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Goldenjackets

Monster first inning propels Williamstown

Photo by Jordan Holland Williamstown’s baseball team celebrates its 11-1 LKC Championship-winning victory over Ritchie County Friday at Sue Morris Sports Complex in Glenville.

GLENVILLE — Cullen Cutright had a nine-run cushion before he ever threw a pitch.

The senior right-hander took the ball in Friday’s Little Kanawha Conference championship against Ritchie County at Sue Morris Sports Complex and threw a five-inning, complete game gem in the Yellowjackets’ 11-1 win.

He had to wait awhile to take the mound as WHS sent 12 batters to the plate in the top of the first, plating nine runs to immediately put the game out of reach.

“It was awesome,” said Cutright, who struck out eight batters and walked just one. “Our coach has been getting on us about hitting pop flies. I think it was awesome for us to come right out of the gate and hit line drives and hard ground balls and into the gaps. It’s easier to pitch when you have a huge lead like that.”

Cutright helped himself to get the scoring started, lacing a two-run double to left-center field in the top of the first. Ryan Brown followed with a double of his own to left to make it 3-0 before Austyn Smith’s RBI groundout made it 4-0. Two batters later with two outs, Ritchie County starting pitcher Tatem McCloy got Baylor Haught to ground to short, but the throw was off the mark to allow another run to score and extend the inning.

Williamstown’s Cullen Cutright delivers a pitch during the LKC Championship game.

After Brady Ankrom was plunked to load the bases, Leewood Molessa belted a grand slam over the left field fence to make it 9-0 before the Rebels ever got to swing the bat.

Williamstown head coach Terry Smith was pleased with the way his team hit, especially after what happened the last time they faced McCloy.

“He beat us and made us look really bad the first time this year,” Smith recalled. “We’d seen him before and he shut us down. It was our turn, I guess.”

Williamstown (19-8) added two more runs in the top of the third on Ethan Tawney’s two-run blast to left to make it 11-0. With two down in the inning, Molessa reached on an error to set up Tawney’s longball.

“We hit a couple home runs,” Smith said. “We’ll take that anytime.”

Cutright took it from there. His only blemish was an unearned run in the bottom of the third. After Eric Darnold reached on an error at short and went to second on a passed ball, Eli Schriver poked an RBI single to right to plate Darnold and get the Rebels on the board. Zach Knight followed with a single before Avery Taylor hit a sharp line drive to center that was caught to end the inning.

Schriver singled again in the fifth to give him the only multi-hit game on the night. Garrett Owens doubled in the fourth for the Rebels, but Cutright limited the damage.

“I was pretty amped up after the first inning,” he said. “You don’t really think much. Just rear back and throw when you have that big of a lead.”

Added Smith, “You’ve got to hand it to Cullen Cutright. He was throwing strikes. He’s such a big guy, if he’s throwing strikes — it’s just the name of the game. If the pitcher’s pretty good, you’re going to play pretty well.”

McCloy lasted 2 2-3 innings for Ritchie (17-11). He walked four, fanned two and allowed all five of Williamstown’s hits. Only four of the 11 runs were earned. Devin Taylor pitched 2 1-3 innings of scoreless relief, punching out four and issuing no walks.

Williamstown brought its bats to the LKC tournament, scoring 19 runs in a semifinal win against Roane County Thursday before adding 11 more Friday. However, Smith’s focus is on the guys on the mound.

“It’s all pitching, I’m telling you,” he said. “The older I get the more I think about it. You’ve just got to hand it to our pitcher. He was good tonight.”

After three straight years of losing in the LKC semis, the ‘Jackets claimed their first LKC title in more than a decade.

“All four years we’ve made it to the tournament but we always got knocked out in the first round,” Cutright said. “It’s pretty awesome to win it finally my senior year.”

Added Smith, “(The LKC tournament) puts them under some pressure and it’s a good experience going into the (sectional) tournament. And it’s hard to win.”

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