Derrick Webb, Managing Editor
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
WAVERLY — While it took Wheelersburg’s offense some time to figure out how to crack the scoreboard on Wednesday, pitcher Jack Picklesimer was ready to deal when he stepped off the bus.
The Pirates’ offense finally figured things out and gave their senior right-hander more than enough run support late in the game, completing a 4-1 come-from-behind win at Waverly.
“It worked out for us. Ean Conn threw Monday and the plan was for Cooper [Heimbach] to throw today,” Wheelersburg coach Derek Moore said. “Yesterday, Cooper’s like, ‘Hey, I’m hurting and I can’t throw.’ So Jack is like, ‘I want the ball.’ By golly, he wanted the ball. He gave up one run early and he continued to pound the zone. We played good enough defense behind him and the bats came alive late to put up four runs. The way Jack was throwing, that’s all he needed.”
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
Picklesimer’s final line included one earned run on seven hits surrendered with four strikeouts. His ability to work out of jams was masterful.
However, he didn’t go completely unscathed.
With both offenses sputtering to start the night, Waverly scratched out a run in the bottom of the fourth.
With one out and one on, Caeleb Cox singled into right field to put runners on first and second. Gunnar Myers then came through with a two-out RBI single to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead.
But from that point forward, Picklesimer slammed the door shut on any additional scoring opportunities.
He worked around two walks and a base hit in the fifth, and two more base hits in the sixth — inducing a fly ball and logging a strikeout to escape trouble.
Meanwhile, Wheelersburg (12-4, 6-2 SOC) broke ground on its own scoring column in the top of the sixth.
With one out, Ean Conn doubled into left-center field before Jake Clevenger worked a walk. When Brady Doss singled in the next at-bat, Conn crossed the plate to make it 1-1.
Then, with two outs, Brody Wilburn turned in the most important hit of the contest — a two-run double that gave ‘Burg a 3-1 lead.
PHOTOS: Images from Wheelersburg’s win over Waverly
“I’m going to give our hitting coach a ton of credit,” Moore said. “He met with the guys before that inning and I don’t know what he said, but that reset worked. It just looked like, maybe, when we weren’t pressing as much and not trying to pull everything, it clicked. We also got up on the plate and that’s when Brody Wilburn hits one down the line and Brady Doss comes up with a huge hit. I just have to give all of our guys credit to continue to stay resilient.”
Wilburn’s double was the ultimate difference in the contest but Heimbach provided insurance with an RBI double of his own, scoring Wilburn and cementing a 4-1 final.
In the seventh, Picklesimer looked stronger than ever, logging a five-pitch inning that featured two ground outs and a fly out to pound the nails in the coffin.
“I told the boys when we got off the bus that tomorrow is May and we’re going to act like today is,” Moore said. “We have to start playing our best baseball going down the stretch. That’s for, one, because of these tough conference games and then, it’s because we’re going into the tournament. We have to play our best. It was a good night for the Pirates.”
Statistically, Clevenger led the Pirates’ offense with a 2-for-2 effort alongside a walk and a run scored.
Meanwhile, Conn was 1-for-2 with a double and a run, Wilburn finished 1-for-3 with a double, a run and two RBIs, and Heimbach went 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
Waverly’s offensive efforts were led by Myers, who was 2-for-3 with an RBI, and Cox, who was 2-for-3.
The Pirates are back in action on Friday, traveling to Raceland to face Boyd County. Meanwhile, Waverly (8-8, 3-5 SOC) will attempt to get back on the mend on Monday, hosting Minford.
“We’re excited for it,” Moore said. “We just need to continue to grow. We talked about graduating nine seniors at the start of this season. All of these guys are getting their feet wet at the varsity level. We just have to continue to mature and grow. That’s how we’ll be able to win close ballgames like we did tonight.”
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