CLENDENIN, W.Va. (WV News) — The Herbert Hoover baseball team, the top seed in Class AA Region II, Section 2, survived a scare from No. 3 Lewis County and plated four runs in the sixth inning to pull out a 6-3 win.
The win advances the Huskies to the sectional final, which they will host.
The Minutemen, who punched their ticket to the semifinal with a final-inning comeback against Braxton County on Tuesday, stayed hot at the plate early in the game.
Brayden Carder led off with a single up the middle, and Grant Mealey followed with a laser-beam double to left center to put runners on second and third with no outs. Luke Davisson then laced a double to right-center, driving in both runs.
Carder took to the mound for the Minutemen and held the Huskies at bay until the bottom of the third inning.
Andrew Rollyson led off with a ground ball single through the left side of the infield. Collin Lindsay laid down the bunt to move Rollyson to second base. Rollyson then moved to third when Carder was called for the balk, and scored on a wild pitch to make the score 2-1. Will Bright evened the score at two with an RBI ground out.
Carder and Huskies starter Ryan Beasley dueled through much of the middle innings with the Minuteman batters doing a good job of battling deep into at bats, driving up Beasley’s pitch count. Beasley reached the 110-pitch limit during the hitter in the Lewis County fifth inning.
The score remained at 2-2 until the top of the sixth inning, when Drew Cayton led off with a walk for Lewis County. Carder moved Aman to scoring position with a perfect bunt. Davisson made it a three-RBI day one batter later when he laced a double to right-center field to make it 3-2.
The Huskies rallied to claim the lead in the bottom half of the sixth. Nate Gurski led off with a single, Grant Smith made it runners on second and third with a double off the fence in deep left-center field. Beasley then drew a walk to load up the bases for Caleb Hackney.
Hackney took one for the team on the fourth pitch of the at bat, taking a fastball squarely in the back to drive in the run and make it 3-3.
Lewis County picked up the first out of the inning on a fielder’s choice to home plate. Lindsay then stepped in and hit a weak ground ball to shortstop, and the throw home hit the runner as he slid home safe.
A second over throw — trying to cut down the second runner — was over thrown and a third run came in on the play to make it 6-3.
Herbert Hoover then turned to Bright in relief for the final inning, and he slammed the door, sitting down the Minutemen in order and notching two strikeouts.
Lewis County will visit No. 2 Braxton County on Friday night after Braxton eliminated No. 4 Roane County with a 10-8 win Thursday.
Hoover now awaits the Lewis-Braxton winner for a Saturday matchup.
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