Madonna adds another city championship trophy with 3-0 victory over Weir
Trending
WEIRTON -- The Madonna baseball team lifted a trophy for the second time in three days.
Madonna plated a run in the first against city-rival Weir, and that was the only run the Blue Dons needed as they shut out the Red Riders, 3-0, to win the annual city championship Game Wednesday evening at Bowman Field to once again claim bragging rights in the city.
"I think that is three in a row," Madonna (17-2) head coach T.J. Miller said. "Anytime you come down here and play Weir, it is a huge game. There was a big crowd and a lot of energy. It's a big ballgame. It is huge for us to be able to win this. It gives momentum going into the rest of the season. I am proud of the guys for the energy they brought to the game today."
Leading 1-0, the Blue Dons delivered a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth to increase their advantage to 3-0. Madonna took advantage of multiple Weir miscues in the inning as the victors tacked on two big runs.
Weir had a runner on second base with two outs in the seventh, but the visitors were unable to bring him home.
"We came out on the short end of another pitchers' duel," Weir (8-14) head coach Dave Cowden said. "Zanieski deserved better. He pitched his butt off.
"In baseball, you have to put the ball in play. If you put the ball in play, good things will happen. They did that more than we did today. They put the ball in play.
"The pitching on both sides was excellent. The pitchers threw strikes, and they were aggressive in the strike zone.
"The scoreboard is wrong. We had four mistakes.
"It was a good game. Eventually, we are going to win one of these."
Aleks Zanieski took the loss for the Red and Black. Zanieski struck out eight and walked two.
Madonna used two pitchers in the game. Jacob Lazear started and picked up the win for the boys in white. He struck out seven and walked two in his four innings of work on the mound. He was replaced to start the fifth by David Connors, who started the game at shortstop. Connors struggled with his control early, however, he settled down and pitched three scoreless innings. Connors struck out two and walked three.
"All season long our pitching has been great," Miller said. "Pitching is definitely our strongest suit. I just can't say enough how proud I am of our pitchers.
Jacob Lazear and Davind Connors pitched great today. They were lights out. We played solid defense behind them. We are putting it all together. We're getting better. We want to keep improving for long road ahead."
Neither team did much offensively as the two Hancock County teams were only able to muster four combined hits – one of which was a double.
The hosts scored a run in the first to take an early 1-0 lead.
Lazear walked to start the inning, and Koleton Grishkevich and Connors collected back-to-back base hits to load the bases with no outs, and Reno Fuscardo brought home the first run on a sacrifice fly giving his team a 1-0 advantage.
The victors did not score again until the sixth.
Connors led off the inning with a walk, he advanced to second on Matthew Geer's sacrifice bunt and moved to third on a wild pitch. Fuscardo followed with a groundball and Connors broke for home, however, the throw was offline allowing Connors to score the Blue Dons' second run of the game and enabling Fuscardo to safely reach first base. Later in the inning with Fuscardo on second, Sam Brooks singled, but the ball was bobbled in the outfield and throw into the infield was errant allowing Fuscardo to score the second run of the inning and the third run of the game for Madonna.
"Our approaches at the plate still need to improve," Miller said. "Zanieski pitched a great game. He mixed up his spots, and he kept us off-balance. We started to do a better job in the later innings. We took advantage of a couple of mistakes, and we were aggressive on the bases."
Down 1-0 in the third, the boys in the black jerseys had runners on second and third with two outs, but they were unable to score. In the fifth, Weir had runners on first and second with no outs, however, two strikeouts and a lineout ended the threat and the inning.
Trailing by three runs in the seventh, Liam Williamson doubled for the Red Riders' lone hit of the game, however, Weir's catcher was stranded there as they game ended without Weir scoring a run.
"You have to be able to put the ball in play," Cowden said. "If you put the ball in play, good things will happen. We didn't put the ball in play. They did a better job of hitting the ball."
Madonna rallied to score three runs in the seventh inning Monday to defeat Cameron, 3-2, in the OVAC Class 1A Tournament Final out at the Edison Unified Sports Complex.
"Today's game was for the city championship," Miller said. "I was proud of the guys for what they accomplished Monday. We had a good practice yesterday. We talked to the kids in depth about coming out ready to play. It's the City Championship Game, the kids are always ready to play this."
Madonna has now won 14 straight games.
"I am super proud of the team, and I am super proud of the guys," Miller said. "I am blessed to coach this group. I am blessed. I can't say that enough."
The win enabled the Blue Dons to sweep the season series from the Red Riders. Madonna shut out Weir, 3-0, April 2 at the Weir High Baseball Field.
Weir is scheduled to play county rival Oak Glen at 5 p.m. today on the road before playing Buckeye Local Friday and home and Union Local Saturday on the road.
"We are at the point where we are playing every day," Cowden said.
Madonna is slated to play Herbert Hoover at 7 p.m. Friday on the road before playing Charleston Catholic Saturday on the road.
"We travel for two big games this weekend," Miller said.
Madonna 3, Weir 0
Weir 000 000 0 – 0 1 3
Madonna 100 002 X – 3 3 1
WEIR (8-14): Zanieski LP (8K, 2BB) and Williamson. Williamson D.
MADONNA (17-2): Lazear WP (4IP, 7K, 2BB), Connors (3IP, 2K, 4BB) and Wells. Grishkevich S; Connors S; Fuscardo RBI; Brooks S.