Taking control

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Baseball is a game of three main aspects: defense, hitting and pitching.

Barton had all three going Monday night in game one of the United Dairy Ohio Valley Baseball League's championship series.

Behind Zac Campbell's dominating performance on the mound, some clutch hitting from the bottom of the order, and a solid defensive outing, the Braves (20-3) posted a 4-0 shutout of Maynard (16-6) in the best-of-5 series before a nice-sized crowd at Crescent's Henning Field.

Game Two will be played Wednesday night at the Maynard Community Park. The first pitch is set for 6 p.m.

Campbell, a former John Marshall and Fairmont State University standout, struck out five and walked just two in firing a two-hitter. The 2008 West Virginia Conference Pitcher of the Year allowed a leadoff single to hot-hitting Bill Rockwell, but then retired 16 batters in a row before issuing a walk to Roger Herbert with one out in the sixth inning.

"My fastball was working very well," said Campbell, who needed just 91 pitches (63 strikes) in the 90-minute contest. "I was just trying to hit my spots, let them put the ball in play and let my defense do the rest."

The 23-year-old admitted to tiring a little in the later innings, but he worked through it.

"Zac continues to do what he has all season," said Barton manager Mike Kolvek. He throws strikes and was in total command tonight. He's also very patient and doesn't get rattled."

While Campbell was keeping the Reds' runners off the basepaths, Barton bunched all of its runs in the second through fourth innings.

The Braves scored the only run it would need in the bottom of the second when former Monroe Central and current Bethany College standout Chris Leasure reached second base when his grounder to short was thrown into the woods behind first base. One out later, Charlie Bishop ripped a shot to second that took a bad-hop past Ken Bennington as Leasure raced home for a 1-0 lead.

The hosts made it 2-0 in the third as former Bellaire and West Liberty product Nick Rocchio drilled an opposite-field triple to the corner in right. He would touch home plate on George Laase's sacrifice fly with one out, making it 2-0.

Barton tacked on two more tallies in the fourth for the final margin. Leasure drew a leadoff walk from tough-luck loser Aubrey Neuhart and Matt King followed with a single to center. Bishop, the Braves' No. 7 hitter, then roped an RBI double to right. Jonathan Duncan followed with a run-producing single up the middle.

"The bottom of our order has come through all season," Kolvek noted. "When we get the top and the bottom both going, we're in good shape."

As far as the defense goes, it was all Rocchio. The slick-fielding shortstop ranged far to his right to field a groundball off the bat of Herbert with one out in the third. He made a leaping throw to first to just nip the runner.

With one out in the sixth and Herbert on first, Rockwell sent a shot up the middle that Rocchio gloved, stepped on second and rifled a strike to first to complete an inning-ending twin-killing.

"That first play Nick made was just unbelievable," Kolvek praised. "That was truly a web gem."

Campbell agreed.

"That was a heckuva play by Nick," he offered. "Like I said, all I wanted to do was put the ball in play and let my guys make the plays."

There wasn't Maynard manager Laney Simone Sr. could say following the setback.

"You've got to hit the ball and we didn't do that tonight," he said. "We may have been a little flat, but I'm not blaming that on the eight-day layoff. You've got to hit the ball, and if you don't ... ."

Barton managed just six hits off Neuhart, a former Meadowbrook and Muskingum College hurler. However, four of the safeties came from Bishop and Duncan.

Game Notes:

• Kolvek said former Martins Ferry and Ohio University ace lefty Zach Fairbanks would toe the rubber in Game Two. Maynard will counter with unbeaten Mark Cisar. Kolvek will take the mound in Game Three Friday against Travis Boyle.

• A crowd estimated at 225 jammed Henning Field last night. The 50-50 raffle raised $170.

North can be reached at knorth@timesleaderonline.com