Gilmer County's JP Barr (14) celebrates with teammate Tyler Ratliff after he scored a run during Thursday morning's 8-4 Class A state semifinal victory versus Huntington St. Joe at Marshall University's Jack Cook Field. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

HUNTINGTON — It’s been a quarter century since the Gilmer County baseball program won its lone Class A state championship.

Thanks to Thursday morning’s 8-4 victory versus top-seeded Huntington St. Joe in the state semifinals contested at Marshall University’s Jack Cook Field, the fourth-seeded Titans of skipper Jacob Wolfe will have a chance for another one when they clash with No. 3 Sherman at 10 a.m. on Saturday.

Freshman Roddick Page earned the mound triumph after pitching four innings of one-hit ball while allowing one run with two strikeouts.

Remi Huffman struck out Jacob Courts to earn the one-out save after entering in relief of Kolten Holbert, who left with a 2-2 count.

Although the Irish (32-4) scored the initial run in the bottom of the first when leadoff man Mason Watts was hit by a pitch and crossed on Cam Kellar’s sacrifice fly, the Titans took control with three runs in the fourth and four more in the fifth before Kellar had a bases-clearing three-run double in the seventh.

Gilmer County's Roddick Page, pictured here delivering a pitch in Thursday morning's 8-4 Class A state semifinal victory versus Huntington St. Joe at Marshall University's Jack Cook Field, not only was the winning pitcher but went 3 for 3 with a double and five runs-batted-in. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

“It means the world. It’s a dream come true,” admitted Wolfe. “I grew up in Gilmer County. I’ve always wanted to do this. It’s been my dream to do it. It’s pretty special. I know they are a good team and you saw the run. They can put a run together just like anybody.

“They are a fantastic team. Last year we went eight innings in an hour and we beat them 4-0. What a performance by these boys up here. They did a great job. Just excited to play on Saturday.”

Page, who went 3 for 3 with five runs-batted-in, tied the game in the third when his run-scoring single plated leadoff batter Tyler Ratliff. Ratliff started the inning by drawing a walk against losing pitcher Wyatt Pence (4 IP, 6 BB, 1 SO) as the Irish issued 10 free passes.

“It’s just awesome. We have a great team, great characters. I was trying to throw strikes and let the field work behind me,” admitted Page, who replied when asked if he was nervous “a little bit in the first inning, but after that I settled in.

“It’s just great because I’ve been playing ball with these kids pretty much my whole life. It’s just great that we all get to play together and just get the opportunity to come down here and play against these good teams.”

Gilmer County catcher Dallas Goodrich keeps his eye on the ball as he prepares to catch a foul ground pop-up during Thursday morning's 8-4 Class A state semifinal victory versus Huntington St. Joe at Marshall University's Jack Cook Field. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

Pence, who allowed five hits and four earned runs, was replaced by Kellar (3 IP, 4 BB, 1 SO) after the top of the fourth when the Titans grabbed a 4-1 lead.

All three runs came with two outs as Ratliff got things going with the second of what turned out to be three walks. Holbert, who allowed five hits and three earned in 2 2-3 innings, followed with a single and it was 2-1 after Jacob Stewart slapped a curve into right field for an RBI. Page then took a high fastball and drove it deep to right-center for a two-run double.

“I’m just trying to get the ball in play and get some RBIs,” admitted Page when asked what goes through his head while he’s in the batter’s box.

The Titans (28-7) sent nine batters to the plate in the top of the fifth. Huffman, who also walked thrice, got it started with a free pass. No. 7 hitter Brody Beall singled and the bases were loaded after Lex Grogg took one for the team. Ninth-place hitter Seth Stewart then delivered a two-run knock back up the box.

Back to the top of the order with runners on first and second, Ratliff sacrificed and Holbert was then intentionally walked. Although Jacob Stewart hit into a fielder’s choice for the second out, Page crushed a ball into left that made it 8-1, but he was limited to a single.

