Photo by Kim North Linsly’s Trey Prather attempts to tag Bellaire’s Jaiden Kesterson Friday.

NEFFS — There are times, especially in high school sports, when team’s records can be overlooked. Such was the case Friday on chill-filled John Blacker Field as Linsly rolled into Belmont County with a spotless 10-0 record while host Bellaire was struggling along at 0-5.

The Big Reds stunned the Cadets with two runs in the bottom of the sixth and another pair in the seventh for a much-needed, 4-3, victory.

“Our record is deceiving … very deceiving,” an elated Bellaire head coach Josh Kernik said. “The group of boys are fine ballplayers. They know how to carry themselves. We really needed this (victory).”

Jakob Dowling sparked the game-winning rally with an infield single to the hole at short. Jake Heatherington bunted back to the mound and reliever Adam Och threw to first as Dowling took second. Winning pitcher Chance Maffe hit a dribbler in front of the mound that Och fielded and threw to first for the second out, but Kaden Banal’s chopper to third was thrown wildly to first as Dowling raced home to tie the game at 3. Banal went to second on an errant pickoff attempt and rounded third and scored on Brayden Roth’s infield single up the middle that was knocked down by Trey Prather behind second base, but Roth just beat the throw to first to ignite a bench-clearing celebration and dogpile by the Big Reds.

“He’s a great ballplayer, but he’s a better young man,” Kernik said of Roth, a rare three-sport performer. “He came through twice for us.

“I see a bright future for us,” Kernik said of his team which only lost one player from an OVAC Class 3A championship squad. “I told them it doesn’t matter where you are in the (batting) order, you have to step up when your number is called. They did and this is what happens when you do that.”

Held to just one hit through five innings by Brody Selmon, the Big Reds recorded three hits and plated one run before chasing the Linsly senior with one out and the bases loaded in the sixth. Och relieved and got the second out on a fielder’s choice, but Jaiden Kesterson’s single to center knocked in Roth to make it 3-2. Linsly left fielder Alex Taylor robbed Landon Preston of a potential run-scoring hit with a sliding catch to end the inning.

Linsly scored all of its runs in the top of the fourth after Maffe had retired nine of the first 12 Cadets he faced on just 29 pitches. Dillon Wilson drew a one-out walk and went to second on a Taylor single to left. Colin Paull drove a single back up the middle to plate Wilson. No. 9 hitter Jack Selmon fell behind in the count 0-2 but battled back to earn a walk and load the bases. Leadoff hitter Luca DiLorenzo lined a single to center to score Taylor and Paull for a 3-0 advantage.

Maffe, who struck out two, walked a trio and spaced out four singles around the four-hit fourth, continually made big pitches when he had to, and his defense came up with a few big plays behind him.

“He pitched his tail off,” Kernik stressed of his junior righty. “He was phenomenal. He’s a leader. He’s a teammate. He’s a player.”

Maffe tossed 91 pitches, with 61 being strikes. He threw a first-pitch strike to 23 of the 32 batters he faced and recorded nine flyball or popup outs.

“Their pitcher gave us a hard time. He pitched a whale of a game,” veteran Linsly head coach Jay Cartwright said. “Their kids wouldn’t quit. They’re well-coached and they play hard. They got one more run than us. That’s how it goes sometimes.”

Jack Scouvert and Paull evenly divided four base hits.

Bellaire plays Monday at St. Clairsville.