SPRING VALLEY -- Baseball is a game of numbers, and Spring Valley has Huntington High's.
The Timberwolves (3-1) ran their series winning streak against the Highlanders (1-4) to 10 on Wednesday with a 12-5 victory.
A five-run first inning erased a 2-0 deficit and made a winner of starting pitcher Jake Van Arsdale, who gave up four runs, three earned, on five hits, with seven strikeouts and four walks.
"We squared a lot of baseballs up. Even our outs were hit hard," Spring Valley coach Austin Pratt said. "Our defense played fairly well. We had a mental error on a pop-up that turned into two runs. We cut a ball that I thought we could've had a play at home. Overall, we're learning and getting better."
Huntington High scored twice in the top of the first as Cash White crossed the plate on a balk and Jaxon Hatfield came home on Evan Childers' single.
The lead didn't last long. Cole Ferguson led off the Timberwolves' half of the inning with a home run to left field. After Brody Spencer and Garrett Wagoner singled and moved up on a balk, Jonah Howard and Van Arsdale each hit into a run-producing fielder's choice to make it 3-2. Cam Perdue doubled home Luke Van Arsdale and Parker Phillips for a 5-2 advantage.
Wagoner's sacrifice fly plated Ferguson in the second. Perdue and Jack Shumaker each knocked in a run in the third to make it 8-2. Spencer doubled before Harrold singled him in in the fourth for a 9-2 lead.
The Highlanders tried to climb back in it in the fifth. Matt Hood walked and scored on a double error. Bradley Johnson's base hit brought in Jacob Hale to cut the deficit to 9-4.
Spring Valley, though, responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning. Spencer and Ferguson each drove in one run and Ferguson scored on a wild pitch.
Xavier Goodwin's single plated Hatfield in the seventh to set the score.
"Not trying to make an excuse, but I have three freshmen out there," Huntington coach John Dennison said. "I have four juniors, a senior and three sophomores. We only have one senior on the team. We're young. The goal going forward is getting these guys game experience and ready for the mid-April and May run."
Ferguson went 3 for 4 with a homer, double and two runs batted in. Spencer was 3 for 4, Perdue went 2 for 3 with three RBIs, Shumaker was 2 for 3 and Luke Van Arsdale went 2 for 4. Harrold drove in two runs.
Childers went 2 for 3 and pitched a scoreless sixth inning for the Highlanders.
Both teams' next games are at Marshall University's Jack Cook Field. The Timberwolves meet Bridgeport at 10 a.m. Thursday. Huntington High takes on John Marshall at 7 p.m. Friday.
HUNTINGTON HIGH 200 020 1 -- 5 7 1
SPRING VALLEY 512 130 x -- 12 15 2
Mayo, Legg (2), Lucas (4), Childers (6) and Goodwin; J. Van Arsdale, Harrold (5) and Perdue.
Hitting: (H) Childers 2-3; (SV) Ferguson 3-4 2B HR 2 RBIs, Spencer 3-4 2B, Harrold 2 RBIs, L. Van Arsdale 2-4 2B, Perdue 2-3 2 2B 3 RBIs, Shumaker 2-3.
