Maynard Tops Barton Again, Earns Top Seed In Playoffs

Indians Looking To Go Back-To-Back-To-Back in 2023

MAYNARD -- With the overall No. 1 seed in next week's Ohio Valley Baseball League playoffs on the line Friday night, Maynard manager David Vickers handed the baseball to his ace, Mackenzie Koehler, against arch-rival Barton.

The former St. Clairsville High righty didn't disappoint with a complete-game effort. Combine his gut-check performance with a solid defense and a six-run fifth by the offense and it led to an 8-4 doubling up of the visiting Braves on Firemen's Field before a huge crowd inside the Community Park.

Both teams entered the contest at 14-4. Maynard, which will be seeking its third straight championship, will now host No. 4 Moundsville on Tuesday in Game 1 of a best-of-3 semifinal series. Meanwhile, No. 2 Barton will entertain No. 3 Wheeling, also on Monday on Henning Field inside Pramesa Park in Crescent. Both games start at 6 p.m.

Koehler, admittedly, didn't have his best stuff as he threw 97 pitches, but only 52 were strikes. Of the 29 batters he faced, he only threw a first-pitch strike to 16. He was effective as he struck out three, walked a like number and scattered six hits.

"I've got a great defense behind me and I trust in them," Koehler said. "This is our home. We don't lose here. This is like heaven to us."

Vickers echoed Koehler's thoughts.

"Mackenzie doesn't lose to Barton. Plain and simple," the Maynard player/manager said.

Of the 21 outs recorded, Koehler induced seven popouts, a like number of flyouts and four groundouts, including a 6-4-3 double play in the top of the seventh.

"Give Mackenzie credit," veteran Barton manager Billy Timko said. "He pitched a good game."

The loss left Timko wondering.

"I don't know why, but we haven't played well in any game this season against Maynard," he said while referring to five errors. "But that's baseball. The regular season is over and it's a new season now."

After former Wheeling Park standout Trevor Thomas gave Barton (14-5) a 4-1 lead in the top of the fifth with a two-run blast over the fence in left-center, Maynard stormed right back like true champions.

"We knew we were the better team and the top seed, we just needed to prove it," Vickers noted.

Mason VanNest, the No. 9 hitter in the Indians order, lined a leadoff single to center. Matthew Busby reached on an infield single and VanNest took third on an error. After failing to get a sacrifice bunt down, Michael "Zuke" Jacob singled to right-center as Busby scored. With the count 0-2 on Hunter Westlake, the former Bellaire and West Liberty slugger sent a drive to deep left that put the Indians ahead for good at 5-4. It was his sixth of the summer.

However, the win came costly as Tyler Ramsay, Maynard's home run leader with seven, lined the next pitch off the fence in left. The Bellaire grad stumbled around first and fell down. He made it back to the bag safely but suffered a hamstring injury that forced him to exit the game.

"That's a big blow to our offense," Vickers said. "We'll have to take it day-by-day."

Vickers replaced Ramsay at first and trotted around the bases when Cody Eckstein drilled a two-run blast to deep left-center. Eckstein played at Indian Valley and West Liberty.

"He has been a great addition to our lineup," Vickers said of Eckstein. "We are a lot stronger with him in it."

Maynard, which added an unearned run in the sixth, was led by Westlake with four RBI. He also doubled. Eric Banal doubled.

Josh Speaker had given Barton a 2-1 lead in the third with a home run. He also singled while Shadyside senior-to-be Ben Wach singled and doubled.

DIAMOND NOTES

-Game 2 of each playoff series will shift to West Liberty and Moundsville, respectively, on Wednesday. If a third-and-deciding game is needed in either series, it will be played at the higher seed on Friday.

-Maynard has defeated Barton four times in five meetings this summer.

-Barton is riding a three-game losing streak into the playoffs.