Top-ranked Millard West remained unbeaten Monday night by combining timely hitting with a pitching-by-committee mentality.

The Wildcats used six pitchers while holding on for a 9-5 road win over third-ranked Millard South. Millard West moved to 8-0 while the Patriots fell to 5-2.

The key hits came from senior Garrett Kennedy and junior Eric Standish, who each delivered two-run singles. Those proved big as Millard South fought to close an early 5-1 deficit.

It wasn’t the crispest game — one that lasted almost three hours — as the teams combined for 19 walks and seven errors.

“At times it was pretty ugly,’’ Wildcats coach Steve Frey said. “The defenses made the pitchers work extra hard.’’

Millard West took a lead it would never surrender in the third inning, scoring three runs on no hits. Standish, Max Anderson and Jackson Meier drew walks, and all three scored when a fly ball by Tristan Gomes was dropped in the outfield.

After the Patriots scored a run in the bottom of the third, the Wildcats extended their advantage in the fourth. A Jackson Wright double and a walk to Meier were followed by a two-run single by No. 9 batter Kennedy.

Millard South closed to 5-4 in the bottom of the inning when three players — Tre Mungin, Tyson Gerdes and Drew Wessel — all had RBIs. The score stayed that way until the sixth when Millard West broke the game open.

The Wildcats sent 10 batters to the plate and combined three hits with three walks and an error to score four. Standish had the key hit, driving in two with a single up the middle.

“We got the big hits when we needed them,’’ Frey said. “We were working pretty hard to hold them off.’’

Senior Jarod Kojdecki, the fourth of Millard West’s six pitchers, helped hold the fort. He pitched 21⁄3 innings, and Anderson, a Texas A&M recruit, picked up the save by nailing down the victory in the seventh.

“We got within a run, but then we couldn’t get the big hit,’’ Patriots coach Greg Geary said. “We’ve got a lot of young guys this year, and they’re still figuring out varsity baseball.’’

Kyan Lodice had three hits for Millard West, including a pair of doubles.

“It still looks pretty ragged out there because of the weather that’s affected everything,’’ Frey said. “I think teams will look a lot different later in the year.’’

Both teams return to action Tuesday. Millard West hosts Bellevue West while Millard South plays at Elkhorn South.

Millard West (8-0).........003 204 0—9 9 3

Millard South (5-2)........001 301 0—5 4 4

W: Kojdecki. L: Novak. S: Anderson. 2B: MW, Lodice 2, Wright.