photo by: Kim North

Wheeling Central’s Koy Lipinski receives congratulations from third base coach Ryan Storm after belting a three-run home that highlighted a five-run fourth inning Tuesday night against visiting Weir. The Maroon Knights won 12-4.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE – This is a big week for the Wheeling Central baseball team, as far as the OVAC Class 3A standings. The Maroon Knights entered the week fourth and are looking to move up into the top two for a home semifinal.

After a 21-2 shellacking of Steubenville Catholic to start the week, Wheeling Central (11-4) rallied past visiting Weir 12-4 Tuesday on Unified Bank Field – its home-away-from-home this spring- at the St. Clairsville Jr. Sports Complex.

The cut-off date for securing a top 4 spot is Friday.

Akron University signee Brayden Cover shook off some early control problems and finished strong in a complete-game effort on the mound. He gave up four runs in the first three innings, but retired 13 of the final 16 Red Riders he faced. The right-handed senior struck out 11, walked just two and scattered seven hits in his 108-pitch (75 strikes) outing.

“He’s one of our horses. He had a rough outing his last time out and for him he was trying to be too perfect,” Wheeling Central head coach Todd Cover said. “I think he was trying to place the ball too much instead of letting it rip. We had a heart-to-heart, father/coach-to-son talk and after the third inning his velocity was probably the best it has been all year. When he gets his slider over, he’s pretty tough to hit.”

With the contest tied at 4 entering the home half of the fourth, Wheeling Central put up a 5-spot to take control. Three of the runs came via Koy Lipinski’s first home run of the season with two outs.

However, veteran Weir head coach David Cowden pointed to an obstruction call as the key to the inning. With runners on first and third and two out, Brady Ernest legged out an infield grounder and collided with Red Riders’ first baseman Nico Glass who was trying to snag a wild throw. Two runs crossed the plate as the ball rolled away and Glass was shaken up.

“That’s a good team and I don’t want to take anything away from them, but one error and one controversial call, which was pretty clear to me that shouldn’t have been called, that was the difference,” Cowden said. “If we make a play, they don’t score five runs that inning. They put the ball in play and make you make the plays defensively.”

After an infield single by Kade Koroneos, Lipinski sent a 1-0 pitch well over the fence in left-center. He added two singles and finished with four RBI.

“He’s one of our guys. He’s the reigning state player of the year, so we kind of count on him,” Coach Cover said. “We shuffled our order around because at the first of the year we were trying to figure it out. Hopefully, we’re starting to come into our own, but we’re confident in the guys from 1 through 9 and some guys off the bench.”

Wheeling Central added a run in the fifth on an error, and Lipinski and Cover had run-scoring singles in the sixth.

Losing pitcher Aleks Zanieski drove in three runs for the Red Riders with a sacrifice fly and two-run homer. Teddy Glyptis singled and doubled, while Matt Geer also doubled. Zanieski struck out six in four innings.

“It was a good game for a lot of innings, but it just got away from us at the end,” Cowden noted. “I give Wheeling Central credit, but I also give my kids credit for battling the way they did.”

In addition to Lipinski’s three hits, Koroneos and Jake Brown each singled twice, with Brown driving in a run, as did Ernest. Olen Ames singled and doubled.

Wheeling Central will host Williamstown on Wednesday in St. Clairsville.