This past weekend provided some better weather for baseball, and the USSSA Mid-Ohio Valley Explorers were able to play four games on Friday, Saturday and a doubleheader on Sunday.
The Mid-Ohio Valley Explorers won all four games by a combined total score of 53-12.
The Explorers played Parkersburg Vipers-Red team on Friday night at the Rosemar complex.
The Explorers beat Parkersburg 12-2 in seven innings.
The Explorers were led by their starting pitcher, Marietta's Nick Thieman who pitched 6-1/3 innings, giving up one hit, fanning eightand allowing no earned runs.
He was relieved by Corey Hill who closed out the game and also did not allow an earned run by the Parkersburg hitters.
The offensive performance by the Explorers was provided by Michael Ullman who went 5-for-5 at the plate while also scoring 2 runs and driving in four runs.
Hill added a 3-for-5 performance.
On Saturday, the Explorers faced another Parkesburg Vipers-White team and logged a lopsided victory in the contest.
The Explorers won the game 15-1 in a shortened five inning game. The Explorers were led by starting pitcher Kyler McElfresh who threw the first three innings and only allowed one hit, two walks and had five strikeouts without giving up a run.
The game was finished by Michael Ullman in the fourth and Devin Leister closed in the final inning striking out two of the three hitters he faced.
The offensive standouts were Devin Leister and Corey Hill who both went 3-for-4 at the plate.
Leister also scored four runs and added 4 more RBIs while Hill had 5 RBIs.
These two victories took the Explorers to a rain-shortened schedule of 6 wins vs. only 2 losses.
On Sunday, the MOV Explorers hosted a doubleheader at their home field against St Marys, W.Va.. The first game was closely contested until the later innings and eventually won by the Explorers, 11-5.
The winning pitcher in the opener was Hill who pitched a complete 7-inning game allowing eight hits, two walks and striking out six with 2 earned runs allowed.
Hill once again helped his own cause by going 2-for-4 at the plate and was accompanied by Michael Ullman who was 2-for- 3.
Chant Binegar and Austin Hefter each chipped in 1-for-2 performance, a couple of RBIs and runs scored. Caleb Heller provided the team with two runs scored and two stolen bases in the winning effort.
The nightcap was won by the Explorers by the score of 15-4. The winning pitcher in this game was Kyler McElfresh of Caldwell who pitched four innings giving up only four hits, two walks and striking out five St Marys batters before giving way to Evan Owens of Marietta who closed for the save pitching the final three innings.
This game was won by a total team offensive effort that provided nine hits including extra base hits by Hill, Thieman and a triple by Devin Leister.
The defensive performance was one of exceptional play by the Explorers with an unusual four double plays being made by the infield combination of shortstop Austin Hefter and second baseman Leister in the two game winning performances.
The Mid-Ohio Valley Explorers record improved to 8-2 in the highly competitive Middle School league of the Ohio and West Virginia area teams.
This week's schedule has the MOV Explorers playing a doubleheader on Wednesday Night at Vienna's Rosemar complex with the first game slated to begin at 5:30 p.m. against Ritchie County which is currently 8-3 and the second versus the Parkersburg Vipers-White.
Williamstown is on tap for a tonight game at its home field and then on Sunday, the Explorers will travel to Ritchie County to play a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
The Explorers have also been accepted to play in the WV Middle School Championship Tournament scheduled for June 9 through June 12 at Williamstown and Parkersburg's Hank Greenburg field.
The following weekend of June 17 thru the June 19, the Explorers will be traveling to Asheville, N.C. to participate in a USSSA World Series Qualifier tournament in an effort to a World Series bid later this year which is played at the USSSA world headquarter complex in Orlando, Fla.
