Williamstown righty Carson Hill tosses perfect game vs. Ravenswood
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WILLIAMSTOWN -- Ty Ott blasted a grand slam and Carson Hill twirled a five-inning perfect game that featured five strikeouts here Tuesday afternoon at Legion Field as Williamstown handed Ravenswood a 10-0 Little Kanawha Conference North Division setback in a game that took a little more than an hour to play.
"That was a quick one," quipped 'Jacket skipper Levi Maxwell, whose 17-5 club plays host at 1 p.m. today to Wheeling Central. "We definitely started off a little slow with the bats. Once we timed him up I think we started swinging a little better and started to put some runs across the board.
"Hill just came out and threw strike after strike after strike. He was just doing everything we teach him. Today, I mean he did something that, I don't know, it might be the first time in the history of the program. It's something to be very proud of."
Losing pitcher Brady Swain kept WHS off the scoreboard through the first two innings, but didn't make it out of the third.
Hill, who had both of his at-bats in the nine-run frame, started the big inning with a leadoff single to left. No. 9 hitter Harbor Haught walked and the bases were loaded after Maxwell Molessa took one for the team. Ott then stepped to the dish and cleared the bases with his first career tater, a no-doubter he pulled down the right-field line.
"I was hunting fastball," admitted Hill. "Usually you hunt fastball and adjust to offspeed and I got it. That's my pitch. Right in my wheelhouse. Low and in and I just went with it. I knew off the bat. I was like that's gone."
Swain proceeded to walk Braydin Coleman before striking out Luke Ankrom to retire the first 'Jacket. Coleman was able to score following a wild pitch on T.J. Thomas' single to left. After Parker Schramm coaxed a base on balls to put runners on the corners, the 'Jackets pulled off a delayed double steal as Thomas crossed for the 6-0 advantage. Ruger Law was then hit by a pitch, which brought Hill back to the plate and he delivered a run-scoring single. Haught and Molessa did the same as Swain was lifted for Peyton Wolfe.
Wolfe got the first two outs of the fourth, but Thomas then hit a high fly to center that resulted in a double. Schramm, who had to back up at third base to make the play on the final out of the game before firing across the diamond to Law at first to retire Red Devil Logan Alfred, made it 10-0 with his run-scoring single to right.
"I never have or a no-hitter," Hill responded when asked if he ever threw a perfect game before. "Just throw strikes, let them put it in play and the defense behind you is going to do everything. They are pretty good."
Hill was obviously pleased when his team came through with the big third inning.
"I thought that was great," he said while adding of Ott's jack "that's his first home run. I'm really happy for him. To see them push that run across in the fourth was relieving. I would've tried to go the whole game. I was coming up on 50 pitches in the fourth inning."
Williamstown, which is hoping to have a lot of students at today's game with an admission price of $3, extended its winning streak to six.
"There's more work to do," Ott said. "Obviously, still got a lot left in the year. It's been a really good stretch so far. We definitely got to keep grinding.
"Can't get too big of heads. Got to say in it and stay focused. The perfect game today was fantastic. That was awesome."
Ravenswood (15-9) and head coach Wes Swain return to action at 6 p.m. today in Nitro.
Contact Jay Bennett at jbennett@newsandsentinel.com