LOST CREEK — Top-seeded South Harrison used a six-run first inning to back the pitching of Seth Gain for a 10-0 win in five innings over No. 4 seed Trinity in Class A, Region II, Section 2 baseball action Tuesday night at SHHS Field.
The Hawks (21-11) batted around sending 10 batters to the plate scoring six runs on three hits and took advantage of four Warriors errors for a big early lead.
Cam Evans led off the inning with a single, stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Brogan Medina walked and courtesy runner Landon Ross stole second to put runners on second and third.
Gabe Ferrell followed with a two-run single to center scoring both Evans and Ross for a 2-0 SH lead. Gain then hit a hard one-hopper to third base which bounced up and hit the Trinity third basemen in the mouth for an RBI infield single.
The Warriors (9-11) were forced to play the rest of the game with only eight players after Sam Fulk left the game due to injury.
“Hats off to Trinity for playing the game with only eight players and they made some good plays that a lot of teams don’t make with nine players,” South Harrison coach Frank Tate said. “I felt bad for the kid to have that happen to him and I hope he is alright, but that is just an unfortunate thing for a bad hop to come up and hit someone like that.”
The inning continued as three Trinity errors led to three unearned runs for a 6-0 South Harrison lead.
“I was nervous all day because we have been a Jekyll and Hyde team all year starting games,” Tate said. “But, Seth sent Trinity down in the top of the first and we were able to get the bats going with six runs and cruised from then on.”
The six-run lead was more than enough for Gain who tossed a three hit shut out over five innings, striking out five and walking only one batter to get the win.
The Hawks added to their lead in the third inning with two runs on three hits for an 8-0 advantage. Corey Saltis singled and scored on a Layton Wageman RBI double to right field. Wageman then scored on a Zane Harlow RBI single to left.
South Harrison put two more runs on the scoreboard in the fourth inning as Medina reached base on a error and Gain had another infield single. Saltis came through with a two-run single to center for a 10-0 lead.
Saltis led the Hawks’ eight-hit attack going 2-for-3 with two runs scored and three RBIs. Gain also had a multi-hit game going 2-for-3 with one RBI.
South Harrison will take on Tygarts Valley Wednesday in a winners bracket game starting at 6 p.m. The Bulldogs were a winner over Doddridge County on Tuesday evening.
Parker Hopkins had a triple in the fifth inning to provide Trinity with its only scoring opportunity, while Trenton Timperio and Will McPherson had singles for the Warriors’ only three hits of the game.
Trinity will take on Clay-Battelle in an elimination game today.
BY CHARLES CASEY/WV News
