ST. MARYS, W.Va. – Wheeling Central senior Brian Shaw allowed a just one run as he pitched a complete game to propel the Maroon Knights to the state tournament with a 4-1 win over St. Marys in the Region 1 final.
Shaw struck out five and scattered six hits as St. Marys struggled to get base runners throughout the game.
Wheeling Central jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, which turned out to be more than enough for Shaw. With runners at second and third with one out, senior Adam Campbell laced a two-run double driving in Isaac Rine and Anthony Gentile, giving the Knights a lead they never relinquished.
St. Marys miscues in the top of fourth inning led to two more Wheeling Central runs. With two outs and two Wheeling Central runners on, the St. Marys center fielder dropped a pop fly that should have ended the inning. Instead, the Maroon Knights got a pair of run-scoring singles from Chris Furka and Kevin Keane.
The Blue Devils scored their lone run in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single by Hunter Smitley. St. Marys tried to mount a rally in the sixth inning, getting the first two hitters of the inning aboard. However, base running mistakes erased the St. Marys threat. The Blue Devil base runner was picked off of second base on a failed bunt attempt. Wheeling Central’s Shaw then picked off the runner at first, when he lost his balance on the base after initially being called safe.
Ty Flowers pitched seven innings for St. Marys without allowing an earned run. He scattered seven hits and struck out four.