Photo by Seth Staskey Martins Ferry’s Colton Redinger makes a throw to first during Wednesday’s game against rival Bellaire.

NEFFS — When Martins Ferry hands the ball to senior ace Colby Shriver, the Purple Riders don’t need a lot of help.

When they’re the beneficiary of six errors and Shriver is dealing like he was on Wednesday at John Blacker Field against Bellaire, Ferry’s chance for success goes well past probable.

Shriver was efficient en route to a complete-game masterpiece in which he yielded just a seeing-eye single and two walks. He fanned six Big Reds and his team improved to 2-0 with a 5-0 victory.

“The key, in my mind, was how efficient Colby was on the mound,” Martins Ferry head coach Anthony Reasbeck said. “I’ve told him and told him that I can’t look up in the seventh inning and he’s at 125 pitches, so we have to take him out. I am very happy with his efficiency and defensively we played really well.”

Shriver’s efficiency included just an 82-pitch performance. He worked ahead in counts and when the Big Reds did put the ball in play, which was frequently, the Riders sparkled with the gloves.

“We put the ball in play, but we hit a lot of at-them balls and it’s tough to get runners doing that,” Bellaire head coach Josh Kernik said.

“Give them five presents doesn’t make it any easier either.”

Indeed.

The Big Reds committed those five errors in the opening two innings when Ferry did all of its scoring damage against tough-luck losing pitcher Chance Maffe.

Martins Ferry, which had only four singles in the game, had only two hits that led to runs. One came in the first from shortstop Connor Probst and the other was off the bat of Braydon Maine in the second.

“We didn’t swing it great,” Reasbeck said. “I can’t whine too much. It’s March 30. We won and we’re 2-0.”

Probst finished with a pair of RBI. He added one in the second via a sacrifice fly. Colton Redinger also drove in a run on a fielder’s choice in second.

It was more than enough offense for Shriver. He sat the first nine Big Reds down in order before Jakob Dowling got to second on a two-base error.

Bellaire was able to get multiple runners aboard in both the fifth and sixth innings, but Shriver induced a soft groundout to end the fifth and escaped the sixth with a strikeout.

Neither team is in action today. Both are back at it on Friday. Bellaire welcomes Cambridge and Martins Ferry takes on St. Clairsville.