Andrew Grimm DELIVERY — Big Red pitcher Isabella Cadile goes through her throwing motion against Weir High. She struck out six and did not allow an earned run in a complete game victory on Friday.

Both teams sporting strong pitchers and good line ups, one may have predicted a low scoring, close game, and they would have been correct.

Steubenville scored two in the top of the first inning and, after the Red Riders had battled back to knot the score, added a pivotal run in the top of the seventh inning to edge out a 3-2 victory at the Robert “Bridie” DeFrances Softball Field.

“We found a way,” Big Red head coach April Minniefield said. “We didn’t string the hits together, but we got just enough at the right times for us to get a big win. If we can get on base, we can find ways to score and we found a way.

“What matters most is having one more at the end. That’s a good team, it’s nice win for us. It’s a nice way to end the week with back-to-back wins.”

Andrew Grimm AROUND THE BASES — Weir High's Lila Boilegh races around the bases.

Sophomore pitcher Isabella Cadile did not allow an earned run and struck out six batters, walking just one, in tossing a complete game.

“She did a great job,” Minniefield said of her pitcher. “She got deep in some counts but she kept battling and battled back. She bounced back after they scored. It was like it rejuvenated her, she came back out and went at them harder.”

The winning run came across when Emily Tuttle sent a fly ball to left with Sagan Smarrella on and one out in the top of the seventh, and the ball popped out of the outfielder’s glove, allowing Smarrella to come around and score what ended up being the winning run. Tuttle and Smarrella each had two hits on the day.

“The team that makes the fewest mistakes usually wins and we made more costly mistakes than they did,” Weir High head coach John Leary said. “They put the ball in play better than we did. That play that scored the run (in the seventh) is a play we should have made, but that’s the way the game goes. It’s a game of mistakes.

“They had three runs, and two of them were unearned. That’s on us. Kudos to them, they put the ball in play like good teams do and when you put the ball in play, good things happen. We didn’t put the ball in play enough, they did, we made mistakes, and they took advantage. That’s what good teams do, they make you pay for it.”

Andrew Grimm MAKING CONTACT — Big Red's Sadie Edwards connects with a pitch.

Though they had some miscues that allowed the Red Riders (14-7) to get back even, Big Red’s defense came up big when it mattered most and turned a sharp, 6-4-3 double play to end the game and preserve the win.

Big Red’s fast start was also aided by a miscue as Sadie Edwards led off the game with a double and scored when Sophia Zorne put the ball in play and the Red Riders committed their first of three errors. She then scored on Riley Zorne’s RBI single to make it 2-0.

Of Big Red’s three runs, two were unearned at Weir senior ace Eliza Utt racked up nine strikeouts in taking the tough luck loss in the circle.

“We’re very proud of Eliza, she pitched a heck of game against a very good team,” Leary said. “She got out of a couple jams and only one earned run. That’s a good team she held to three runs, one earned. She did an outstanding job to give us a chance, we have to give her some better support.”

Bella Weber’s RBI groundout in the bottom of the first cut the Big Red margin in half as she plated Lila Boilegh, who doubled and got to third on an error.

Andrew Grimm RELEASE — Weir High's Eliza Utt fires a pitch against Big Red.

Boilegh scored again in the third inning after leading off with a single when Utt put the ball in play and Big Red committed an error.

From there, the pitchers dialed in and put up zeroes until the seventh, both leaving runners stranded and getting out of jams along the way.

UP NEXT

Big Red: Big Red is scheduled to visit Cardinal Mooney on Monday. They are in the mix for a spot in next week’s OVAC Class 5A tournament, entering the week in third and picking up a couple of big victories to end the week.

Weir High: Was slated for a doubleheader Saturday against Grafton and North Marion on the road before next week’s OVAC tournament. Weir entered the week in third place in a logjam of six teams with similar records vying for four spots in Class 4A.

Andrew Grimm MAKING THE PLAY — Big Red's Sophia Zorne throws to first for an out.

Big Red 3, Weir High 2

BR 2-0-0 0-0-0 1 — 3 8 4

WH 1-0-1 0-0-0 0 — 2 6 3

BIG RED (11-5): Cadile (WP, CG, 2R, 0ER, 6H, 6K, 1BB) and Smarrella. Edwards D, S; Smarrella D, S; Tuttle 2S; R. Zorne 2S, RBI.

WEIR HIGH (14-7): Utt (LP, CG, 3R, 1ER, 8H, 9K, 1BB) and Barton. Boilegh D, S; Kirlangitis D, S; Weber S, RBI; Barton S.

Andrew Grimm STEALING — Weir High's Illiona Kirlangitis slides safely into second base as Big Red's Sadie Edwards tries to haul in the throw.