Derrick Webb, Managing Editor
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
CHILLICOTHE — If you haven’t been paying attention this year, pitching has been the centerpiece of South Webster’s baseball success.
Coming into Saturday’s Division VII district championship, the Jeeps’ staff had tossed 11 shutouts — five of which were 1-0 or 2-0 victories — while helping the team post a +84 run differential.
Jacob McGraw continued that trend with a surgical performance in an 11-1 win over Southern at VA Memorial Stadium. The right-handed hurler surrendered just three hits and struck out three without allowing an earned run.
CREDIT: Kenneth Hay/SOSA
And his offense showed up in support, pounding out 12 hits to secure the third district title in program history, and the second in the past three seasons. The win also marks the program’s 20th this season, a school record.
The Jeeps are clicking at the right time, which is unwelcome news to future opponents.
“This group has just put the work in and they are starting to come together at the right time,” South Webster coach Ryan McClintic said. “Lately, they’ve been swinging hot bats and that’s what you want to see at this point in the year. Our defense has been steady all year and Jacob was able to rely on the guys behind him tonight.”
South Webster (20-8) got on the board in the bottom of the second and used the bunt to do so. After Cole Bennett singled, he moved to second on an error.
With runners on first and second, Beau Stephens laid down a picture perfect sacrifice bunt to move them over. Samuel Murphy then bunted on a squeeze play, scoring Bennett and putting the Jeeps ahead 1-0.
“It just shows the hard work we’ve put in,” SW’s Tristan Belford said. “Getting bunts down early in that game, everybody in the dugout is just working hard. Everybody had a role in this.”
The Tornadoes answered in the top of the third, using a fielding error to do so. Cooper Diddle singled before moving to third with two outs. Carson Reuter then hit a line shot to second base, but the throw was off target, allowing Diddle to come home and forcing a 1-1 tie.
However, that momentum was short-lived.
In the bottom half of the third, SW jumped back on top — and in a big way.
After Jacob McGraw reached on error, Hunter Barnard tripled him in for a 2-1 edge before scoring himself when Brycin McClintic singled in the next at-bat, pushing the lead to 3-1.
McClintic would move to third on a passed ball and come scampering home when Bennett logged an RBI single of his own, extending the lead to 4-1.
The Jeeps played add-on in the fourth.
Sam Murphy worked a walk to start things off before Shupert bunted for a hit. Later, with an out, McGraw helped his own cause with an RBI single just before Barnard, McClintic and Belford followed suit — with a walk to Stephens in between — making it a 9-1 lead.
Murphy then came back to the plate and grounded into an RBI groundout before the inning mercifully ended, putting the Jeeps ahead 10-1 going into the fifth.
In the sixth, South Webster put an end to things.
Benaiah Andrews began the frame with a walk before moving to second on a wild pitch. He’d score on an RBI single from McGraw — fittingly — sending the Jeep faithful home early.
“When the bats are hot, everybody is able to pass the baton to the guy behind them,” McGraw said. “It’s amazing and it’s fun for everybody in the dugout the whole time. This is something that was put on our schedule that we wanted to accomplish. To come out here and get the job done tonight, it was a big thing for us.”
Statistically, Barnard finished 3-for-3 with a triple, a stolen base and two RBIs while McClintic was 2-for-2 with a stolen bag and two RBIs. Bennett also helped out, going 2-for-2 with two runs and an RBI, and McGraw helped his own cause, going 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs.
Southern’s three hits were logged by Zach Thomas, Jake Wickline and Cooper Diddle, who also added a stolen base and a run to the team’s totals.
While the Tornadoes’ season comes to an end, South Webster now moves to a Division VII regional semifinal at 3 p.m. on Wednesday at Ohio University.
The Jeeps will meet with Strasburg-Franklin, a 10-2 winner over Conotton Valley, coming out of the East District.
“It’s one game at a time, just [focus on the] next opponent,” McGraw said. “That’s what was said at the beginning of the year. We definitely need to fine-tune getting our bunts down. We still have to hit every single day and fielding is a big part of it. And we have to go right at guys [on the mound] and just try to get better.”
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