Williamstown senior Maxwell Molessa (2) delivered the game-winning hit in the bottom of the ninth inning to seal a Class A regional title last week against Wheeling Central. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)
WILLIAMSTOWN – Of the championship banners displayed on the walls inside the gymnasium at Williamstown High School, baseball is one in need of some attention.
Not that the Yellowjackets haven’t flirted with success deep into the postseason, but the school’s first state championship in the sport would ease the frustration of recent visits to Charleston for the Class A State Tournament.
Williamstown enters this year’s edition of the Final Four as the No. 1 seed after pulling off a thrilling regional title that went the full distance and a handful of extra innings before the Yellowjackets defeated Wheeling Central Catholic, 6-5, in nine innings in the third and deciding game.
Williamstown (29-5) meets fourth-seeded Buffalo (22-12-1) at 5 p.m. Friday at GoMart Park. The second semifinal game matches up No. 2 Charleston Catholic (29-3) and No. 3 East Hardy (23-6).
The Yellowjackets are seeking their first state tournament win in program history, including two trips in coach Levi Maxwell’s first four years with the team. Williamstown is seeking to advance to the championship game for the first time as well.
Of their five losses this year, Wheeling Central is the only Class A program to defeat Williamstown.
“The No. 1 goal is to win the whole thing – we want to get over that hump,” coach Maxwell said. “We want to get to where it’s a solidified part of our program, and set our place in history. Then keep moving forward.
“The biggest thing we learned from going down there a few times is that we have a sense of what to expect.
“Everything is amplified. Having a tough schedule this year really makes that atmosphere a normal game for us. That series against Wheeling Central was a huge atmosphere bump for our guys. Half of our guys have been there and the other half don’t know what to expect. We will see how it goes.”
Buffalo, which has three state-runner finishes to its collection, defeated Ravenswood in three games in another Class A regional. Winners in nine of their last 11 games, the Bison underwent a complete coaching overhaul when the original members (head coach and his assistants) vacated the program on a permanent basis on Senior Day.
They were replaced by the school’s principal (Derek Pauley), assistant principal (Josh Isaacs) and athletic director (Josh Bower).
“Buffalo is one team I don’t know about much at all,” coach Maxwell said. “We will go watch them (Monday) play Winfield and get a live eye on them.”
Buffalo players who have turned in solid numbers include senior Carson Saunders, who led the team in hitting (.360), runs scored (27) and stolen bases (18). Fellow senior Alec Richardson compiled a 2.18 earned-run average over 45 innings of work. He struck out 56 and walked only nine.
“For us coaches, our approach changes from regionals – if a pitcher got in trouble in the three-game series you could let him ride to see if he could get himself out of trouble,” coach Maxwell said. “When it’s one-and-done, you have to win today. It’s a do-or-die situation. The big thing is you can’t get to Saturday if you can’t get through Friday.
“The players are ready. They are wanting to play, and they don’t think they can be beat. As coaches, sometimes we have to bring them back. But that’s the type of kids they are, they are on top of the world. At this point we are ready for anything.”
Several lasting impressions which could carry over into this week’s state tournament center around the pair of sophom*ore pitchers (Tyler Coleman and Jenner Burge) who cooled the flames of the Wheeling Central offense with a combined 9 1-3 innings of relief which allowed the Yellowjackets to rally for wins in both games.
“We focus on that early in the season – putting the younger guys in uncomfortable situations so they are ready when it really matters,” coach Maxwell said.
The chess piece key to Williamstown’s success is senior Maxwell Molessa, who has signed to continue his baseball career at West Virginia University. In Game 3 against Wheeling Central, Molessa delivered the game-tying hit with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning then delivered yet another clutch hit – a two-out, run-scoring walk-off triple – to clinch the regional title.
“Maxwell Molessa took care of business,” coach Maxwell said. “He has competed all year. Maybe some of his at bats weren’t great, but on the ones that mattered he did the job.”
Coach Maxwell likes how the draw in terms of playing at a time his team is accustomed to and getting on the field as the first game. He is not a fan of having players waiting for their second game to start.
“We have played some tough competition and that has helped us out a lot,” coach Maxwell said. “There have been times where teams have been behind and roll over. This team, they don’t think they are ever down. So they just keep playing.”
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