By Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

WrestleMania 39 was Sunday and Evan Balestra and Brady “Quinn” Medinger formed their own tag team on Monday.

The two pitchers combined on a 2-hitter as the St. Joseph Flyers routed the Portsmouth Clay Panthers 13-1 in a Southern Ohio Conference game.

Balestra started and went 3 innings to get the win. He struck out 7, gave up one hit and did not walk a batter. Medinger went the final 2 innings allowing one hit, 3 strikeouts and the one run was unearned.

“Evan Balestra looked really good today. He was throwing strikes,” said Flyers’ coach Greg Bryant. “Medinger came in and did the same thing. He threw strikes.”

Besides his pitching, Balestra was 2-2 with a double and a triple. Medinger was 2-3 with 2 runs batted in.

The Flyers (3-1, 2-0) settled the outcome quickly with 11 runs in the first 2 innings.

St. Joseph went up 5-0 in the first inning.

Balestra doubled, moved up on a passed ball, Drew Brown walked and stole second and Mark Hodges had an RBI single.

Jake Stephens was safe on an error as 2 more runs scored. Wesley Neal’s liner was misplayed for an error, Hunter Staton walked and Landon Rowe had a clutch 2-out, 2-run single.

The Flyers got 6 more runs in the second inning.

Balestra was hit by a pitch, stole second and third and scored on a hit by Brown who promptly stole stole second and went to third on a passed ball.

Stephens singled in the run, stole second, came to third on a wild pitch and scored on a passed ball.

Neal walked and stole second, Staton was safe on an error as Neal went to third, Staton went to second on defensive indifference and Medinger lined a 2-run single

Medinger stole second and third and scored on an error.

Balestra tripled and scored when Darryn “Dancing Machine” Harvey grounded out to make it 12-0.

Clay got its lone run in the fourth when Isaiah Whitt was hit by a pitch but forced out by Braden Malone. After Malone stole second, Drew Zeufir got an RBI single.

The Flyers got the run back in the bottom of the inning when Medinger singled, Kai Coleman walked, a wild pitch moved the runners up and Carson Lyons hit a sacrifice fly.

Brown went 1-1, Hodges 1-3 with an RBI, Stephens 1-4 with 2 RBI and Rowe 1-3 with 2 RBI as the Flyers got 8 hits.

The Flyers host Green on Tuesday and visit Green on Wednesday in SOC games.

Ports. Clay 000 10 = 1 2 6

St. Joseph 561 1x = 13 8 1

Drew Zeufir, Zane Ball (2), Brandon Malone (2), Aiden Ball (4), Cayden McKenzie (4) and Dawson James (4) and Whitt. Evan Balestra, Brady Medinger (4) and Jake Stephens. W-Balestra (IP-3.0, H-1, R-0, K-7, BB-0). Medinger (IP-2.0, H-1, R-1, ER-0, K-3, BB-0, HBP-1). L-Zeufir (IP-1.0, H-3, R-5, ER-1, K-0,BB-2). Z. Ball (IP-0.2, H-3, R-6, ER-4, K-0, BB-1, HBP-1). Malone (IP-1.1, H-1, R-1, ER-1, K-1,BB-0). A. Ball ((IP-0.1, H-1, R-1, ER-1), McKenzie (IP-0.1, H-0, R-0, BB-1). James (IP-0.1, H-0, R-0, K-1, BB-1). Hitting-Clay: Drew Zuefir 1-2 RBI, Carson Holschuh 1-2 2B; StJ: Evan Balestra 2-2 2B 3B, Carson Lyons RBI, Drew Brown 1-1 RBI, Darryn “DM” Harvey RBI, Mark Hodges 1-3 RBI, Jake Stephens 1-4 2-RBI, Brady “Quinn” Medinger 2-3 2-RBI, Landon Rowe 1-3 2-RBI.