photo by: Kim North

Bellaire catcher Scott Balsei awaits St. Clairsville’s Marcus Bush in the top of the first inning Friday at John Blacker Field in Neffs. Bush was thrown out on a relay from shortstop Lucas Heatherington, but the Red Devils won 20-6.

NEFFS – Friday’s high school baseball game between St. Clairsville and homestanding Bellaire on John Blacker Field was a tale of two teams headed in opposite directions after one week of the season.

The Red Devils (3-0) sent 25 batters to the plate in the first two innings, with 16 scoring in a 20-6 rout of the Big Reds (0-4).

“We hit the ball pretty well in the first couple of innings. I was happy with that,” veteran St. Clairsville head coach Tom Sliva said. “We pitched well and played pretty good defense. That’s the name of the game.”

The Red Devils put up seven runs in the top of the first as 11 batters went to the plate. Hunter Hoffman doubled in a run; Caleb Keenan singled in one and Noah Turley drove in two with a single. Leadoff hitter Braylen Blomquist singled twice and drove in a run in the inning.

A nine-run second put the game out of reach for all intents and purposes. Marcus Bush singled in a pair of runs to highlight the uprising. Keenan, who singled three times and drove in five runs, had a run-scoring sacrifice fly and an RBI single in the frame.

“That’s a pretty good day,” Sliva said when told of Keenan’s outing. “He’s done a nice job for us so far.”

St. Clairsville got contributions from nearly everyone as eight of the nine starters recorded at least one hit and six had multi-RBI games. Blomquist and Mikey Balgo each had two singles and two RBI.

“The first two innings we came out and got punctured in the mouth by, probably, the heavyweight of the Ohio Valley,” second-year Bellaire head coach Bailey McGrath said. “They are very, very talented this year, and they showed it. They put it on us. It started from pitch one and they never let up. That’s what good teams do.”

Bellaire scored four times in the bottom of the third to chase St.Clairsville sophomore Colt Florence from the hill. He had struck out six and walked five before giving way to Turley.

“Sometimes that happens in sports at all levels,” Sliva said. “We got the big lead and got a little complacent, but give Bellaire credit, they stuck with it on their side.”

Despite the lop-sided loss, McGrath was still proud of the way his kids responded.

“I’m very proud of them for continuing to play,” he added. “They fought back when they very easily could’ve rolled over and said it’s over, but, to their credit, they didn’t. They put up something (6 runs) to be proud of.”

Austin Wiggins singled in two runs for the Big Reds. Alex Padgett and Riley Zonker each had an RBI.

The game was scheduled to be played Saturday but was moved up a day due to impending inclement weather. However, the Red Devils will host Beaver Local today at noon at Memorial Parkin a game bumped up from Monday.

Bellaire hosts Union Local on Monday.