Gilmer County head coach Jacob Wolfe looks on from the dugout during Thursday morning's 8-4 Class A state semifinal victory versus Huntington St. Joe at Marshall University's Jack Cook Field. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

“I was rounding first and I thought it was at the wall, but I looked over and he’s got it in his glove and I was like ‘oh, I’m not going to be able to make it,’ so I planted my foot and it just rolled,” said Page. “I was a little bit past the bag and rolled my ankle.”

St. Joe didn’t go down without a fight as all three runs in the seventh came with two away. No. 9 hitter Noah Capper’s single was followed by a Watts single and then Brayden McDowell getting plunked to load the bases. Kellar then unloaded them before Pence was hit and the count went to 2-2 on Courts.

Holbert, who was lifted with the scoreboard reading 50 pitches, actually threw the same as Page (51) and neither will be available on Saturday for the title game.

“It was fun. We came out and executed the gameplan,” Holbert said after the contest not knowing he had actually thrown 51 pitches. “Like coach said, if we just hit the ball and put the ball in play, execute pitches, we’ll win.

“This (run) has been amazing. I wouldn’t want to be with any other team. This team, we’ve been through ups and downs and it would mean the world to us to win a state championship.”

Gilmer County third baseman Jacob Stewart fields a grounder during Thursday morning's 8-4 Class A state semifinal victory versus Huntington St. Joe at Marshall University's Jack Cook Field. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

Although Holbert was expected to get the nod on Saturday, that’s now likely to go to either Huffman (8-0, 1.95 ERA) or Jacob Stewart (5-2, 1.97 ERA).

“We stayed level and that’s all we needed to do,” Holbert replied when asked what the mood was after going down 1-0 early. “We knew we were going to score some runs.

“One run wasn’t going to win that ballgame so we just came out and executed what we needed to do. It turned out we won and it’s great.”

Gilmer County, which was eliminated in last year’s state semifinals by East Hardy, won its only championship back in 2001 under then head man Joe Frashure via a 4-3 triumph versus Fayetteville.

This marks the fifth all-time appearance at state for the Titans, who also qualified in 1996, 2001 and 2014.

Gilmer County second baseman Remi Huffman tosses the ball to first for an easy out during Thursday morning's 8-4 Class A state semifinal victory versus Huntington St. Joe at Marshall University's Jack Cook Field. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

Contact Jay Bennett at jbennett@newsandentinel.com

Class A state semifinal at Marshall’s Jack Cook Field

Gilmer County 8, Huntington St. Joe 4

GC 001 340 0 — 8 8 1

SJ 100 000 3 — 4 6 0

WP: Roddick Page 4IP, 1H, 1R, 1ER, 0BB, 2SO

SAVE: Remi Huffman .1IP, 0H, 0R, 0ER, 0BB, 1SO

Kolten Holbert 2.2IP, 5H, 3R, 3ER, 1BB, 0SO

LP: Wyatt Pence 4IP, 5H, 4R, 4ER, 6BB, 1SO

Cam Kellar 3IP, 3H, 4R, 4ER, 4BB, 1SO

#4 Gilmer County (28-7) hitting: Tyler Ratliff 2 R; Holbert 1-3, 2 R, SB; Jacob Stewart 2-5 R, SB, RBI; Page 3-3, 2B, 5 RBIs; Huffman R; Brody Beall 1-2 R; Seth Stewart 1-4 R, 2 RBIs; Ashton Hamric SB

#1 Huntington St. Joe (32-4) hitting: Mason Watts 1-3, 2 R, SB; Brayden McDowell R; Kellar 1-3, 2B, 4 RBIs; Jacob Courts 1-3; Hudson Moosavi 1-3 SB; Brody Runyon 1-3; Noah Capper 1-3 SB; Tucker Watts R

Next game: Gilmer County vs. #3 Sherman, 10 a.m. Saturday in the state championship.