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Pitchers steer Jefferson into state baseball tournament

By Bob Madison - For the Chronicle | Jun 3, 2022

Jefferson High School will be playing in the state semifinals against George Washington High School at Appalachian Power Park in Charleston, pictured here on June 12, 2010. Courtesy photo

SHENANDOAH JUNCTION — Score three runs and then turn the game over to the pitchers seems to be Jefferson’s modus operandi, during much of the 2022 season’s run through the playoffs.

And after surging through the regular season with enough winning sucess, that formula earned the Cougars the top seed in the state tournament that begins for them today with a semifinal game against fourth-seed George Washington.

Three runs doesn’t seem like a generous amount, but it has been a sufficient enough run production to snuff out both Washington and Martinsburg in the Sectional and Regional playoffs.

In last week’s best-of-three Regional set against Martinsburg, the pitcher-reliant Cougars opened the tensely-played series with a 3-1 win over the Bulldogs, a team with similar pitcher-based themes.

It was the sort of strike-throwing exhibition by Sammy Roberts that the Cougars needed to win the important first game of the series. And when Roberts was removed in favor of unbeaten reliever Griffin Horowicz, the offensive situation failed to improve for the Bulldogs.

Roberts went 4.1 innings, striking out seven, allowing three hits, an earned run and three walks. Horowicz earned a save with his 2.2 innings of Bulldog-erasing work that showed him allowing just one hit and one walk while fanning one.

A three-run third inning was enough for the bat-quieting Jefferson pitchers, who continually tamed the Bulldog batting order.

Roberts drove in two runs in the only inning the Cougars scored. Connor Bailey had the other RBI, and a two-run lead appeared to be more stable than in many other baseball situations.

Scoring the Jefferson runs were Ryan Hefner, Josh Cienfuegos and Bailey. Hefner was 2-for-2.

In taking a 1-0 lead in the abbreviated series, the three games played by the teams in the 2022 season showed Jefferson winning 2-1 (in eight innings), 3-1 and then again 3-1. Martinsburg had counted three runs in three games.

The next night on the road, the Cougars were stopped by Martinsburg pitching, suffering a 3-1 loss with little offense that offered just four hits.

Daquon Shipe and Jarrett Day properly limited Martinsburg to only four hits, but were not provided with much Jefferson offense.

A perfect weather evening at Sager Field in Shenandoah Junction provided the backdrop for the series-deciding third game,

Would either team manage to score as many as three runs?

Jefferson did. And its six hits and three runs almost appeared to be overkill when unbeaten right-hander Horowicz blanked the Bulldogs, 3-0, on just two late-inning hits.

Horowicz was able to retire the first 12 batters he saw in riding a perfect game into the fifth inning.

Jefferson responded to Martinsburg’s first offensive movement by plating two runs in the bottom of the fifth to grab a 3-0 lead.

It was senior Sam Wabnitz swinging the most important Jefferson offensive bat, going 3-for-3 and scoring a run. Roberts had a hit and an RBI, and Bailey scored once. Horowicz drove in two runs himself.

Horowicz struck out four and walked only one in his route-going pitching gem.

Jefferson’s removing Martinsburg from the state playoffs meant only four teams were left to contest the state tournament.

In the state semifinals, scheduled for this afternoon at Appalachian Power Park in downtown Charleston, the Cougars play George Washington (19-15 overall and seeded fourth). Defending Class AAA state champion Bridgeport faces Hurricane in the other semifinal scheduled for tonight following the Jefferson versus George Washington game.

George Washington bumped Greenbrier East out of the playoffs in its Region finale. Bridgeport derailed Morgantown and the Redskins of Hurricane pushed Cabell Midland into the offseason.

Will another three-run showing trump anything the Charleston-based Patriots have in their offensive bag?

The lengthy and deep power alleys usually make home runs an endangered or extinct species at Appalachian Power Park.

But then Jefferson pitching can usually make any major uprisings by opponents either endangered or extinct with its strikes and control.