WEIRTON - Weir High baseball coach Bob Rosnick has been looking for a game like this and, with sectionals beginning next week, Wednesday was a good time to get it as the Red Riders defeated Indian Creek, 5-4, at Bowman Field.
"We've been this close all year," he said. "We made the plays today in a couple of crucial situations to put us over the top. During the year, we haven't been making those plays.
"In 80 percent of our games we're right there with a chance to win and we would so something to knock it away."
Article Photos
CONVERSATION — Indian Creek’s Ty Yocum, left, and Alex Young have a discussion during a pitching change during Wednesday’s 5-4 loss to Weir High at Bowman Field.
-- Mike Mathison
Indian Creek entered the week having won six of its last seven games and is now on a three-game losing streak.
"Yesterday, we fell apart at the end of the game (an 8-4 loss to Beaver Local) and that happens when you have some mental mistakes," said Redskins coach Mike Cottis. "We put it behind us and we were ready to play today. I thought we played well, they just outplayed us.
"They made the plays when we hit the ball hard. We hit the ball hard at times today right at guys. That's baseball."
Weir scored three times in the bottom of the third. Harley Mills singled, Lance Beck walked and Ryan Duke singled in Mills. A groundout by Josh Russell scored the second run and Matt Cessna's sacrifice fly made it 3-0.
Duke's single scored Beck, who walked with two out, in the fourth.
The Redskins plated two in the fifth. Seth Wilson walked and stole second. Alex Young reached on an error and Jimmy Bolyog plated them both with a double, the only extra base hit of the game.
Weir's Mitch Viakley's two-out single in the fifth scored Ryan Mendenhall.
"Today, we got the key kit and made the key play in the field," said Rosnick. "Pitchers threw strikes and really didn't walk anybody. We still didn't catch all the ground balls today, but we caught most of them and made plays."
The Redskins struck out three times.
"We put the ball in play and they made the plays when they had to," Cottis said. "That's what we did when we won six of seven. We made plays in the field and that's contagious. Hitting is contagious and so is fielding. That builds confidence and we started playing with confidence.
Indian Creek hosts Bridgeport today and takes on Buckeye Local at 4 p.m. Saturday at Vaccaro Field in Division II sectional play.
"It's been a rollercoaster year for us," said Cottis. "Hopefully, we are at the bottom of the ride and now getting ready to come back up and that's the only way you can look at it."
Matt Cessna earned the win for Weir, which takes on Weirton Madonna at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Bowman Field for the city championship.
Weir 5, Indian Creek 4
Indian Creek 000 120 1 - 4 6 2
Weir 003 110 x - 5 6 3
INDIAN CREEK: Rath (LP, 1K, 2BB), C. Yeater (4, 1K, 2BB), Wilson (6, 0K, 0BB) and Orr; Al. Young S; Bolyog D, 2rbi; Yocum S; Williams rbi; Davis S; Rath S; J. Yeater S.
WEIR HIGH: Mills (1K, 2BB), Cessna (WP, 4, 2K, 1BB), Viakley (7, 0K, 0BB) and Beck; Duke 2S, rbi; Russell rbi; Cessna rbi; Mendenhall S; Washington S; Viakley S; Mills S.
