Big Red fends off Weir in battle of OVAC leaders

BIG HIT — Big Red’s Sena Smith is congratulated by head coach Gus DiMarzio after hitting a solo home run against Weir High on Thursday night at the Edison Unified Sports Complex. – Andrew Grimm

RICHMOND — Thursday night’s showdown of OVAC leaders under the lights lived up to the hype.

Big Red, which sits atop the Class 5A standings, jumped ahead to a four-run lead, but Class 4A leading Weir High did not make it easy.

The Red Riders battled back within a run and got the first two batters aboard in the bottom of the seventh looking to complete the comeback, but the Big Red infield turned a 6-4-3 double play and freshman pitcher Isabella Cadille fired a game-ending strikeout to preserve a thrilling 6-5 victory under the lights at the Edison Unified Sports Complex.

“That was huge,” Big Red head coach Gus DiMarzio said of the seventh-inning double play. “At the beginning of the inning, I told them ‘they have 1-2-3 due up and we haven’t gotten them out all night, so you have to find a way to win this game.’ At the end of the day, it’s the kids that find a way to win the game and they did, they found a way to win the game. I’m proud of them.

“I’m proud of my kids for winning … we still have things to improve on, we have some areas we need to get better, but we’re finding ways to win.”

Weir High’s Gracie Trifonoff heads to third base. – Andrew Grimm

After the Red Riders (21-5) got on the board first, Steubenville (16-3) plated the next five runs.

Weir battled to within 5-4 with a three-run bottom of the third, but Big Red went ahead 6-4 in the fourth. That run, scored on a Sophia Zorne sac fly after Emily Tuttle had doubled, proved to be the eventual difference maker.

Both teams had two errors and gave up a couple of unearned runs.

“It was a battle to the end, it’s hard to put into words because I’m happy with the fight to try to come back, but we made mistakes in the field we don’t usually make to give them a couple runs and that ends up being the difference,” Weir High head coach John Leary said. “Big Red is a really good team, they are going to take advantage when you make mistakes, that’s what good teams do. You’re not going to beat Big Red making mistakes.

“We fought, but we put ourselves in a position to have to fight. Overall I am pleased with the effort to give ourselves a chance at the end after getting down 5-1, but we just didn’t get it done.

Big Red’s Sadie Edwards slides safely into third base ahead of a throw. – Andrew Grimm

“It’s going to make us better down the road.”

Ohio University signee Sena Smith blasted a solo homer for Big Red, while Akron commit Sadie Edwards had a pair of doubles. Sagan Smarrella had two hits and an RBI and Fairmont State signee Paige Matteson also drove in a run.

Cadille fired seven punch outs against three walks, just two of the runs against were earned.

Bella Weber finished with a four RBI day for the Red Riders, while Brayley Lash had a double and an RBI and Rayna Hoover had a pair of hits.

Eliza Utt went the distance in the circle, holding Big Red off the board in the final three innings to give her team a chance to come back.

MAKING A PLAY — Big Red’s Paige Matteson makes a throw to first base for an out. – Andrew Grimm

The game was moved to Edison and started a little after 7 p.m. to be part of a broadcast doubleheader with Indian Creek and Edison battling in the early game.

Both teams are in action before the conference tournament — Big Red hosting Louisville today and Weir High welcoming Wheeling Park today.

Big Red 6, Weir High 5

BR 0-3-2 1-0-0 0 — 6 7 2

WH 1-0-3 0-1-0 0 — 5 6 2

BIG RED (16-3): Cadille (WP, CG, 5R, 2ER, 6H, 7K, 3BB) and Smarrella. S. Zorne RBI; S. Smith HR, RBI; Edwards 2D; Matteson S, RBI; Smarrella 2S, RBI; Tuttle D, RBI.

WEIR HIGH (21-5): Utt (LP, CG, 6R, 4ER, 7H, 0K, 0BB) and Barton. Utt S; Hoover 2S; Barton S; Lash D, RBI; Weber S, 4RBIs.

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