Photo by Kim North Maynard’s Andy Bailer slides safely into home in the top of the seventh inning Sunday in Game 1 of an Ohio Valley Baseball League semifinal contest on Henning Field inside Pramesa Park in Crescent. Bailer’s run made it a 2-0 final. Awaiting the throw in Barton catcher Zac Smith while home plate umpire Ryan Zielenski positions himself to make the call. Game 2 of the best-of-3 series is Monday night in Maynard.

CRESCENT — It always seems there is an unknown when tournament time rolls around. Be it a sleeper team that makes noise or a player that silences the noise.

Joe Myers has been that player so far in the Ohio Valley Baseball League’s postseason. The right-handed Bishop Donahue grad went the distance for the second time in less than a week in pitching fourth-seeded Maynard to a 2-0 victory over No. 1 Barton Sunday on sun-baked Henning Field inside Pramesa Park.

“Joe was probably No. 3 on our (pitching) staff to start the year, but he is turning out to be our ace right now,” Maynard manager David Vicker said. “He’s had a great summer for us. He’s been phenomenal in his last two starts.”

With the win, the Indians (12-8) can clinch a spot in the championship series with a victory Monday night in Game 2 of the best-of-3 semifinal on Firemen’s Field inside the Community Park. Should the Braves (14-6) prevail, the deciding Game 3 would be played on Wednesday back in Crescent. All games have 6 p.m. starts.

“To be honest, I really didn’t have my best stuff today,” Myers admitted. “I just relied on my fastball and my curve. I was trying to pitch to soft contact, which is what I did for the most part. I also relied on my defense to make some plays.”

After shutting out Wheeling 9-0 in Game 1 of the quarterfinals on Monday night and not letting a runner to third, Myers nearly duplicated his effort Sunday. Once again, no Barton base runner made it to third as the Braves stranded six.

Myers struck out seven, walked two and scattered five singles. He threw 81 pitches (59 strikes) in the 1-hour, 28-minute outing. Twenty of his 27 first-pitches went for strikes.

“To not allow a runner to third base for the second straight outing is pretty cool when you think about it,” he said.

Maynard, which had only scored four runs in 27 innings against Barton in four losses this summer, tallied what turned out to be the only run it would need in the top of the second. Hunter Westlake led off by reaching on an error. He advanced to third on a double by Eric Banal. With one out, Mackenzie Koehler singled to center to plate Westlake. However, Kobe Hill’s throw to the plate was in time for catcher Zac Smith to tag out Banal.

Maynard threatened again in the fifth when Alex Baker singled leading off. Matt Busby reached on a one-out infield single before Tyler Ramsay singled to center with two outs. Hill once again pegged a laser to Smith to cut down Baker trying to score and end the inning.

Veteran Barton manager Billy Timko said a nearly 10-day layoff didn’t really affect the Barton bats despite getting shut out.

“I don’t think that had much to do with it. We made a lot of contact, but we just hit it to where they were playing,” he noted. “It was kind of Christmas in July. We gave them their two runs on errors.

“You can’t give runs away to a team like that because they will make you pay, and they did.”

The Indians added an insurance run in the top of the seventh, thanks to a pair of newcomers.

Recent Wheeling Central grad Andy Bailer lined a full-count pitch down the line in right with one out for a single — his first OVBL hit. Busby reached on an error before Ciaran Flanagan belted a double to right-center that caromed off the glove of a running Barton right fielder Ben Wach as Bailer rounded the bases for a 2-0 lead.

Barton did threaten in the first when Hill drew a leadoff walk but was erased on a Wach fielder’s choice. As Colten Coss grounded out second-to-first, Wach attempted to take third on an errant throw into left. However, Shane Smolenak’s throw was on the money as Westlake applied the inning-ending tag.

“That was a great throw by Andy (Bailer) from left in the first inning,” Myers mentioned. “Andy isn’t really an outfielder, but he made a great throw to third.”

Myers retired seven in a row from the last out of the fourth through the sixth, including striking out the side in the fifth. He yielded a leadoff single by Nate Silvus to start the seventh. Dom Gorence bounced into a fielder’s choice as Silvus was erased at second. Smith legged out an infield single to the hole at short before Myers struck out the next two batters to complete his second outstanding performance.

Myers also gave kudos to catcher Mitch Viakley, who has been pressed into duty behind the plate.

“Mitch called a great game. He is really developing into a great catcher.”

Steubenville graduate Cooper Blackburn suffered the loss. He went the distance, also striking out seven, walking two, hitting a batter and giving up eight hits. He threw 100 pitches, of which 70 were strikes.

“Kobe made two great throws from center field to keep them from scoring,” Timko praised.

Barton’s Josh Speaker was the only player with multi hits as he singled twice.

Weirton 4, Bethany 2

AT WEIRTON, the second-seeded A’s (10-3) doubled up the visiting Brewers (14-9), the third seed, on Edwin J. Bowman Field.

Game 2 of their best-of-3 semifinal series will be Monday at Bethany Park on the campus of Bethany College. A Weirton win sends it to the championship series for the first time since 2020. A Bethany win forces a winner-take-all Game 3 back in downtown Weirton.