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Weirton tightens up OVBL race

• Bobcats defeat Barton, close to within 2.5 games of leaders

MINGO JUNCTION — All of a sudden the competitiveness of the four-team Ohio Valley Baseball League is starting to show through.

Weirton didn’t play a perfect game Wednesday night, but it was a nice bounce-back from a disheartening loss 24 hours earlier. Combining solid pitching, timely hitting and some outstanding defensive plays, the Bobcats (6-7) took down visiting Barton, 8-2, at the John Muth Recreational Complex at Indian Creek Middle School.

With the win, Weirton closed to within 2.5 games — two in the loss column — of the league-leading Braves (9-5) with a week to go in the regular season. The same two teams conclude their three-games-in-three-nights series tonight at Edwin Bowman Field in downtown Weirton. The first-pitch is set for 6.

“Our bats are starting to come around. When the bats are here the ‘Cats are here,” Weirton player/manager Jacob Rosnick said. “We got good pitching out of Sante. He kept his pitch count down and located his pitches well. he pitched well for us.”

The former Toronto High standout wasn’t overpowering as his two strikeouts will attest, but he did induce 10 flyballs or popups. He was also the beneficiary of several key web gems, none bigger than the one Gabe Rejonis turned in. With the bases loaded with Braves and no outs in the sixth, Rejonis, who had just entered the game at second base, fielded a chopper, tagged the runner going to second and threw to first to complete the double play.

Geno Pierro, the starting second baseman who moved to short, made a pair of dandies as well, both coming in the fourth. He ranged to shallow right-center to make a fine catch before snagging a laser off the bat of Dmitri Collaros with two runners on and one out.

“Tonight was one of those games you play, get over it and move on to the next one,” Barton manager Billy Timko said. “We hit solid shots off of their pitcher all night, but, unfortunately, they were right at their players. We didn’t play well in the field tonight, but you’re going to have games like that.”

Chris Gillette singled three times to lead the Bobcats’ 10-hit attack. He also drove in a run. Elijah Gillette and Larry Bielanski each singled twice and drove in a run. Rosnick had a two-run single and Nick Scott singled in a run.

Moundsville 6, Maynard 5

AT GLEN DALE, Bryan Courts’ walk-off single with two outs in the bottom of the seventh lifted the host Expos (8-7) over the stunned Indians (6-7) on the John Marshall High School diamond. It was their fifth straight win on a regular-season-ending homestand.

Courts laced a 2-1 offering from hard-luck loser Greyson Loweecy to score two runs and rally the winners, who allowed Maynard to take a 5-4 lead with four runs in the top of the inning.

Courts and player/manager Matt Carnahan each had two hits. Joe Myers and Trin Scott each had an RBI.

Chris Leasure singled three times and doubled to drive in two runs for Maynard. Mason Ramsay doubled in a run in the seventh while Hunter Westlake singled in another. Eric Banal had a double.

Wheeling Stogies 14, Washington 13

AT PATTERSON FIELD, the hosts (3-1) scored half of their runs in the bottom of the seventh to stun the visiting Renegades.

Dylan Gongola and Michael Toepfer had home runs in the late outburst. Gongola’s was his second of the game. Jon Milton also went deep.

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