CHARLESTON, W.Va. — His breaking pitches were average and his fastball topped out at 75 mph, yet Cody Butts tossed a complete-game gem anyway.
The senior right-hander pitched a four-hitter and Hedgesville benefitted from seven Parkersburg South errors during a 6-3 win in the Class AAA state semifinals.
“Anytime we put Cody on the mound, we feel like we have a chance to compete,” said Eagles coach Dirk Webb, whose program last reached the state tournament in 1974. Hedgesville (28-7) will now compete for the state title on Saturday.
Butts wasn’t overpowering — he recorded only two strikeouts. But one of those was the clincher in the seventh inning after Parkersburg South put two runners aboard via an error and a walk.
“Not many of my pitches were working, so mainly I stuck with my fastball,” Butts said. “It’s a two-seam that breaks, and that’s about all I threw. I usually throw upper-70s to low-80s, but today I was about 75, if that.”
That was good enough to handcuff Parkersburg South, which didn’t do much outside of stringing together four hits in a three-run, fourth-inning uprising.
Down 4-0, the Patriots got their first hit on Tre Jackson’s one-out single to center. Jordan Braniff followed with a grounder through the right side before Jacob Wilcox’s rolled a two-run single up the middle. When Bradley Brubaker mashed a double to left-center to pull South to within 4-3, it seemed like Butts was on the ropes.
But he didn’t allow another hit.
“Them scoring three and getting within one run of us, I think it opened Cody’s eyes a little bit,” Webb said. “He focused back in and got the outs he needed.”
As gutsy as Butts was on the mound, his RBI singles in the first and third innings proved crucial too.
“I had a terrible, terrible first half of the year — was only batting around .193,” he said. “But I’ve been stroking since we came back from South Carolina (in April). I’m crushing the ball right now, honestly, and I’m pushing up over .400.”
The Eagles managed only five hits against Parkersburg South starter Wesley Mitchem, who fanned six, walked none and allowed just one earned run. The defensive breakdowns behind him were numerous, including five errors by shortstop Clayton Walters, wo has been playing with a protective mask ever since a ball struck him in the face.
Walters made back-to-back errant throws in the sixth inning, allowing Hedgesville to score two insurance runs.
“Balls to his glove side have given him trouble,” said coach Matt Null. “And when you’re a high school athlete, if you make a mistake it’s in your mind. It was uncharacteristic of him today. He got us to where we’re at.”
Next up for Hedgesville is its first trip to the championship game. Webb downplayed the historic context of the benchmark, noting that high school rosters turnover every three to four years. He’s less concerned with the past 40 years of Hedgesville baseball and more focused on the potential of this group.
“This team,” he said, “they’re a special team.”