Season ends in Sectional semi-final for Minutemen

Lewis County saved the best for last on Tuesday night in their opening game of the Class AA Region II, Section 2 tournament, scoring six runs with two outs in the seventh inning to down second-seeded Braxton County, 9-6.

Lewis County, the third seed in the tournament, got on the board first with Trenton Hunt driving in the first run on a two-out triple.

Zach James made it 2-0 with a hard-hit ground ball to left field.

The Eagles got their offense off the ground quickly in the game, scoring five runs in the first inning with the help of free passes and a Lewis County error.

Adam Dobbins took a four-pitch walk with one out to get it started. Tyler Baldwin then rapped a single to center field, and one batter later, Beau Liston evened the score with an RBI single. Kolton Kniceley made it 3-2 with a single to center field. Braxton made it 5-2 on a double to left by Jessie Flint.

After a shaking start to the game, Eagles starter Baldwin settled in, pitched well and held the Minutemen scoreless until the top of the sixth.

Braxton County made it 6-2 in the sixth when Elijah Ward came in to score on a two-out error by Lewis County.

Lewis County added a run in the sixth to make it 6-3.

That set the stage for a dramatic seventh inning with the Minutemen down to their final three outs while Baldwin approached the 110-pitch limit on the mound.

Baldwin took seven pitches to strike out the first two Lewis County hitters in the inning, leaving Lewis down to its final out.

Brayden Carder worked a walk and Mealey singled on the first pitch of the next at bat, and Luke Davisson walked to load the bases.

Hunt stepped in having already hit a triple and double in the game, and he delivered yet again, stroking a double to left field that cut the lead to 6-5.

Zach James was hit by a pitch to reload the bases just before Baldwin reached the pitch limit and Braxton brought in Dobbins in relief.

Joey Aman then broke out of his hitting slump in a big way, taking the 1-1 pitch and turning it around for a towering shot to left field that bounced off the fence for a three-RBI, go-ahead double to make it 8-6.

Lewis County got one more run on a Jonah Clem single to left field.

Braxton County managed to load the bases in the bottom of the seventh but James got Baldwin to fly out to center to end the game.

James got the win for Lewis County, allowing 11 hits and six runs, four earned, over seven innings while walking five and striking out six.

Baldwin took the hard luck loss on the mound, going 6 2/3 innings and allowing eight runs on seven hits while walking four and striking out seven.

Hunt finished the day at the plate with a 3 for 4 line with a pair of doubles and a triple and RBIs.

Lewis County @ Herbert Hoover:

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 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 groundout.

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 overthrow — trying to cut down the second runner — was overthrown 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 vs. Braxton:

Kolton Kniceley pitched the Braxton County Eagles into the Class AA Region II, Section 2 finals with a dominant performance on the mound on Saturday. Kniceley kept the Minutemen off balance at the plate, racked up 12 strikeouts, and got just enough offense to secure the 3-0 win.

The game was played at Glenville State University’s Kenny Greenlief Field at the Sue Morris Athletic Complex after the game was postponed due to a deluge after just one half-inning had been played the day prior in Braxton County.

The game picked up where it left off in the bottom of the first inning. In the top of the first, played on Friday, Lewis County quickly threatened with Brayden Carder and Grant Mealey singling to lead off the game. A fielder’s choice, a fly ball out, and a strikeout ended the threat, however, and the game stayed scoreless as the sky opened up, forcing the postponement.

The Eagles got on the board in the bottom of the second inning after Beau Liston singled to lead off the inning, stole second base just ahead of the throw, and, two fly ball outs later, came around to score on an RBI single by Jessie Flint to make it 1-0.

Lewis County threatened again in the top half of the fourth frame. Carder and Mealey picked up back-to-back one out singles, and moved to second and third on a fielders choice.

The rally was cut short, however, when Liam Jeffries, courtesy runner for Luke Davisson, was picked off at first base to end the inning.

Flint singled to lead off the bottom of the fifth inning, Elijah Ward followed that up with a walk, and a single from Helmick loaded the bases.

Adam Dabbins stepped in and a fly ball to right field that clanked off Jonah Clem’s glove and fell to the ground.

Clem recovered and made it close at home plate on the force out, but Flint made it in ahead of the strong throw to make it 2-0.

Joey Aman made a diving catch in centerfield, but Brett Bender, in to run for Ward, tagged up and scored to make it 3-0.

Lewis County was able to get out the inning without further damage thanks in part to a rare left field to third base put out for the final out of the inning.

Kniceley again snuffed out a Lewis County rally in the top of the sixth inning when Lewis County found themselves with runners at second and third with one out.

Kniceley then struck out Joey Aman and Ryder Aman to end the inning.

Kniceley left the game after reaching the pitch limit after getting one out and again surrendering back-to-back singles to Mealey and Carder.

Tyler Baldwin came on in relief and picked up a quick fly ball out before loading the bases with a walk.

Baldwin got the strikeout to end the game.

Kniceley went 6 1/3 innings and allowed no runs on eight hits while walking one and striking out a dozen.

Sophomore Trenton Hunt also had a good game on the mound for Lewis County, pitching to contact and going six full innings while allowing three runs, all earned, and surrendering one fewer hit than Kniceley while striking out two and walking two.

Carder and Mealey led Lewis County at the plate each going 3-4 with three singles in the game.

The Minutemen finish the year with a mark of 9-12.

The Minutemen will be poised for a strong 2023, returning all but two players.