Lynchburg-Clay baseball claims 1st regional championship; stamps ticket to State Final Four

The Lynchburg-Clay Mustangs have been building for this moment for quite some time. The reigning Southern Hills Athletic Conference and SE District champions now have to make room in their trophy case. 

On Thursday evening at Marietta College, the Mustangs defeated the St. Clairsville Red Devils by a 5-4 score in nine innings, winning a Division V Regional championship and stamping their ticket to the OHSAA Division V State Semifinals next Friday in Akron. 

The Mustangs broke the 4-4 tied score in the bottom of the ninth inning, as the extra-inning win saw LCHS have Elam Faust reach first base with a one-out single hit to right field. Next came a double by Josiah Burns, landing Faust at third base. 

Then finally the long night came to a close — the start of the game was delayed 90 minutes due to inclement weather — as Braedon West hit a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Faust from third and sending the Mustangs to their first regional championship in program history. 

“This was a back-and-forth baseball game, and this is why I love the game,” LCHS head coach James Flowers said. “It is tough to put into words how I feel about our team making the final four. I had sheer joy for them when the final out was made. I’ve coached most of them since they were young, and knowing all the hard work they’ve put in since they were 5 years old … again, it was pure joy. I’m happy for their success.” 

The win by the Mustangs makes them 23-3, putting them at the top of the school’s baseball single-season mark for wins. 

"The game was a good game, and St. Clairsville is a strong team," Flowers said. "We put the pressure on them when we were on the bases, and we got some luck from the baseball gods on a double steal we had late in the game. We executed small ball and the pressure we put on them while on the bases led to the win."

In the game, the Mustangs trailed 2-0 after the Red Devils scored two runs in the top of the third. LC cut the lead in half with a run in the bottom of the fourth. Both teams scored a run in the fifth a 3-2 score with St. Clairsville in the lead. 

The bottom of the fourth inning saw the Mustangs put their first run on the board when Josiah Burns led off with a single to right field on a 2-1 count. He advanced to second on an infield error by St. Clairsville, which also allowed Braedon West to take first base. 

LC’s first run of the game crossed home plate when Cole Wells hit a ground ball to third base, where another error was made, scoring Burns and putting Wells at first base, while West raced to third base. 

After St. Clairsville increased their lead to 3-1, LCHS made it a one-run deficit once again, this time with Bell leading off with a single, and going to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Caden Faust, who entered the game for his first at-bat of the regional final. 

After the second out was recorded, Burns knocked in the second Mustang run of the game by hitting a single to centerfield, scoring Bell. 

The Mustangs’ defense came up big for the third out in the top of the sixth, saving a run when the Red Devils were caught stealing home as catcher Elam Faust made the tag in the base path between home and third base for the third out of the inning. 

LC outscored the Red Devils 2-1 in the sixth inning, leaving the score tied at 4-4. Then came the game-ending run in the bottom of the ninth to seal the win for LCHS, keeping their season going all the way to the state level. 

Lynchburg-Clay in the bottom of the sixth inning tied the score at 4-4 with Tanner Roberts back into the game for Caden Faust, and Trevor Niehaus also entered the game as a pinch runner for Austin Bell (who forced a walk). Also on the bases in the game-tying moment was Cody Bell, who reached the bases on an error. 

Having the bases loaded with Roberts, Niehaus and Bell, it was Niehaus scoring a run on an error at third base, and on the same error, Bell also raced home for the game-tying run for the 4-4 score. 

LCHS was led at the plate by Burns at 3-for-4 with one run, a double, one RBI and a walk. Cody Bell followed at 2-for-5 with two runs. 

West went 1-for-3 with one RBI and a SAC fly. Cole Wells finished 1-for-2, and Faust was 1-for-4 with a run. Quin Wells forced two walks, and Trevor Niehaus scored a run. Austin Bell walked once in the win. 

West was the winning pitcher, going all nine innings on the mound. He allowed four runs (three earned) on seven hits and three walks with five strikeouts.

Next for the Mustangs is a Division V State Semifinal game on Friday, June 13 at Canal Park in Akron, as they’ll be facing St. Paris Graham Local at 7 p.m. 

"For the community of Lynchburg, for the SHAC, and for Highland County getting to the final four is massive," Flowers said. "I also want to congratulate the Hillsboro softball team being state runners-up, and for all of their success this season."

BOX SCORE
SCHS    002 011 000 — 4 7 5
LCHS    000 112 001 — 5 8 3