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Maynard rallies past Barton

MAYNARD’S MACKENZIE Koehler works to the plate Monday night against Barton in Ohio Valley Baseball League action on Henning Field inside Pramesa Park in Crescent. Koehler went the distance in a 7-6 victory.

CRESCENT — Ben Taylor had Maynard’s number Monday night. However, there was another number the Barton pitcher had, that being 75.

The former Wheeling Park and current Fairmont State right-hander was under a self-imposed pitch count after not taking the mound in more than a month. He reached 75 pitches in five innings, leaving with a 1-0 lead and allowing no hits. He lost a perfect-game bid with a two-out walk in the fourth.

The visiting Indians (6-3) touched up the Braves’ bullpen for seven runs in the sixth and then held on for a 7-6 Ohio Valley Baseball League triumph on rain-free Henning Field inside Pramesa Park.

“This was his first outing for us and he had told me before the game that he only wanted to throw about 75 pitches,” veteran Barton (3-3) manager Billy Timko said of Taylor’s exit. “I wanted him to go more, but I’m not going to burn the kid up. That’s not my job.”

Meanwhile, Maynard manager David Vickers was happy to see Taylor leave the mound.

“We were sure glad to see him come out of the game,” Vickers said. “We got a couple of runners on and then we beat a bunt out for our first hit that loaded the bases. That started it and we batted around without making an out.”

Eric Banal and Jared Kernan drew back-to-back walks to lead off the sixth against reliever Drake Dobson. Jayden Starks legged out a perfect bunt down the first base line for his team’s first hit to load the bases. Matt Busby walked to force in a run and tie the game at one. Hunter Westlake’s comebacker to the right side of the mound was thrown wildly to home, allowing two runs to score and leaving runners on second and third. Tyler Ramsey was intentionally walked before Mason Ramsey lined a two-run single to left. B.A. Holloway followed with a run-scoring single and two more runs scored on the second error of the frame.

“West Liberty is trying to make Drake a pitcher and I’m just trying to help them out a little,” Timko said. “I just watched Cleveland play Seattle and a pitcher fielded a ball like that and made a bad throw to the plate. That happens. This game got out of hand real quick … bang-bang .. and just like that it was 7-1.”

The defending champions didn’t roll, however.

Barton tallied five times in the bottom of the seventh, sending 11 batters to the plate. Colton Coss had a bases-clearing triple to left-center while Isaac Rine and Matt Fouty each singled in a run before the Braves left the bases loaded.

“We made it a lot more interesting than we wanted to in the seventh, but Mackenzie bore down there at the end,” Vickers said.

Koehler went the distance, striking out four and walking five. He surrendered eight hits and threw 118 pitches, of which 42 came in the last inning.

“I knew if I kept us in the game that my teammates would eventually break through with some hits and runs,” Koehler said. “I just had to keep us in it.”

When asked if it was his game to win or lose, Koehler, after a brief hesitation, said it was David’s call.

“If anyone can take me out in that situation, it is him, bit I think he wanted me to finish this out,” Koehler added. “This is a big win. I knew when we went up by five or six that they weren’t done. They were acting like it was over, but I knew better. They aren’t made like that. They are great baseball players and they want to win as much as we do, especially when we play each other.”

Jake Probst singled and doubled to lead the Braves’ offense. Rine had two singles. Kaden Blomquist smacked an RBI double.

“We battled. We’re the defending champions. We’re not going to roll over,” Timko noted. “We’ll battle until the final out, and we did.”

Maynard hosts Shadyside on Wednesday at Firemen’s Field while Barton travels to Moundsville on Friday.

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