At this point in the Steele and Cook Insurance Ohio Valley Baseball League season, every team needs pitching.
St. Clairsville turned to veteran righthander Casey Tennant and, although he admittedly didn't have his best stuff, he still got the job done.
The former St. Clairsville High School and Mount Union hurler one-hit Neffs in a 9-2 victory by the Titans (11-4) on the Memorial Park diamond Monday night in the Belmont County seat.
Article Photos
ST. CLAIRSVILLE second
baseman Anthony Pierro (7) tags out Neffs’ Darby Waller as he attempted to steal second base Monday night in Steele and Cook Insurance Ohio Valley Baseball League action at Memorial Park. The Titans won,
9-2.
"It was ugly at times. There's no doubt about it," Tennant said of his 132-pitch effort, of which 76 were strikes. "I didn't have my best stuff, for sure, but I had a lot of good plays in the field behind me because I needed it."
The lone hit allowed by Tennant was a third inning one-out triple to right-center by Darby Waller. He would score when Brandon Leonard's grounder was bobbled. The A's Gang (9-6) added an unearned run in the seventh when Waller reached second on an error, stole third and came home when the throw went into left field.
"Casey had good command of his pitches and kept them off-balance," St. Clairsville manager Adam Vincenzo said. "He hit his spots when he needed to."
Tennant would strikeout five and walk just one.
Meanwhile, he got all the run support he needed in the bottom of the second when the hosts put up four runs on three hits. Tyler Butler had a run-scoring single, while Dom Garay sliced a double down the right field line to make it 2-0. Sam Vincenzo's single to right plated two more runs.
Mackenzie Koehler bumped the count to 5-0 with a long solo home run to right. That shot easily cleared the 310-sign.
Jared Clovis singled home a run in the sixth to make it 6-1, and Anthony Pierro's three-run line drive over the short porch in left completed the winners' scoring.
"We played well in all three facets of the game," Vincenzo added. "We hit the ball well, pitched well and fielded well. As a coach, that's all you can ask for."
Koehler added a single to his roundtripper for one of two multiple-hit games for the Titans. Clovis had two one-base raps. Cory Walter and T.J. Sliva rapped doubles, while Darrin Heatherington legged out a triple.
"Give them credit," Neffs' co-manager Dane Koch said of St. Clairsville. "They came out ready to play and took it to us, but tomorrow is another day."
IN Sunday action, St. Clairsville doubled up homestanding Shadyside, 10-5, on Fleming Field.
Clovis singled three times to drive in a run, while the Vincenzo brothers - Sam and Adam - combined for four base knocks and two ribbies. Linescore:
Neffs 001 000 1 - 2 1 4
St. Clairsville 041 005 x - 9 11 2
Batteries: Koch, Jos. Nagel (3) and Cla. Francis. Tennant and Jellison.
North can be reached at knorth@timesleaderonline.com
