Photo by Kim North Maynard third baseman Hunter Westlake steps on the bag before throwing to first to try and complete -of-3 double play against Wheeling in Game 1 of the best-of-3 Ohio Valley Baseball League quarterfinal playoff game Monday night on Firemen’s Field inside the Community Park in Maynard. The Indians won, 9-0.

MAYNARD — The two teams that have combined to win the last four Ohio Valley Baseball League tournament titles met Monday night in a quarterfinal contest. Maynard prevailed in 2021, 2022 and 2023 but saw its attempt at a four-peat derailed by Wheeling in the semifinals.

The fourth-seeded Indians (10-7) took out their frustrations from last summer by pounding out a dozen hits in a 9-0 blanking of the visiting fifth-seeded Pioneers (3-14) in Game 1 of their best-of-3 quarterfinal series on Firemen’s Field inside the Community Park.

Staked to a 4-0 lead after one inning, Joe Myers was able to settle in and went the distance on the mound. The Bishop Donahue grad struck out 11, walked four and hit a batter. He scattered three singles — two of the infield variety — among his 95-pitch effort, of which 61 were strikes.

“Them knocking us out last year definitely stung a little bit because we had won championships in each of my first three years here,” Myers recalled. “It stung a little so it felt good to come back and beat them tonight.”

Although Wheeling stranded six baserunners, not one reached third base.

“I felt really good and (catcher) Mitch (Viakley) called a good game,” Myers said. “My arm felt good and right before the game started I just knew I was going to have a good game today.”

“He’s beat us about three times this year and we’ve never been able to figure him out,” Wheeling manager Scott Shaw said. “We got behind early and held them off for a while, but they’ve got some guys that can hit the ball.”

While Maynard was hitting the cover off the baseball, Wheeling just couldn’t get untracked.

“We haven’t hit the ball all year, and that’s not calling anyone out, but we just haven’t hit like we have in past years,” he added. “In past years we’ve started to come together towards the end of the regular season, but that hasn’t happened this season.”

A single by Matt Busby to start the bottom of the first, coupled with a hit batter, a crucial throwing error, a sacrifice fly by Hunter Westlake and two-out, two-run double by Mitch Viakley — which curled inside the line in left — gave the Indians a 4-0 lead. That was more than enough for Myers.

“It was really nice to have a four-run cushion to work with early,” Myers admitted. “I just wanted to throw strikes and let my defense do what it does.

“My fastball was working most of the time, except for the walks,” Myers said. “I got a couple called third strikes on my curveball and my changeup was effective.”

Maynard, which belted out five doubles on the night, recorded three of them in the fourth when the margin grew to 7-0. Cole Micker lined a one-out double down the right field line and Busby hit the fence in deep left-center for an RBI two-bagger. With two outs, Tyler Ramsay slugged an RBI double off the fence in left and Hunter Westlake followed with a broken bat single to left that drove in Ramsay.

Lex Wlhelm and Eric Banal had back-to-back RBI singles in the sixth.

Westlake finished with three singles and two runs batted in. Busby singled, doubled and drove in one, while Banal had a pair of run-producing base hits.

Seth Burgdolt had two of the three Wheeling base hits. Logan Bennett suffered the loss.

The same two teams will meet again Tuesday night in Game 2 which will also be played in Maynard with Wheeling serving as the home team due to unplayable conditions at the J.B. Chambers I-470 Sports Complex in Elm Grove. A win would advance the Indians to the semifinals against top-seeded Barton. With a win, Wheeling would force a Game 3 back in Maynard on Thursday.

Bethany 17, Colerain 2

AT BETHANY PARK on the campus of Bethany College, the third-seeded Brewers (14-8) rolled past sixth-seeded Colerain.

John Santimarino had a single and two doubles for Bethany, which also received home runs from Joel Wise and Mason Stanford.

Matt Brooks went the distance on the mound.

Game 2 of the series is Tuesday night at the Martins Ferry High School diamond.

Both games have 6 p.m. starts.