Wheeling Central holds off Madonna
WEIRTON -- The Wheeling Central baseball team survived an elimination game against rival Madonna, and the Maroon Knights have a chance to eliminate the Blue Dons and advanced to the regional tournament.
Wheeling Central -- the No. 3 seed -- scored the first six runs before holding off a late charge by second-seeded Madonna to pull out a 6-4 victory in a West Virginia Region 1 Section 1 game Saturday evening at Bowman Field.
"We have played six days in a row," Wheeling Central (15-13) head coach Jason Rowe said. "These kids are really resilient.
"Our two freshmen did an awesome job, and we were able to close it out. Brayden did a great job. He threw 100 pitches, and then Matt came in and closed it out. Our two freshmen did an excellent job."
Madonna's inability to come through with timely hits proved to be costly for the Blue Dons. Trailing by two runs, the Dons had runners on second and third with one out in the bottom of the sixth, however, the hosts were unable to come through in the clutch as a pop-up and a flyout ended the inning. Madonna had a runner on second with two outs in the seventh, however, a strikeout ended the game.
The Blue Dons had at least one runner reach base in all seven innings, however, the sixth inning was the only one in which they scored.
"It's like I told then, we did not have good approaches," Madonna (11-14) head coach Jeff Baire said. "We told them what they were going to see and how they were going to pitch us, and we still chased. The low strike was the strike of the day, and we still swung at the pitch above our chest.
"Their pitcher pitched a heck of a game. He was able to see what he was given, and he was able to take advantage.
"They kept the other game 3-2 because we chased the high pitches. You have to be able to make adjustments."
The teams will meet in a winner take all game at 5:30 p.m. today back at Bowman Field.
"It is like a Game 7 situation," Baire said. "As a player, this is what you look forward to since the start of the season. You start the season in late February, and you have the goal have playing in the sectional championship with a chance to go on to regionals. We are where we want to be.
"If you can't deal with the pressure, you are not going to be moving on. You have to come out and execute. We have played a lot of close games, and when you execute, you give yourselves a chance. When you don't execute, you don't give yourself a chance.
"We have to do it Monday. We have to come with the right approach. I don't know how many strikeouts they had, but you have to put the ball on the ball. You have to force the defense to make plays. When you have so many strikeouts, you are not putting pressure on the defense. At that point, it is a game of pitch and catch. It's not hard. No one else has to do anything, and it is easy to settle down."
The pressure was on Wheeling Central Saturday, however, the tables may have turned heading into the deciding game.
Both teams used multiple pitchers.
Brayden Cover started on the mound for the visitors from Ohio County, and he recorded the win. Cover struck out nine and walked four in his 5 1/3 innings of work. Matt Criniti replaced Cover with one out in the sixth, and he pitched the rest of the way. Criniti struck out one without walking a batter.
Grant Wilharm started and took the loss for the home team. Wilharm struck out two and walked two in his 1 1/3 innings of work. Marquis Parker came on in relief with one out in the second, and Parker pitched the next 1 1/3 innings. He did not record a strikeout while walking three. Jacob Lazear came on with one out in the third, and he pitched the rest of the game. Lazear struck out three and walked two.
Wheeling Central outhit Madonna, 10-8. The Maroon Knights did their damage early on, while the Blue Dons did theirs late. The victors scored three runs without the need of an RBI.
The visitors scored one run in the second, one in the third and four in the fourth to break the game open and gain control.
Seth Cover walked to lead off the top of the second, and he scored on a two-out double to left by Cole Sutphin making the score 1-0. Carson Kuhns, who drew a walk with one out, tried to score on the play, however, he was thrown out at the plate keeping it a one-run game.
Luke Tiu led off the second with one of his three singles on the day. Tiu should have been doubled off first after a flyout, however, an errant throw allowed him to make it back to first safely before advancing to second after the ball went out of play. Tiu eventually scored on a wild pitch to give Wheeling Central a 2-0 advantage.
The Maroon Knights plated four runs in the fourth with just two RBI. Gary Hatfield delivered a two-run single in the inning. Wheeling Central tallied one run on a wild pitch and another as part of a double steal.
Trailing by six runs, Madonna staged a rally in the sixth. Chase Littleton, who collected two singles on the day, singled home a run, Lazear produced a run when he drew a bases-loaded walk, and Matthew Geer recorded a two-run to cut the Blue Dons' deficit to two runs at 6-4. Geer, who doubled in its first at-bat, advanced to second when the ball was misplayed in the outfield. Madonna had a couple of chances to tie the score, however, the Blue Dons were unable to come up with the needed hit.
"We just could not get a hit when we needed it," Baire said. "You have to have a good approach. You have to have a plan. If you don't and you just go up there and try to swing and hit the ball without a good approach, you're not going to be a good hitter. You have to go up there with a plan.
"You have to be able to make adjustments. We did not do a good job of adjusting. You have to adjust.
"We had runners on second and third there, and we could not come up with the hit we needed. That's baseball."
Down to their final out, the Blue Dons got some life in the seventh as David Connors singled to keep the going. He advanced to second on a wild pitch, but he ended up being stranded there as a strikeout ended the threat and the game.
Brayden Cover contributed two singles for the Maroon Knights, Payton Hildebrand produced a double and Koy Lipinski collected a base hit.
Luke Amaismeier, Brycen Hair and Wilharm all tallied a base hit for the Blue Dons.
Wheeling Central 6, Madonna 4
Wheeling Central 011 400 0 – 6 10 1
Madonna 000 004 0 – 4 8 1
WHEELING CENTRAL (15-13): B. Cover WP (5 1/3IP, 9K, 4BB), Criniti (1 2/3IP, 1K, 0BB) and Lipinski. B. Cover 2S; Hatfield S, 2RBI; Lipinski S; Kuhns S; Hildebrand D; Sutphin D, RBI; Tiu 3S.
MADONNA (11-14): Wilharm LP (1 2/3IP, 2K, 2BB), Parker (1 2/3IP, 0K, 3BB), Lazear ( 3 2/3IP, 3K, 2BB) and Gontas and Amaismeier (2). Wilharm S; Amaismeier S; Connors S; Littleton 2S, RBI; Lazear RBI; Geer S, D, 2RBI; Hair S.