Ripley’s Bryson Casto pitched a one-hit, complete game shutout as the Vikings defeated Sissonville 4-0 in a Class AAA, Region III game Wednesday at Ray Swisher Field in Ripley. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

RIPLEY – Bryson Casto pitched a big boy game as Ripley opened the Class AAA, Region III best-of-three championship with a 4-0 win over Sissonville, Wednesday at Ray Swisher Field at Viking Park.

Other than a single by Eli Simonton to open the game, Casto allowed only two other baserunners to reach safely with one-out walks in both the second and third inning.

“My approach going into the game, I just wanted to get ahead of batters and fill up the zone as much as I can – try to keep my pitch count low,” Casto said. “I wanted to throw the big game because that is what my team needed. I just kept attacking hitters and that was the best option for me. It went really well.”

For Ripley baseball coach Shane Casto, Bryson Casto’s 84-pitch complete game performance, which included six strikeouts, brought back memories of a Greg Maddux-esque performance.

“I wasn’t aware Bryson allowed just that one hit – he hung a pitch on the first at bat of the game and (Eli) got a nice base hit,” coach Casto said. “Bryson settled down a bit and pitched a nice game – couldn’t be more proud of him.

Ripley’s Bryson Casto delivers an RBI double during a two-run fifth inning as the Vikings defeated Sissonville 4-0 in a Class AAA, Region III game Wednesday at Ray Swisher Field in Ripley. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

“As far as pounding the strike zone, Bryson has been our most complete pitcher. He doesn’t have our best stuff but he pitches like a Greg Maddux. He is not a Randy Johnson guy.”

Simonton was quite the match in a pitcher’s duel which lasted until Ripley laced three straight one-out doubles in the bottom of the fifth inning and scored twice to extend the lead to 3-0. The senior also pitched a complete game – striking out four and walking one while scattering seven hits.

The two teams meet Thursday at Sissonville with Jackson Curry taking the mound for a Ripley program, which maintained its perfect record at home dating back to late last season.

Curry, the lone senior on the Viking roster, drove home the first run in Wednesday’s game in the third inning then got in on the doubles parade in the fifth inning and knocked in a second run.

“That’s what a senior is supposed to do,” coach Casto said. “He has had big moments this year as well as the last three years.

Ripley baseball coach Shane Casto, right, shakes hands with Sissonville’s head coach Chad Carpenter during the pregame meeting at home plate prior to the start of Wednesday’s Class AAA, Region III game at Ray Swisher Field in Ripley. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

“We will go with Jackson on the mound tomorrow. He wants it and we are going to give it to him.”

Ripley faced Simonton during the regular season and won 2-1.

“My first at bat, I was just trying to figure him out,” Curry said. “The second at bat, I knew he was going to throw a bunch of curve balls. The third at bat, his offspeed wasn’t really working so I knew he was going fastball. I was just sitting on it, waiting on it.”

Casto embraced hooking up against Simonton and was put more at ease when his offense started to fill the scoreboard.

Leading 3-0, Ripley tacked on another insurance run in the sixth inning. Parker Keller led off with a double and later scored on John Cummings’ base hit.

Members of the Ripley baseball team remove the tart from home plate after a brief shower passed over prior to the start of Wednesday's Class AAA, Region III game with Sissonville. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

“It was really tough matching up with Eli the first few innings,” Bryson Casto said. “No one was getting runs on the board. It was really tough pitching against a guy who was a really good pitcher.

“Then we got a run in the third inning and that gave me a lot of momentum. We got those two runs in the fifth inning and that gave me a lot of confidence the rest of the game.”

After Simonton walked in the third inning, Casto retired 14 in succession to end the game.

“There was the inability to do a couple of routine things offensively – we just didn’t execute tonight,” Sissonville coach Chad Carpenter said. “Bryson Casto did a great job changing speeds and kept us off-balanced. Kudos to him and their coaching staff for the game they called tonight.

“Eli was excellent- it’s frustrating for a pitcher when you throw as well as he did and we are not scoring runs behind him. Then at that point it becomes trying to do too much. I have no complaints about Eli. He’s been that guy for four years, so I’m super proud of him for the game he pitched.”

Contact Kerry Patrick at kpatrick@newsandsentinel.com