By Carl Holcomb
Moorefield Examiner
Moorefield’s Gracin Reel casted the game-tying two-run home run, but Jefferson County hooked the West Virginia 10-12 Baseball District 6 Championship with a 3-2 win at Brady Field in Moorefield.
Moorefield starting pitcher Payden Williams allowed a leadoff double by Jefferson County Bechnir Dupree, then countered with a strikeout against Paxton Thomas.
Jefferson County’s Cole Willis responded by trading places smacking an RBI double for an initial 1-nil edge.
Williams induced a groundout by Trent Smetek back to himself and over to first baseman Easton Sions.
Jefferson County’s Austin Corey launched a shot to center field where Moorefield’s Dexten Eye robbed a home run at the fence.
Jefferson County pitcher Brayden Kerns tossed a strikeout to Moorefield leadoff batter Kaden Flinn.
Williams lobbed a shot into left field, but the ball was caught.
Moorefield’s Jason Klar ripped a double into center field before being stranded on a groundout by Reel.
Jefferson County went down in order during the top of the second inning as Moorefield left fielder Keegan Weatherholtz caught a fly ball, then Williams notched a dropped third strikeout thrown by catcher Jason Klar to Sions before retiring the side with a strikeout.
Moorefield went 1-2-3 on three consecutive strikeouts from Kerns to Sions, Keegan Weatherholtz and Eye.
During the third inning, Williams sandwiched a pair of strikeouts around a single by Kerns.
After a stolen base, Williams jammed Layton Carney into a pop-up caught by third baseman Gracin Reel.
Moorefield’s Kipton Sneathen drew a walk, then Levi Rohrbaugh struck out.
Jake Funk hit a chopper back to the pitcher, but the throw was dropped by the first baseman for an error.
Kerns responded with a strikeout to Bobby Barr, then Flinn hit into a fielder’s choice out at second base to end the frame.
Jefferson County faced two outs quickly in the fourth inning as Williams threw a strikeout to Dupree and jammed Thomas into a pop-up to Sneathen.
A two-out rally started as Willis drew a walk and stole second base.
Smetek put Jefferson County up 2-nil by hitting an RBI single and Willis beat the throw home, while Smetek advanced to second base.
Smetek was stranded at third base as Williams recorded a strikeout.
Williams was thrown out at first base on a dropped third strike.
Moorefield’s Klar hit a sharp grounder to the first baseman which ricocheted away and nobody covered the base on the error.
Reel stepped up and hammered a two-run home run off the end of his bat just clearing the fence to tie the championship at 2-all.
Kerns countered with a strikeout on Sions.
Weatherholtz smoked a single up the middle, then Eye reached base on a dropped third strike before both runners were stranded on a strikeout to Sneathen.
Jeeferson County and Moorefield failed to get baserunners on the pond in the fifth inning as Kerns added two more strikeouts to his resume and Williams notched one strikeout.
Williams was at his pitch limit walking Jefferson County’s Ethan McCreery in the sixth inning and Kaden Flinn came in to pitch for Moorefield.
Kerns smashed an RBI double, but was tagged in a rundown attempting a triple as Jefferson County took a 3-2 advantage.
Flinn answered with a strikeout to Connor Craze, then Layton Carney singled and was stranded on a groundout fielded by Reel.
Moorefield had one more chance to rally, but Kerns garnered a strikeout to start the bottom of the sixth inning against Flinn.
Williams answered with a single sliced into left field, but Jefferson County turned a double play off the bat of Klar to catch the District 6 championship 3-2.
