By Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

FORT GAY, W.Va. — After a big come-from-behind win on Wednesday that had St. Joseph flying high, almost all the wind came out of their balloon on Thursday.

Almost.

The Flyers were able to generate plenty of hits and enough runs to hold off the Tolsia Rebels 9-8 only a day after a stunning 8-7 win over Portsmouth Notre Dame.

“We had that big game (Wednesday) and we were just flat emotionally,” said Flyers’ coach Greg Bryant. “You can enjoy a win, but you have to re-focus because baseball in almost a day-to-day situation. But we got a lot of hits and a lot of clutch hits.”

St. Joseph (12-3) came out swinging and scored 3 runs in the first inning.

Brady “Quinn” Medinger singled, stole second and scored on a double by Drew Brown.

Mark Hodges doubled home Brown and Darryn Harvey’s base hit sent Hodges home.

Tolsie got 2 runs in the second when Cameron Perkins singled, Colton Austin walked and Brady Kirk reached on an error,.

The Flyers got a run back in the top of the third when Brown singled and Hodges got his second RBI double.

But the Rebels tied the game in the bottom of the inning.

Luke Williamson singled, Brayden Mollette walked, Williamson stole third and scored on an error. Mollette scored on a wild pitch.

Each team got a run in the fourth inning to make it 5-all.

Matt Heighton led off with a triple and scored on Carson Lyons’ ground out for the Flyers.

Tolsia scored on a walk to Austin, a ground out, a stolen base and another ground out.

St. Joseph took the lead for good with a run in the fifth when Medinger walked, stole second, took third on a throwing error and scored on a sacrifice fly by Evan Balestra.

The Flyers went up 9-5 with 3 runs in the sixth.

Lyons led off with a double and Landon Rowe singled him home.

Rowe stole second and third and scored on a throwing error. Kai Coleman then doubled, Medinger singled and Balestra hit another sacrifice fly.

Tolsia scored a run in the bottom of the inning on a single by Ben Clayton, a walk to Austin, a passed ball and Kirk’s sacrifice fly.

The Rebels made things interesting in the bottom of the seventh but came up short as they scored only 2 runs.

With one out, Mollette singled, David Dingess and Perkins were hit by pitches and Clayton had an RBI single. Austin hit a sacrifice fly but Medinger struck out the next batter to end the game.

Hodges was 3-4 with 2 doubles and 2 RBI and Brown was 3-4 with 2 doubles and an RBI to lead the Flyers’ 15-hit attack.

Medinger was 2-3, Coleman 2-4 with a double, Harvey 1-1 with an RBI, Heighton 1-2 with a triple, Rowe 1-2, Lyons 1-4 with a double, Willis 1-4, and Balestra had 2 RBI.

Coleman got the win with 3 innings of relief work. He gave up just one hit, 2 earned runs, struck out 4 and walked 2. Medinger got the save as he pitched 2 innings allowing 2 hits, 2 earned runs with 4 strikeouts and no walks.

St. Joseph 301 113 0 = 9 15 2

Tolsia       022 101 2 = 8 6 2

Wesley Neal, Kai Coleman (3), Brady Medinger (6) and Evan Balestra. Colton Austin, Brayden Mollette (7) and Luke Williamson. W-Coleman (IP-3.0, H-1, R-2, ER-2, K-4, BB-2, WP-1). Save–Medinger (IP-2.0, H-2, R-2, ER-2, K-4, BB-0, HBP-2). Neal (IP-2.0, H-3, R-4, ER-3, K-3, BB-2, HBP-1). L-Austin (IP-5.0, H-15, R-9, ER-9, K-3, BB-2). Mollette (IP-1.0, H-0, R-0,K-0, BB-1, Balk-1). Hitting-St. Joseph: Kai Coleman 2-4 2B, Brady “Quinn” Medinger 2-3, Evan Balestra 2-RBI, Drew Brown 3-4 2-2B RBI, Mark Hodges 3-4 2-2B 2-RBI, Darryn Harvey 1-1 RBI, Matt Heighton 1-2 3B, Carson Lyons 1-4 2B RBI, Carson Willis 1-4, Landon Rowe 1-2; Tolsia: Luke Williamson 2-4, Brayden Mollette 1-3, Ben Clayton 2-2 RBI, Cameron Perkins 1-3, Colton Austin RBI, Brady Kirk RBI, Braden Ratcliff RBI.