the inning as he raced to the backstop to get a wild pitch and then dove to the plate to tag Mitchell trying to score from third.

The Patriots changed pitchers again as Kaden Stinnett came to the mound to start the sixth. Mitchell led off with another hit and Bryson Jenkins drew a base on balls before a strike out ended the inning.

West totaled nine hits with Mitchell leading the way. Dewald was the only other Trojan with two hits.

Russell, Hansen, Ford and Hamic all had singles for the Patriots.

West pitchers combined for eight strike outs in the contest with Spencer getting four, Watson three and Shepard one.