By Carl Holcomb
Moorefield Examiner
Temperatures soared into the 90’s, but the real heat was brought by Payden Williams on the mound and at the plate elevating Moorefield 10-12 Baseball All-Stars to a 7-2 victory over Mineral County All-Stars in the West Virginia Little League District 6 Area 2 Championship at Brady Field in Moorefield.
Mineral County has controlled Area 2 for four years, but this year it was Moorefield’s turn to shine.
“It’s big. We’ve been trying to beat Mineral for four years. To finally come out and do it today is great. It’s hot, so that shower felt pretty good,” Moorefield 10-12 Baseball skipper Derek Flinn noted.
Williams struck out 11 Mineral County batters over four innings of work on the mound and relief pitcher Gracin Reel tossed three strikeouts in the final two innings.
Moorefield leadoff batter Kaden Flinn drew a walk from Mineral County pitcher Russ Haines.
Williams stepped up to the plate and hammered a two-run blast over the center field fence for a 2-nil Moorefield edge.
Haines countered with a strikeout to Jason Klar and induced a groundout from Easton Sions.
Moorefield’s Gracin Reel smacked a double into left field and stole third base before being stranded on a strikeout to Keegan Weatherholtz.
Both teams went down in oder during the second inning as Moorefield struck out thrice (Dexter Eye, Kipton Sneathen, Levi Rohrbaugh) and Mineral County had two strikeouts sandwiched by a groundout (Easton Sions to Kipton Sneathen).
Moorefield’s Jacob Funk was issued a free pass to begin the third inning, then Bobby Barr struck out before Mineral County first baseman Jayuyn Babo turned a double play ensnaring a line drive by Flinn and tagging Funk.
Williams recorded a strikeout, then issued a walk to Remington Everline before closing the frame with back-to-back strikeouts.
Moorefield went down in order during the fourth inning on three consecutive groundouts from Williams, Klar and Sions.
Mineral County’s Jack Clark received a walk, then Williams sandwiched strikeouts around a free pass to Logan Huffman.
Mineral County tied the game at 2-all as Babo crushed a two-RBI double into center field and Williams responded with a strikeout to close the frame on his 85th and final pitch.
Reel grounded out to start the fifth inning, then Moorefield’s Keegan Weatherholtz sliced a single down the right field line.
Haines faced his final batter, Eye, garnering a strikeout on his 86th pitch.
Mineral County sent in Carter Piraino to the mound, who struck out Sneathen.
Reel took the mound for Moorefield in the bottom of the fifth inning and allowed a walk to Mineral County’s Landon Zacot before settling down to throw two straight strikeouts and induced a groundout.
The Moorefield fireworks lit the sky in the sixth inning as Rohrbaugh and Funk slammed back-to-back doubles down the left field line with the latter narrowly skirting a dive by Babo.
Barr ripped an RBI single with Rohrbaugh beating the throw home as Moorefield regained the lead 3-2.
The momentum continued as Flinn smacked a two-run producing single for a 5-2 edge.
Williams was issued an intentional walk.
Klar smoked a two-RBI triple to put Moorefield up 7-2.
Sions hit into a fielder’s choice out at home, then Reel struck out and Weatherholtz grounded out.
Reel notched a strikeout, then walked Mineral County’s Kyler McGuinnis.
Barr mad a sensational diving catch in left field for the second out, then Sneathen fielded the game ending grounder over to Sions sealing the Area 2 championship 7-2.
Moorefield players got the group shot for the parents before drenching manager Derek Flinn for the celebration.
Moorefield advances to the District 6 Tournament against Area 1 champion Jefferson for the championship contest in Moorefield on July 3.
