MAYNARD’S HUNTER Westlake, right, is congratulated by manager David Vicker, left, while teammate Chris McIntyre looks on. Westlake slugged a solo home run in the third inning that proved to be the difference in the Indians’ 3-2 victory in Game One of their Ohio Valley Baseball League playoff semifinal Wednesday night on Firemen’s Field inside the Community Park.

MAYNARD — Michael “Zuke” Jacob pitched a complete game Wednesday night and Hunter Westlake belted a solo home run as Maynard moved to within a win of the Ohio Valley Baseball League’s championship series.

Jacob, a former St. Clairsville and University of Toledo standout, struck out a dozen, walked a pair and scattered three singles in a 3-2 win over third-seeded Weirton (9-7) in Game One of their best-of-3 semifinal on Firemen’s Field inside the Community Park.

With the triumph, the No. 2 seed Indians (13-6) can clinch a finals berth tonight with a victory on Edwin J. Bowman Field in Weirton. The first pitch is set for 6 p.m. A win by the Bobcats would force a third-and-deciding contest Friday night back in Maynard, also at 6.

“Zuke did a great job on the mound. He held them to two runs and no real big innings,” Maynard manager David Vicker said. “He was in total control, but that is why we had him out there tonight.”

The hard-throwing southpaw walked leadoff batter Joe Nave, but then retired the next eight Weirton hitters until Nave reached on an error with two outs in the third. He was eventually picked off to end the inning.

After allowing two runs on a pair of hits in the fourth, Jacob finished very strong. He set down 11 of the final 12 Bobcats, with player/manager Jacob Rosnick recording a one-out single in the sixth. Jacob fanned the side to end the game and recorded eight of his punchouts in the final 10 outs.

“It’s just like riding a bicycle. The chain was a little rusty to start, but I put some WD40 on it and figured it out,” Jacob said. “I started out alright but I got a little complacent there and put a couple of runners on and they scored, but I finished strong.”

Leading 2-0, Westlake, a former Bellaire High and West Liberty University product, sent a drive to deep left-center that bounced on the roadway. It was his fifth roundtripper of the season.

“I wasn’t really looking for any certain pitch,” Westlake said of the 2-2 offering from Ryan Neely leading off the inning. “I was looking for something close to the plate. If it was a strike, I was swinging at it. I just tried to pick it up (out of his hand) early and put a good swing on it.”

On the short end of a 3-0 reading, Weirton, which finished as runnersup to Barton last summer, finally managed some offense against Jacob in the fourth. Geno Pierro broke up the no-hitter with an infield single to the right side leading off. Rosnick walked before Conor Hyndman moved both runners up with a grounder to first. Adam Cowden then lined the first pitch he saw to left to score Pierro and Rosnick alertly took third when the throw to the plate missed the cut-off. Nick Scott’s sacrifice fly to center was deep enough to plate Rosnick.

“We fought back. They had a good pitcher throwing, but I really think we will win this series in three games,” Rosnick allowed.

Tyler Ramsay doubled home Matt Busby to give the Indians a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Cory Kotopka’s two-out single in the second knocked in Klay Cottis to make it 2-0.

Jacob threw 96 pitches, with 66 being strikes.

Neely, meanwhile, tossed 113. Of those, 71 were in the strike zone.

Vicker will send veteran Chris McIntyre to the hill tonight. Weirton was unsure of its starter.

IN THE other semifinal, Game Two between top-seeded Moundsville (13-6) and No. 4 Barton (10-7) was not played in Crescent Wednesday night due to wet conditions at Henning Field inside Pramesa Park. It will be played tonight at 6 with the Braves holding a 1-0 lead after a 13-0 win on Tuesday. A victory by the Expos would force a Game Three on Friday night in Glen Dale on Bob Montgomery Field at John Marshall High School.