NEW MANCHESTER - The Oak Glen baseball team completed the first step in reaching the state tournament, defeating Weir High twice Thursday, 10-5 and 13-2, at the Golden Bears' Field of Dreams Complex to claim the West Virginia Region 1, Section 1 Championship for the second-straight year.
Oak Glen led Weir, 10-5, heading into the bottom of the sixth inning Wednesday night when the game was postponed due to rain. That game was finished Thursday before playing the second one.
Bub Haddox had a day - and a series - he will not soon forget.
Article Photos
SECTIONAL CHAMPS — The Oak Glen baseball team won the West Virginia Class AA?Region 1, Section 1 championships over the Weir High?Red Riders for the second year in a row.
-- Aaron Petchal
Haddox delivered two singles and a triple to go along with three RBIs in the first game. In the night cap, Haddox struck out five, walked two and allowed two runs on two hits. Haddox had two home runs - a grand slam and a two-run shot - a double and seven RBIs.
"It feels great, especially doing it back to back years, and to beat a longtime rival like Weir, there's nothing better," Haddox said.
Last year, the Golden Bears needed three games to end a sectional title drought that lasted more than a decade.
Haddox wasn't the only member of the Golden Bears to have a big day at the plate in the second game.
Steven Barr, the winning pitcher in Game 1, recorded two singles and two RBIs, Matt McLaughlin tallied two singles and an RBI and catcher Kole Koper contributed two singles. Also, Trey Smith singled, but he managed to reach base four times in the game.
Mitch Viakley took the loss. Offensively, Jeremy Swarztmiller recorded a single and an RBI, and Josh Russell tallied a base hit.
Though the games were played at Oak Glen, the Golden Bears were the visitors in the second game.
Oak Glen opened the scoring with a run in the top of the first inning to take an early 1-0 lead. The Golden Bears broke the game wide open in the second.
With one run already across the plate in the inning, Haddox stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and hammered Viakley's offering over the fence in right field for a grand slam to increase the Golden Bears lead to 6-0.
The Golden Bears plated another run in the third to make the score 7-0.
Oak Glen tacked on two more runs in the fourth and four in the fifth to build a 13-0 advantage. Two of the runs came on Haddox's second home run of the game.
The Red Riders plated two runs in the bottom of the fifth, but it was not enough to continue the game, which ended as Jeff Hissam caught a pop up to end the inning.
Magnolia defeated Oak Glen in the regional tournament last year.
The Golden Bears will have to wait more than a week to play in the regional tournament due to the West Test.
Game 1
Oak Glen 10, Weir 5
Weir 100 040 0 - 5 3 2
Oak Glen 411 220 x - 10 12 3
WEIR HIGH: Mendenhall (LP, 0K, 5BB), Cessna (4, 1K, 1BB) and Beck; Viakley 2S; Duke S.
OAK GLEN: Barr (WP, 7K, 7BB), Steed (5, 1K, 3BB) and Koper; Haddox 2S, T, 3rbi; Koper 2S, 2rbi; Barr S, 2rbi; Crago 2S, rbi; Hissam S; Steed S.
Game 2
Oak Glen 13, Weir 2
Oak Glen 151 24 - 13 10 1
Weir 000 02 - 2 2 2
WEIR HIGH: Viakley (LP, 0K, 6BB), Mills (4, 0K, 2BB), Knuutila (4, 0K, 0BB) and Beck, Curtis (3); Swartzmiller S, rbi; Russell S.
OAK GLEN: Haddox (WP, 5K, 2BB) and Koper; Haddox 2HR, D, 7rbi; Barr 2S, 2rbi; McLaughlin 2S, rbi; Koper 2S; Smith S.
