Aaron Petchal WINNING HUDDLE — The Edison baseball team gathers together after winning their tournament opener on Tuesday.

RICHMOND – The Edison baseball team hit the ball in the right spots.

With the game scoreless in the bottom of the fifth inning against 12th seeded West Holmes, No. 3 seed Edison delivered two infield single and a bloop hit to plate the lone run of the game as the Wildcats shut out the Knights, 1-0, in an Ohio Division IV Eastern District Sectional Co-Final/District Quarterfinal Tuesday evening out at the Edison Unified Sports Complex.

“We have played close games all year,” Edison (18-8) head coach Mike Collopy said. “Sometimes when you play close games, you get used to it. I think our team is used to it. Nobody flinched. This is our ninth one-run game of the season and fifth in our last six games.

“We want to keep improving. I am very proud of the guys. We knew they were a really good team. They play a tough schedule. We knew they had a good pitcher.

“At this time of the year, it’s like Mr. (Bill) Beattie says, ‘It doesn’t matter how it happens, it just matters that it happens.’ It happened for us today.”

With one out in the fifth, Chase Freeman reached on an infield single to third to give the hosts a baserunner. After the second strikeout of the inning, JD Henderson reached on an infield single to shortstop to give the hosts a pair of baserunners. Then, Kyle Long blooped a base hit into the outfield scoring Freeman to give the home team a 1-0 advantage.

The visitors from Holmes County had two runners on in the sixth and one in the seventh, however, they were stranded on the bases as Edison came away with the win.

With the win, Edison will now play in the district semifinals at 5 p.m. May 27 at home. Edison will play the winner of today’s game between No. 6 seed Philo and No. 11 seed Maysville.

Bryce Rogers recorded the win on the mound for the Wildcats. Rogers recorded 10 strikeouts while walking three in his six innings of work. Brady Haught came on to pitch the seventh. He struck out one and walked one in his one inning of relief work.

“Both pitchers threw well,” Collopy said. “Those two guys are top two pitchers. We have gotten support from Nolan Haught, who has pitched in some big games. Kyle Long has come in late in games. We have the utmost confidence in all four of those guys.”

Cooper Both took the loss for West Holmes (7-16). He went the distance striking out six while walking one.

The victors outhit the visitors, 6-1. There were no extra-base hits in the game.

Henderson singled twice for Edison, while Long ended up with two singles and the game-winning RBI.

“It’s tournament baseball,” Collopy said. “As long as it happens. I am not going to apologize for it. The kids battled. They always battle. We have been in so many tight games that we are hardened to it. We found a way to get the job done.”

Booth tallied the lone hit for the boys in the red jerseys.

“It is always nice to win a postseason game,” Collopy said. “Winning the first one is hard. We knew the type of team they had. We knew they play a tough schedule. We knew their pitcher was good. We did not overlook them.”

West Holmes is scheduled to play Wooster at 5 p.m. today at home.

Edison is going to try and pick up a game or two between now and the district semifinal.

Edison 1, West Holmes 0

West Holmes 000 000 0 – 0 1 0

Edison 000 010 X – 1 6 2

WEST HOLMES (7-16): Booth LP (6K, 1BB) and Troyer. Booth S.

EDISON (18-8): Rogers WP (6IP, 10K, 3BB), B. Haught (1IP, 1K, 1BB) and Kimmerle. Henderson 2S; K. Long 2S, RBI; Rogers S, Freeman S.