PARKERSBURG -There was little suspense in the championship game of the Class AAA, Region 4, Section 2 baseball tournament on Saturday as Parkersburg South plated eight runs in the first inning and cruised to an 11-1 win in five innings over crosstown rival Parkersburg High.
It was the Big Reds, who ended their season with an 8-16 mark, who drew first blood. After South starter Brad Brubaker fanned the first two batters he faced, Paul Fichtelman collected the first hit of the game, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on Mason Humphrey's single to right. It was 1-0 PHS heading to the bottom of the first.
Little did anybody know at the time the half-inning would last a half-hour and witness four walks, three errors and a hit batsman. Although South managed just one hit in the frame, it scored eight times to put itself in a commanding position.
Article Photos
Photo by Dave Poe
Members of the Parkersburg South baseball team pose with the sectional championship trophy on Saturday following their 11-1 win over Parkersburg High. The Patriots advance to regional play on May 22 at Nitro.
Jacob Wilcox and Braxton Johnson led off the inning with back-to-back walks off of PHS starter Kyle Haverty. Dustin Helmic then hit a burner to second base that was misplayed, allowing Wilcox to score. Johnson came home on a ground out by cleanup hitter Wes Mitchem to give South a 2-1 lead. A walk to Tyler Berry - who had three hits -was followed by the second out of the inning and it looked PHS would be able to limit the damage and stay in contention. But two more errors, two walks and a two-RBI single by Johnson on his second at-bat of the inning turned the game into a rout.
Staked to an 8-1 lead, Brubaker put it on cruise control, breezing through the next four frames without allowing a hit. Parkersburg managed just three more base runners - on a hit by pitch, a walk and an error.
It was quite a turnaround for Brubaker, who couldn't get out of the first inning in South's first sectional game against Parkersburg, when PHS gained the upper hand with a win.
Fact Box
Class AAA, Region 4, Section 2
Championship Game
at Hank Greenburg Field
Parkersburg South 11, Parkersburg 1
Parkersburg 100 00 - 1 2 4
Parkersburg South 800 21 - 11 7 1
WP: Brad Brubaker 5 IP, 4 SO, 1 BB
LP: Kyle Haverty .2 IP, 0 SO, 5 BB
Max Chefron 3.2 IP, 1 SO, 3 BB
PHS hitters: Mason Humphrey RBI; Paul Fichtelman 1-1, walk, run
South hitters: Jacob Wilcox 2 runs, RBI; Braxton Johnson 2 RBIs; Tyler Berry 3-3, walk, 2 runs; Clay Walters 2-3, run; Adam McCray 3 walks; Jordan Braniff RBI, run
Records: South 24-10, PHS 8-16
Next game: South at Nitro in regional semifinal on May 22
Class A Region 1,
Section 3 Tournament
At Marshall Romine Field, Davisville
Sectional Championship
Parkersburg Catholic 6, Williamstown 3
Catholic (18-9) 202 101 0 - 6 8 1
Williamstown (22-8) 003 000 0 - 3 5 2
WP: Payton Sturm (in relief), 3 IP, 2 SO, 1 BB
Jim Ferrell (starter), 3 IP, 3 SO, 4 BB
Mitch Davis, 1 IP, 2 SO, 0 BB
LP: Eli Gray, 7 IP, 7 SO, 3 BB (all intentional)
Catholic hitting: Davis 2-2; Eric Scott 3-4; Zack Romine 1-1, RBI, 3 intentional walks; Austin Luther RBI; Jake Boice 2-4, double, 3 RBIs
Williamstown hitting: Dakota Watson 1-4; Gray 1-3; Avery Goff 1-4, RBI; Brandon Yost 1-2, 2 RBIs; Bret MacIver 1-3
Next game: Catholic advances to regional semifinals, hosting either Gilmer County or Wirt County on Tuesday, May 22.
Class A Region 1,
Section 4 Tournament
at Gilmer County
Gilmer 11, Wirt County 0 (5 innings)
Wirt (10-15) 00 - 0 3 3
Gilmer (23-8) 038 0x - 11 9 3
WP: Karl Bennington (12-1), 5 IP, 7 SO, 0 BB
LP: Trenton Hardbarger, 2 2/3 IP, 4 SO, 3 BB
Taylor Campbell, 1 1/3 IP, 1 SO, 2 BB
Wirt hitting: Hagan Root 2-3
Gilmer hitting: Bennington 1-3, double, 3 RBIs; Nathen Allison 2-2, double, RBI; Seth Skinner 1-2, double, RBI; Dylan Montgomery 1-2, double; Luke Beall 2-3, 3 RBIs; Stephen Coleman 2 RBIs
Next game: Wirt at Gilmer 5:30 p.m. Monday with a Gilmer win clinching the sectional, but a Wirt win forcing a decisive game for the sectional title back at Gilmer at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. The sectional winner then will play in the regional semifinals at Parkersburg Catholic on Tuesday, May 22.
Division II Sectional Final
at Alexander
Alexander 2, Belpre 0
Belpre (9-13) 000 000 0 - 0 3 1
Alexander 110 000 x - 2 7 2
WP: Wesler 7 IP, 2 BB, 14 SO
LP: Drew Nestor 5 IP, 0 BB, 4 SO
Jesse Whittington 1 IP, 0 BB, 0 SO
Belpre hitting: Jake Ullman 2-3; Wes Hatfield 1-2
Alexander hitting: Daniels 3-3; McGarth RBI; Bennett 1-3 RBI
Division III Sectional Championship
Federal Hocking 3, Nelsonville-York 0
Nelsonville York 000 000 0 - 0 3 0
Federal Hocking 110 001 x - 3 4 2
WP: Wes Dixon 7 IP, 8 SO, 3 BB
LP: Nathan Deem 5.1 IP, 8 SO, 6 BB
Casey Cox .2 IP, 0 SO, 0 BB
Federal Hocking hitters: Terrence Mayle 1-3, rBI; James Lackey1-3, RBI; Wes Dixon 1-2; Steve Coen 1-1
Records: Federal Hocking 16-9,N-Y 8-15
Next game: Federal Hocking plays in district semifinals at Chillicothe Paints Stadium on Saturday
"I was really proud of Brad,'' said South coach Matt Null, whose Patriots will a 24-10 record to Nitro on May 22 for a regional semifinal game. "He had some nerves the other night and got beat up. But he learned from that experience.''
South played aggressively on Saturday, virtually running at will when it got a runner on the bases.
"We like to run and we've got six or seven guys who can do it,'' said Null.
Tyler Berry and Clay Walters had a pair of hits apiece for South while Adam McCray walked in all three of his trips to the plate.
PHS assistant coach Jim Procopio celebrated his 50th wedding anniversary on Saturday.
