Photo/SHERI MCANINCH BELLAIRE first baseman Rylie Porter records an out of Buckeye Trail’s Delanie Roe during their Division III sectional game in St. Joe. The Big Reds won, 3-0.

ST. JOE – Bellaire used a majestic pitching performance to advance in the OHSAA D-III sectional softball tournament Monday afternoon.

Majestique Jackson was brilliant in the circle in hurling the seventh-seeded Big Reds to a 3-0 whitewashing of 10th-seeded Buckeye Trail. Jackson was never in trouble as she yielded just five hits while fanning nine. She possessed superb control, issuing just two walks.

“I am just happy and excited that we won and are moving on in the tournament,” Jackson said. “I felt good today and my teammates made a lot of great plays behind me. It’s exciting to still be playing.”

While Jackson was the unquestioned star for the winners, her co-star was catcher Gianna Schmidt. The talented junior gunned down three would-be Trail base-stealers. The Warriors did not have a stolen base on the day.

“That is by far the best Majestique has pitched all year. She was in total control,” Menendez said. “I am also pleased with how we played behind her. Gianna was amazing and Lizzie (McAninch) made a great catch at the center field fence. We didn’t commit an error.

“We didn’t hit the ball real well. But we did enough to get it done. We stranded too many runners, ” he added. “We loaded the bases in the first and third innings with less than two outs and got only one run. But give their pitcher credit. She threw the ball well.”

Abby Hoover was the tough-luck loser. The Trail southpaw yielded just six hits while striking out 11 and walking four.

Bellaire improved to 8-14 on the campaign. The Big Reds will now face fourth-seeded Meadowbrook Thursday at Byesville. The Colts advanced by downing St. Clairsville.

Trail ended the season with a 5-20 mark.

Bellaire tallied the lone run it would need in the first inning.

Junior sparkplug Allie Ault opened the frame by drawing a walk. Sophia Porter also coaxed a base-on-balls before Schmidt was beaned in the helmet to load the bases with no outs. McAninch gained the game-winning RBI via another base-on-balls.

A potential big inning failed to materialize for the hosts, however, as Hoover fanned the next three Big Reds.

Bellaire added an insurance run in the fifth. Schmidt singled, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on a Jackson single to right center.

The Big Reds made it a 3-0 issue in the sixth. Freshman Marissa Pacifico singled and was plated by a Porter double.

“You got to score if you want to advance in the postseason. We did not to that,” Trail boss Devani Roe said. “We also made too many mistakes, especially on the base paths.

“Jackson pitched a very nice game as did Abby. We just hurt ourselves,” she added. “It is a disappointing way to end the season.”

Porter was the lone Big Red to garner two hits. Melanie Roe had two hits for the Warriors.

“I don’t know too much about Meadowbrook yet but we will. If we can get pitching like we did today and get some better hitting, I know we will compete very well Thursday.”