Brock Netter, Editor
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
LOGAN — Clay had momentum. Then, South Webster took it.
And once the Jeeps had it, there was no looking back.
Trailing 6-3 entering the bottom of the fifth, South Webster (19-10) exploded for an 11-run inning that overwhelmed the Panthers en route to a 15-9 victory in a Division VII district final on Friday.
It clinches the fourth district title in program history, and marks the first time the Jeeps have won back-to-back district championships.
“It’s a standard that we’ve built over the last 10 years, one that’s never been there before when it comes to South Webster baseball,” McClintic said. “This is our fifth straight year in a district final and our fourth title since 2017, so it’s always special to win one. Credit to Clay. They gave us a heck of a game and really put the pressure on us. They’ll be a really good team for years to come, but credit to our guys for weathering the storm and fighting back.”
CREDIT: Brock Netter/SOSA
Out of the gates, it was Clay (21-8) who had the upper hand.
With two runners on base after a leadoff single and a fielding error, Jackson Hannan ripped an RBI double into right field to make it 1-0.
Two batters later, with two outs and two on, Bryce Whitley smacked a two-run double down the left field line to push the score to 3-0.
The Panthers kept the Jeeps off the board in the first and second, but the Jeeps broke through in the third.
Pierce Kresicher showed his power and speed, legging out an RBI triple before scoring off an RBI single from Cole Bennett to cut the deficit to 3-2.
The Panthers pushed the lead to 4-2 with a fielder’s choice from Cade Munion, but Easton Large smoked an RBI double in the bottom of the inning to bring SW to within 4-3.
“It took us a while to really gel as a team and figure out what really works, but those two guys [Easton and Pierce], we don’t consider them freshmen anymore,” McClintic said. “They’re really mature kids and play with a mature baseball IQ. Easton has been really great on the mound and at the plate. Pierce has been among our top hitters and came up really big in some clutches situations. No moment has been too big for either of them and they just deliver.”
After a scoreless fourth, the fifth inning was all about fireworks.
It started in the top half as Munion stepped back up and slapped a hit to right field. The ball got past a diving fielder and Munion turned on the burners for an RBI triple. He’d score on a fielding error to extend the lead to 6-3.
And then, it was the Jeeps’ turn to answer — and they did in a big way.
Brycin McClintic and Large started the party with back-to-back RBI doubles and Jacob McGraw followed by smacking an RBI triple to tie the game at 6-6.
Kreischer drove in McGraw with an RBI single, puttng the Jeeps in front for the first time — and they were nowhere near finished.
“I kept telling our guys to not change anything and keep trusting their reps,” McClintic said. “We just needed some guys on base, and everything else would fall into place. A lot of hard hit balls made it to the fence, some just found the gaps and that was all we had to do. More than anything, I’m proud of the guys staying the course and trusting their work.”
Clay committed a throwing error, scoring two more Jeeps to push the lead to 9-6 with no outs. But a nightmarish inning for the Panthers wasn’t over yet.
With SW nearly going through the entire lineup twice, Benaiah Andrews laced a two-run single and Large added a two-run double before McGraw notched an RBI single of his own, making it 14-6.
The Jeeps added another run in the sixth off a Clay fielding error, and although the Panthers scored three runs in the seventh, the mountain was too high to scale as the Jeeps closed out with a trip to the Sweet 16.
“A huge amount of credit goes to the bottom of our lineup as well. Those guys kept that fifth-inning rally going, and found ways to get on base,” McClintic said. “Our seniors were great also. In games like this when your back is against the wall, you look to those experienced guys to lead the way and that’s what they did. It’s a great win, and it’s only going to get tougher from here.”
Large earned the win on the mound for the Jeeps, throwing six innings, allowing two earned runs and striking out six batters. He also went 3-for-5 with two doubles and four RBIs.
Kreischer finished 3-for-4 with a triple and two RBIs, Andrews was also 3-for-4 with two RBIs, and McGraw was 1-for-5 with a triple and two RBIs.
For Clay, Whitley finished 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs while Munion finished 1-for-4 with a triple and three RBIs.
Hannan and Derick Oliver each had a hit and an RBI as well.
South Webster advances to a Division VII regional semifinal at 3 p.m. on Wednesday against Newark Catholic, who beat Fairfield Christian to advance.
That game will be played at Ohio University.
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