(Story by Parker Stone)
MARTINSBURG, W.Va- Martinsburg High Baseball continues to stake their claim as the top team in West Virginia’s Class AAA with a dominant 10-0 win in five innings over the Spring Mills Cardinals.
“We’re trying to just go 1-0 every day and I thought we did a great job doing what we were supposed to do and proud
Martinsburg’s scoring got underway in the bottom of the first with shortstop Braeden Oviedo hitting a hard liner to shallow left field to score leadoff man Isaac Grove. Oviedo would later touch home plate himself in the inning by way of a double from third baseman Ben Reisenweber.
Spring Mills collected their first of only two hits in this contest from catcher Aiden Eichelberger in the top of the second. Before any glimpse of momentum could be taken, the door would close emphatically shut by way of Bulldogs pitcher Carson Boober.
Boober struck out seven Cardinals across four and two-thirds innings of work and earned the win.
“You can’t draw it up better,” said Bulldogs Head Coach Aaron Beiler. “Maybe we can get a couple runs and get Carson under 75 total pitches and be able to bring him back on Friday. You don’t like to think about it that way because it usually doesn’t happen, but you can’t draw it up much better.”
The bottom of the second saw the Bulldog lead grow to four as Isaac Grove hit a grounder to left field that scored both RJ Brown and Jamere Brown. Later in the inning, Boober singled to score second baseman Keegan Everhart and Grove and make the lead 6-0.
“Isaac has been out for almost a month with a hamstring injury, so to see him back and hitting that well in the leadoff spot is big,” said Beiler.
The bottom of the third was quiet as no runs came from either team, but the Bulldogs put the final touches on a mercy rule victory in the bottom of the fourth.
Oviedo sent a fly ball to center field to score Grove for the third time in the game. Both Oviedo and right fielder Christian Alter would score by way of Reisenweber slamming a triple to center field. Owen Ruppenthal would lay down a sacrifice bunt to score Reisenweber to get to that important tenth run entering the fifth inning.
“Ben Reisenweber is seeing it as well as anybody for us right now and hopefully that continues,” said Beiler.
Boober would strike out his first two batters in the bottom of the fifth before being relieved for Oviedo. Cardinals designated hitter Landon Trumpower flew out on the first pitch he saw to Alter in right field and bringing the Bulldogs a step closer to a sectional title.
“All year long we’ve been focusing on ourselves and making sure we do what we’re supposed to be doing,” said Beiler. “Lane DeLauter is gonna go for us tomorrow night and we have all the confidence in him. Hopefully our defense shows up like it has and we get some timely hits.”
Martinsburg improves to 28-2 and will host Hedgesville tomorrow night in the winner’s bracket of Region 2 Section 1. Spring Mills will travel to Inwood to take on Musselman in an elimination game.
