Manning, Big Red shut down Potters
Steubenville starter fires 16 strikeouts in two-hit shutout
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STEUBENVILLE -- Aydan Manning delivered a gem on the mound to help Big Red end the week with a much-needed victory.
The junior righty fired a complete game shutout, allowing just two hits and striking out 16 batters to shut down East Liverpool and lead Steubenville to a 3-0 win.
"He threw well, he had velocity," veteran Big Red head coach Fred Heatherington said. "His change up was working, his curveball was working. And, he threw strikes. He only had one walk, that's the key."
The win was the second in three days over the Potters (1-6) for Big Red (3-6), and provided a needed bounce back from its third walk-off loss of the week the night before at Harrison Central.
"We lost three games on walk-offs, that's part of the game," Heatherington said. "Our guys are battling, we're getting better and that's all that matters. We've just got to keep playing, keep believing in each other and we'll be fine."
Manning struck out two each in the first four innings, fanned the side in the fifth and sixth innings and closed things out with a pair of punchouts in the seventh, including a swinging whiff for the final out.
Senior catcher Zach Smith, who is signed play collegiately at Malone University, aided in the gem catching several foul tips for the third strike and making several key blocks behind the plate, while the Big Red defense played error-less ball in the field.
"Defensively we were ready," Heatherington said. "But, if you're pitcher is throwing strikes, your defense is ready and that's the key."
After a scoreless first two innings, Smith scored what proved to be the winning run when he raced home and slid in safely on a wild pitch in the bottom of the third.
After a scoreless fourth, Smith again scored in the fifth when the Potters infield committed an error. A Hakim Edwards infield single later in the inning provided the final margin.
East Liverpool pitcher Jake Smith had a solid outing in his own right, striking out five and keeping his team close after the Potters allowed 23 runs on Wednesday evening.
"I hoped for a better outing (than Wednesday), and it was, but it's the same result in the end," East Liverpool head coach Brian May said. "Hopefully we can get some wins next week. (Manning) was really good today, they're a good team. Our pitcher did a good job, too. But, Manning was throwing strikes and keeping us off balance and that's the name of the game."
UP NEXT
East Liverpool: Travels to Wheeling Park on Monday.
Big Red: Travels to New Philadelphia on Monday.
Big Red 3, East Liverpool 0
East Liverpool 0-0-0 0-0-0 0 -- 0 2 4
Big Red 0-0-1 0-2-0 x -- 3 4 0
EAST LIVERPOOL (1-6): Smith (LP, 6IP, 3R, 1ER, 4H, 5K, 1BB, 2HBP) and Tice. Williams S; Tice S.
BIG RED (3-6): Manning (WP, CG, 0R, 2H, 16K, 1BB, 2HBP) and Smith. Smith S; Reese S; Edwards S, RBI; Manning S.