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- Williamstown’s Al Schmidt (22) celebrates with teammate Wyatt Siley after scoring the game-tying run within the seventh inning towards Oak Glen Thursday. (Photo by Jordan Holland)
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- Williamstown’s Al Schmidt (22) celebrates after scoring the game-tying run within the seventh inning towards Oak Glen Thursday. (Photo by Jordan Holland)
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- Williamstown’s Jenner Burge delivers a pitch throughout Thursday’s regional sport towards Oak Glen. (Photo by Jordan Holland)
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- Williamstown first baseman Tyler Keiser (36) fields a pickoff throw as Oak Glen’s James Rohbeck dives again to the bag throughout Thursday’s regional sport. (Photo by Jordan Holland)
Williamstown’s Al Schmidt (22) celebrates with teammate Wyatt Siley after scoring the game-tying run within the seventh inning towards Oak Glen Thursday. (Photo by Jordan Holland)
WILLIAMSTOWN — Down to their final out with their season on the road, the Williamstown Yellowjackets scored three runs within the backside of the seventh to rally for a 5-4 win over Oak Glen in a regional event elimination sport Thursday at Bill Coiner Field.
A pair of errors by the Golden Bears allowed the tying runs to attain, and Tyler Coleman’s infield single introduced within the successful run to maintain Williamstown’s season alive. The ‘Jackets head to Doddridge County Friday and have to beat the Bulldogs twice to earn a state event berth.
“They didn’t quit,” stated Williamstown head coach Levi Maxwell. “I’m just so proud of these guys, they don’t quit. They kept fighting, they held together, even when we’re down to our last outs there, and they did a heck of a job.”
Oak Glen beginning pitcher Josh Maher was nails for 6 2/3 innings, however he reached his pitch restrict with two outs and one on within the seventh. The Bears introduced Christian Chappell in to get the final out, but it surely by no means got here. Wyatt Siley bounced a ball between residence plate and the mound, however the throw to first was wild, permitting Wyatt Powell to attain from first and Siley to get to second.
Next batter Colt Rinard hit a pointy grounder to quick which was fielded cleanly, however the throw one-hopped the primary baseman. Camm Dittman almost scooped it for the ultimate out, but it surely squirted out of his glove, and pinch-runner Al Schmidt alertly scored on the play to tie the sport.
Williamstown’s Al Schmidt (22) celebrates after scoring the game-tying run within the seventh inning towards Oak Glen Thursday. (Photo by Jordan Holland)
An infield single to second by Jackson Fulton put runners on the corners and introduced Coleman to the plate. Coleman, already 3 for 3 on the day, hit a one-hopper again to the mound. Chappell needed to leap to get his glove on it, however the ball ricocheted a number of ft to his proper. He ran to it and rushed a throw to first, however Coleman beat it out simply to present the Yellowjackets a shocking walk-off victory.
“The difference there is putting the ball in play and making them have to make plays,” Maxwell stated. “The ball rolled our way. That’s kind of how it goes sometimes — not necessarily did we do anything good, but we put the ball in play, and that can make good things happen.”
On a day the place hits had been onerous to return by for Williamstown, Coleman gave his staff an enormous carry.
“I’ve been waiting for a moment like that, and I did my job,” Coleman stated. “Just stay calm. Don’t overreact while I’m batting. Do what I do every time, put the ball in play, and it worked.”
Maxwell added, “A senior coming out, hitting the ball, getting some hits — that’s what we need. We need that through the top of the lineup all the way to the bottom. Tyler did a good job today of putting the ball in play, and even with two strikes there at the end of the game, he put the ball in play, and something good happened.”
Williamstown’s Jenner Burge delivers a pitch throughout Thursday’s regional sport towards Oak Glen. (Photo by Jordan Holland)
Fellow senior Jenner Burge was the opposite star of the sport for Williamstown. Burge pitched 5 2/3 innings of reduction, hanging out 10 batters whereas not permitting a run to maintain the ‘Jackets inside hanging distance.
“Jenner’s been our guy all year long,” Maxwell stated. “Can’t say enough good things about him. He’s been on all year long. We put him in tough situations every game. He came in, gave us a chance to keep fighting and fighting and fighting, holding ’em and holding ’em and holding ’em. So he did what he’s supposed to do.”
Maxwell hoped to avoid wasting Burge for the Bulldogs, however when Thursday’s starter Noah Powell discovered himself in a second-inning jam, the Williamstown skipper referred to as on his ace.
“I did not consider (starting Burge against Oak Glen),” Maxwell stated. “We wanted him to be ready for tomorrow, but you know — we got to get to tomorrow. That’s the thing. With him coming in and pitching like that, that gets us to tomorrow. That’s what we needed.”
Maher’s RBI single within the first staked Oak Glen to an early 1-0 lead. Two straight errors to open the second led to 2 extra runs. After Kaden Dragisich’s infield single put two on with one out, Maxwell introduced Burge in. Burge walked his first batter after which surrendered a single to Chappell which made it 4-0. After that, he was almost unhittable.
Williamstown first baseman Tyler Keiser (36) fields a pickoff throw as Oak Glen’s James Rohbeck dives again to the bag throughout Thursday’s regional sport. (Photo by Jordan Holland)
“He’s excellent,” Coleman stated of his classmate. “Jenner’s always done that. He’s the pitcher to fight back and he did that for us today.”
Burge escaped the second-inning jam with back-to-back punchouts. He retired the Golden Bears so as within the third, fifth and sixth innings. Burge gave up a leadoff stroll within the high of the fourth, however Dragisich’s bunt try was popped up. Rinard, the catcher, made a pleasant play to catch the popup and double off the runner at first. Burge then fanned Maher to finish the inning.
Meanwhile, Williamstown’s lineup was quiet till the underside of the fourth when Dylan Pucella’s sacrifice fly lower it to 4-1.
Later within the sixth, Jackson Fulton drew a one-out stroll and stole second. He got here in to attain on Coleman’s base hit again up the center to make it 4-2.
Oak Glen missed a golden alternative for an insurance coverage run within the high of the seventh. Rohbeck led off with a line drive single to proper, stole second and superior to 3rd on a throwing error. Burge buckled down and retired the subsequent three batters on two groundouts again to the mound and an infield popout. That ended up being essential as a segue to Williamstown’s seventh-inning heroics.
“It took everything from us,” stated Coleman, who was mobbed by his teammates behind first base after his game-winner. “We had to be loud in the dugout and confident in the box.”
Now, Williamstown (20-12) turns its consideration to Doddridge. The ‘Jackets cut up the regular-season sequence with the ‘Dogs earlier than dropping a 12-1 determination to DCHS within the LKC championship.
“Don’t know,” Maxwell responded when requested who’s going to pitch. “We’ve got a couple guys that can come in, throw some strikes for us and give us a chance. I don’t know what we’re going to do yet. We’ve got to talk about it. The thing is, we’ve got to hit the ball. I think that’s been the thing all year long. We’ve kind of struggled a little bit here and there with the bats. Today, in the last inning we put the ball in play, and when that happens, good things happen.”
Contact Jordan Holland at [email protected].