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Morristown West had controlled its long-awaited district opener despite having somewhat silent bats.

That changed in the top of the seventh when the Wolves scored two runs and forced extra innings.

West had plenty of base runners throughout the course of the game, but it failed to send them home, including stranding two runners in the bottom of the seventh in its first attempt at a walkoff.

The Trojans finally broke through in the eighth. Leo Hull led off the inning with a full-count single, and Jake Pompeo followed with a hard-hit ground ball that reached on an error. West Ridge then intentionally walked Levi Blair to load the bases for Urijah Marsingill.

Marsingill took two balls before swinging at the third pitch, driving a single through the left sideto give West a 4-3 walk-off win over the Wolves.

It was the first walk-off for the Trojans this season, who improved to 11-12 and 1-0 in District 1-4A.

“I’ll take any win we can get,” head coach Justin Pickett said. “The guys played good, Caleb (Rodrick) came out here and pitched it really well. I credit West Ridge, they came out there and competed, found ways to manufacture runs here and there, and then at the end they didn’t quit and found ways to tie it up at the end, you know. And then, we had an opportunity to do something we ain’t done all year. So I look at it as a positive. We found a way in a tie ball game, there in the eighth and just had more good at-bats. Found a way to get on base. And Uriah, you know, he’s been swinging it well, had an opportunity with bases loaded, nobody out and hit a little single there to find a way to get the run through. So very proud of the effort. These guys have been playing outstanding.”

Pickett said Hull’s at-bat started the eighth inning off right.

“It was huge,” he said. “You know, going into that inning, we’re trying to get the lead-off guy on, try to find ways to get him over in scoring position. And we’re able to steal there and get him in scoring position. And then, it was trying to get it to the next guy, not trying to be too big, just kind of take what they give us. Jake did a really good job there. Had a good at-bat and we found a way to manufacture a run.”

Leading the Trojans was Hull and Nate Ramsey with two hits apiece, while Marsingill collected a pair of RBIs. Rodrick was not the winning pitcher, but he pitched 7.2 innings with nine strikeouts, But Hull faced just one batter to earn the win, striking him out in the process.

The evening started with a West Ridge RBI single in the top of the first to make it 1-1, but Ramsey followed with a sac fly with loaded bases to tie it. West took the lead in the bottom of the second, driving in a run with a fielder’s choice. The Trojans made it 3-1 in the bottom of the fifth with a sac fly.

West Ridge tied it back up in the top of the seventh with a pair of two-out RBI singles to force extras.

The Trojans had a chance to walk it off in the bottom of the seventh after Ramsey and Logan Long reached with two outs, but a fielder’s choice ended the inning to later set up Marsingill’s walk-off.

After a 4-10 start to the year, West is 7-2 over its last nine and has momentum as it heads into a decisive stretch of its schedule.

“We’re playing good baseball, and that’s all we’re trying to do,” Pickett said. “We play one game at a time and get better one game at a time. As I said, the guys have been swinging it well, you know, it didn’t show tonight. We didn’t have as good at bats. We kind of chased a little bit early, or just did a little too much early. But whenever we needed to, we buckled down and went back to our game. We put the ball in play, and tried to find ways to get on and get guys into scoring position. That’s what we did late.”

The Trojans traveled to Blountville for another meeting with the Wolves before a Thursday matchup with former district foe Jefferson County, resuming its district slate with Science Hill on Friday.

“None of these games are ever easy. Every game’s a challenge,”Pickett said. “And even though Jeff County is a non-district game, it’s still a region game. We’ve seen them early, but at the same time, it’s at Jeff. So we’re gonna have to go there and play really well. And then we got to turn around and play Science Hill on Friday, and that’s gonna be a tough one. So, ywe’re just trying to play good baseball early in the week and kind of continue to get something going late. But if we do what we’re capable of, you know, pitch it and field it and manufacture a couple runs, we’ll be all right.”