Wildcats Dominate Valley Lumberjacks in Playoff Victory

The Paden City Wildcats had an impressive showing on their home field Thursday, securing a dominant 14-0 victory over the Valley Lumberjacks in the W.Va. Class A, Region I, Section I playoff. The Wildcats’ pitching duo of Brayden Neff and Joey Baker combined for a no-hitter, with Neff striking out nine batters in four innings.

Offensively, Kayden Myers led the charge with three hits, including two doubles, and two RBI. Baker also contributed with two RBI, including a triple. Bryson Stackpole added a double and two RBI of his own, while Riley Dennis showcased his speed with two stolen bases.

The Wildcats will advance to play on Friday, looking to continue their strong performance in the playoffs.

In other baseball action, the Jefferson County Christian Royals secured a spot in the SWCAC finals with two impressive wins. The Royals battled back to tie the first game and then dominated in the second game, with strong performances from players like Ben Adams, Lee Gump, Rob Henderson, Wyatt Hervey, and Noah Kostelny.

Meanwhile, in a cross-town rivalry matchup, Steubenville Big Red emerged victorious over Steubenville Catholic with a 7-1 win. Despite limited hits and errors on both sides, Big Red capitalized on opportunities to score runs, with Hayden Hicks leading the way on the mound with 12 strikeouts.

The win sets up Big Red as the No. 3 seed in the Division II East 1 District tournament, while Steubenville Catholic will travel to face Shadyside in the Division IV East District bracket.

Lastly, the Weir Red Riders secured an 11-1 victory over Oak Glen in a West Virginia Class AA Region 1 Section 1 elimination game. The Red Riders erupted for nine runs in the third inning to seal the win, with strong pitching performances from Alex Zanieski and Jerzee McAllister.

With the win, Weir will advance to face North Marion in another elimination game, while Oak Glen’s season comes to an end.