STEUBENVILLE — The ball does not need to be put in play to produce at the plate.

The Big Red baseball team gave up too many free bases against Wheeling Park as the Patriots took advantage of six walks, four hit batters and multiple wild pitches to defeat Big Red, 11-0, via the run rule in six innings Wednesday at the Crimson Complex.

From the start of the game, it just wasn’t Big Red’s day.

“(It was not our day) today,” first-year Big Red (7-3) head coach Justin Banks said. “(Park starter Jaxson) Updegraff was strong. He was dealing. He kept us off-balance.”

The first four batters all reached safely for the Patriots as the visitors tallied three runs in the top of the first inning and never looked back. The victors scored at least one run in all six innings.

“Absolutely, it was a good day for the boys,” Wheeling Park (4-9) head coach Chad Stout said. “It was a day well deserved. They come every day and work hard at practice. They do everything we ask. They’re good kids. The cheer for each other. It is a good win. We have kind of been up against it. Things haven’t gone our way. They deserved today. It was a total team effort.

“We hit the ball well. We pitched it. We fielded it well. We checked off all three boxes you need in order to win. I am proud of the guys. They deserved this.”

Jaxson Updegraff went the distance and picked up the win for the visitors from Ohio County. He struck out seven while not walking a batter. He did not allow a run while only giving up two hits — both of which were singles.

The hosts only had one baserunner reach second base in the game.

Big Red was forced to use four pitchers in the game. Nolan Blackburn started, and he took the loss. Blackburn only faced four batters before having to be replaced. Blackburn did not record a strikeout, while walking one. He was replaced by Jagger Rawson with his team down 1-0 and the bases loaded. Rawson recorded two strikeout and four walks in his two innings of work before being replace by Cole Bowers. Bowers did not record a strikeout while walking one in his two innings of relief. Owen Greiner replaced Bowers, and he struck out one without walking a batter in his two innings on the mound.

Offensively for Big Red, Nick Lovato, who came off the bench after Blackburn had to depart, singled to lead off the second, but he was quickly erased as part of a 6-4-3 double play. Chase Beall singled with two outs in the third, and the right fielder stole second base, but he was stranded there after a strikeout. Royal Mayo reached on an error with one out in the seventh, but he did not advance following a strikeout and a game-ending groundout.

Wheeling Park produced 12 hits en route to the win — one of which was a double. The Patriots received contributions throughout the lineup as all nine starters picked up at least one hit the game.

Individually, Koleton Whitemore collected two singles and two RBI, Brody Grocme delivered a double and an RBI and Updegraff finished with two singles and an RBI. Also, Baryden Bartsch contributed a single and two RBI, Tristan Hays and Brodie Cox each chipped in with a single and an RBI and Miles Gorby recorded two singles. Finally, Rylan Moore ended up with a single.

The victors recorded three runs in the first with one run scoring on a hit batter, another on a wild pitch and another on a sacrifice fly. The visitors tallied one more in the second to extend their advantage to 4-0 before plating two runs in the third to increase their advantage out to 6-0. Wheeling Park recorded a run in the fourth and another in the fifth to put them on the verge of the 10-run rule, and the Patriots plated a pair in the sixth to make the score, 11-0.

“We are going to flush it, forget about it and move on,” Banks said. “The sun is coming up tomorrow. We need to have a short memory. We have got a game tomorrow against Indian Valley. It is a big game. They are a tough team.”

Wheeling Park scored a pair of runs on wild pitches in the win.

“We have a plus-minus category, and we were definitely in the plus side today,” Stout said. “We were patient at the plate, and we were also aggressive. I liked our approach.”

The victory enabled Wheeling Park to split the season series. Big Red defeated the Patriots, 10-5, March 30 on the road.

Big Red is scheduled to play Indian Valley at 5 p.m. today at home.

Wheeling Park is slated to play Bridgeport (W.Va.) at 11:30 p.m. Friday morning on the road in the McDonald’s Classic.

Wheeling Park 11, Big Red 0

Wheeling Park 312 112 – 11 12 2

Big Red 000 000 – 0 2 1

WHEELING PARK (4-9): Updegraff WP (7K, 0BB) and Yachak. Whitemire 2S, 2RBI; Gorby 2S; Updegraff 2S, RBI; Bartsch S, 2RBI; Yachak S, RBI; Hays S, RBI; Cox S, RBI; Grocme D, RBI; Moore S.

BIG RED (7-3): Blackburn LP (0IP, 0K, 1BB), Rawson (2IP, 2K, 4BB), Bowers (2IP, 0K, 1BB), Greiner (2IP, 1K, 0BB) and Simmons. Lovato S; Beall S.