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CHILLICOTHE — The postseason is always a time where teams prove how bad they want to be there.
Seedings are thrown out, and it all comes down to who wants it more.
South Webster was a No. 10 seed in this year’s district draw, but that didn’t matter to the Jeeps on Saturday as they took down the No. 7 seeded Manchester on the road to advance to Saturday’s district semifinal.
The same was the case for Waterford, however. As a No. 15 seed, the Wildcats took down No. 2 Whiteoak in a 10-inning affair on Wednesday.
CREDIT: Raymond Gleadle/SOSA
And when South Webster and Waterford met on Saturday at VA Memorial Stadium, it all boiled down to who wanted to prove they belonged more.
“I asked them if they thought they were a 10 seed, and they said no. So I told them that they couldn’t just think Waterford was a 15 seed,” Jeeps head coach Ryan McClintic said. “We can control how we play. We can’t control what seed we are or where we get put on the bracket. Our guys did not overlook them. They were completely locked in today.”
The Jeeps took care of business on Saturday, run-ruling Waterford by a 10-0 tally to advance to a district final for the third straight year.
“We came into this game expecting to win. Even though Waterford is a good team, we knew how good we are,” South Webster’s Hunter Barnard said. “We had the momentum, and we just wanted to work on the fundamentals and play our game.”
South Webster (14-15) got things going early on after Jacob McGraw walked to lead off the first inning, followed by a Benaiah Andrews single. Both runners came around to score when Hunter Barnard reached on a throwing error, giving the Jeeps an early 2-0 lead. Later in the frame, Sam Murphy drove in another run with an RBI groundout, extending the lead to 3-0.
From there, South Webster continued to build on its lead, one piece at a time.
“We talk a lot about team at-bats, and that’s something we take to heart,” coach McClintic said. “Not everybody’s going to bat over .300, not everybody’s going to have a great day at the plate. It’s about what you’re going to do to help your team out.”
The Jeeps gained an insurance run in the second when Tristan Belford came to the dish with two on and two outs. Belford ripped a ground ball past both the first and second basemen, driving in another run and pushing the advantage to 4-0.
South Webster once again loaded the bases in the bottom of the third, bringing Benaiah Andrews to the plate. Staying patient, Andrews drew a walk to add a run to the total, making it a 5-0 game.
And on the mound, Andrews returned the favor.
Waterford (7-12) managed to get two runners aboard with two outs in the top of the fifth. Colten Jones stood at the plate and looked to finally put a dent in the deficit. However, Andrews shut the door on the Wildcats, getting a much-needed ground ball to keep the shutout thriving.
A similar story unfolded in the sixth when the Wildcats again placed two runners on with only one out. But Andrews again made the opposing batter put the ball on the ground, allowing the Jeeps to turn two and end the inning.
“I wasn’t nervous at all, because I knew they were going to make plays,” Andrews said. “I just knew I had to throw strikes, keep my pitches down and do whatever works.”
Any life that Waterford had remaining was out the window, and South Webster took advantage.
With runners on second and third with one out, Brody Perkins chopped one to the shortstop, who couldn’t field it cleanly, allowing another run to make it home. A passed ball would later allow Belford to come home, and Dylan Shupert later drove in another with an RBI single to push the lead to 8-0.
Later, with two outs, Andrews stood at the dish with the bases loaded. There, he came up with his third hit of the day, bringing home two more runs and closing the book on a 10-0 victory, sending SW to its third straight district final.
“Whether it was 10 a.m. or 10 p.m., our guys were ready to go. We’re just enjoying playing baseball right now,” coach McClintic said. “We came in wanting to apply pressure from the get-go and that’s what we did. We know what Benaiah is going to give us on the mound. He’s going to apply pressure, trust his defense and keep hitters off balance. That’s what he’s done all year.”
Andrews went all six innings on the mound for South Webster, allowing six hits and striking out five en route to a shutout. At the plate, Andrews led the charge, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs. Belford also finished the day 3-for-4 with an RBI and both Barnard and Shupert finished 1-for-4 with an RBI each.
The Jeeps advance to Monday night’s district final against Eastern Meigs — who knocked off Trimble by a 3-2 final to advance. That contest is slated for a 7 p.m. start, back at VA Memorial Stadium.
“We played Eastern Meigs in the first week of the season. We feel like we’re a completely different team now, and I’m sure they are, too,” coach McClinitc said. “They’re no strangers to being up here and they’re no strangers to having success. We know that whoever we’re up against is going to be a challenge for seven innings.”
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