CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Class AA No. 3 Weir stunned No. 2 and 31-win Wayne on Friday night in the state tournament semifinals, beating the Pioneers 6-2.
“That felt great,” said Weir senior Donavan Spencer. “That’s the best feeling I’ve had in a while. To be able to go to the state championship with my brothers, nothing beats that.
“We came in as the underdogs and the three seed,” he continued. “They’re a good team – a great team. But we felt that we could hang with the best of them, and we did. We dominated today, we really did.”
Donavan, specifically, was dominant at the plate, finishing 3-for-4 with two doubles and three runs scored. He scored the game’s first run, in the first, after a leadoff double to center. Chris Gillette later singled him in.
“Both of (Wayne’s) pitchers threw hard and I knew that they always led off with a first pitch strike,” Donavan said. “If it was anywhere close, I was trying to get a good piece of it.”
Later, tied at 2-2, RBI hits from Jacob Rosnick and Gillette put Weir back in control, 5-2.
It was Mills who picked up the win on the mound, giving up two runs on five hits and striking out nine in six innings for the Red Riders (19-10).
“That’s the best feeling I’ve ever had,” Mills said. “It was amazing to come out here with my brothers and get us to the state championship. I had control of everything on the mound – my four-seam, two-seam, curveball, slider, change-up. It was all working well and I was hitting good locations.”
Wayne (31-4) started Taylor Jones on the mound who entered tournament play with a 4-1 record and 1.96 ERA.
“We really expected (Dakota) McCloud (to start),” said Weir coach Jason Angle. “If not him, (Cody) Noe. When they went with No. 3, inside the dugout, the faces said ‘it’s on.'”
Jones had the third most innings pitched on the season for the Pioneers, behind ace McCloud (7-2, 1.57 ERA) and Noe (8-0, 1.54 ERA).
“(The pitching decision) was based on the teams that (Weir) had played,” said Wayne coach Todd Ross. “If Charleston Catholic beat Wheeling Central (in the Class A semifinals), I was going to throw Taylor Jones.
“If Wheeling Central won, I was going to throw Dakota (McCloud), because Wheeling Central beat Weir twice in the regular season,” he continued. “Charleston Catholic won, so Taylor got the start.”
Jones gave up two runs on four hits in three innings, while McCloud eventually relieved him, giving up four runs on six hits.
“Taylor threw well,” Ross said. “Weir just came to play. They hit both pitchers. I threw the best at them that I had and they had 10 hits.
“You can’t take anything away from this bunch,” Ross said. “31-4 is history in itself. That doesn’t come around very often and it’s my first 30-win season. I’ve had these guys since they were in tee-ball and it’s been a super big enjoyment for me, watching them play ball.”
Mills hit his 110-pitch limit after the sixth for Weir and Matthew Komoroski closed out the game in the seventh. Offensively, Mills finished 1-for-4 with an RBI double.
“It’s always easier to go out and pitch with the lead,” Mills said. “My teammates have given me a lead most of the season and I haven’t had to catch up very much.
“Wayne starting its No. 3 (pitcher) was kind of a shot towards us and we took it personally,” Mills said. “They were sleeping on the northern panhandle.”
Weir moves on to face No. 1 Bridgeport in the final game of Championship Saturday.
“I’m so happy and proud of this group and this team,” Angle said. “It’s an effort every single day and they work hard all year, all offseason. They lay it on the line for each other – this group does everything together.