Brock Netter, Editor
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
*PHOTO CREDITS: Ed Litteral/SportImageOhio
WHEELERSBURG — At one point in the middle of this season, South Webster coach Ryan McClintic walked into the gymnasium and looked up at the baseball banner.
He’s coached the Jeeps’ baseball program to both of its district titles — 2017 and 2023. But he couldn’t help but notice the last number under conference championships.
1981.
CREDIT: Ed Litteral/SportImageOhio
It’s been 44 long years since the Jeeps were crowned the SOC champions. But that drought is now over and McClintic’s view will be different forevermore.
Behind a pitching gem from Benaiah Andrews and an error-free defensive performance, the Jeeps (13-5, 8-2 SOC III) earned a tight 1-0 victory over Wheelersburg to claim a long awaited SOC III crown on Tuesday.
“I couldn’t be happier with our guys for how they played and happier for them for what they’ve accomplished,” McClintic said. “We’ve talked all season about keeping the game simple and executing the small details. These guys are used to playing in tight games. They’re an experienced ball team who are coachable and simply enjoy playing the game.”
Andrews was the story of the game. He had three jobs for the evening: throw strikes, get outs and trust his defense.
Check, check and check.
He went the distance on the bump for the win, allowing just two hits alongside a pair of walks and four strikeouts.
“He brings such a calming presence on the mound. He never gets too high or too low … the complete epitome of what being a pitcher is,” McClintic said. “His work rate is fast, he fills up the zone, spots his pitches incredibly well and our guys like playing behind him. We lost 70 percent of our pitching a couple years ago, and we gave him the ball as a sophomore and he’s been our ace ever since.”
Andrews and Wheelersburg’s Ean Conn were deadlocked in a pitcher’s duel through the opening two innings, notching three strikeouts each.
Wheelersburg (12-6, 6-3 SOC III) managed to get a runner on in the bottom of the third. However, SW’s Sam Murphy caught the runner trying to steal second to end the threat and keep the game scoreless.
That play gave the Jeeps energy heading into the dugout, and they capitalized on the momentum.
Hunter Barnard opened the fourth with a leadoff single before stealing second and, eventually, heading to third on a passed ball. That set the stage for Tristian Belford to lay down a perfect suicide squeeze, scoring Barnard to put SW ahead 1-0.
“The ability to bunt and execute has been so critical for us. We’re no strangers to playing in close games, and we’ve been on the winning side as well as the other side,” McClintic said. “Our guys are calm in those situations and those are things we’ve practiced time after time. We’re not a team that’s going to crank out five extra base hits per game, it’s not who we are nor have ever been. But it’s worked for us and it’s produced winning results, which the kids buy into once they see they’re winning games.”
That was all the run support Andrews needed for the night.
He mowed down the Pirates’ side in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings before Wheelersburg applied some late pressure in the seventh.
After a leadoff walk to Brody Doss, he found his way to third, following a sacrifice bunt and a groundout. But Andrews quickly went ahead in the next count before inducing a groundout and securing a conference title with the final out.
“This is such a huge win for our guys and the program. To be perfectly honest, we never talked about winning the league before the year started. We put our heads down and go to work every night we take the field,” McClintic said. “We had to do some research after looking up at the banner and seeing that it had been 44 years since our last conference title. We talk a lot about leaving your mark, and the fact that we can put a number on the banner is something that can never be taken away from the kids. Hopefully this is just the beginning of what we can accomplish this season.”
South Webster returns to action on Friday for non-conference play at Southern while Wheelersburg rebounds on Saturday at Chillicothe.
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