Lynchburg-Clay Mustangs clinch SHAC Div. I baseball crown; finish 13-0

The Lynchburg-Clay Mustangs are perfect in the Southern Hills Athletic Conference, finishing 13-0 in conference play to become champions of Division I of the conference. 

The win on Wednesday (May 14) saw the Mustangs defeat rival Whiteoak 6-0 in Mowrystown (as the game was played at WHS due to wet field conditions at LCHS), with LCHS this season allowing just one run in conference action. 

LCHS last went perfect in the SHAC in 2010, and their most recent conference baseball championship was 2019. The 2025 championship extends Lynchburg-Clay’s SHAC all-time conference championship record to 24. 

This season, the Mustangs have outscored their SHAC opponents 169-1. Overall LCHS is 17-2, outscoring opponents 229-21.

On Wednesday, the Mustangs allowed three hits against Whiteoak, as the Mustangs totaled eight hits. 

The Mustangs scored early and often in the first two innings as that’s when all six of their runs crossed home plate. LCHS began with a two-run first inning as Josiah Burns led off the bottom half of the first with a base hit past the shortstop, and he scored off a double in the ensuing at-bat by Braedon West, who hit the double to left field for the 1-0 score. 

Next was a base hit by Cole Wells, then the score increased to 2-0 when Christian Flowers hit into a fielder’s choice for an RBI, scoring West from third base. 

The bottom of the second inning — a four-run inning by Lynchburg-Clay — started with a single to second base off the bat of Trevor Niehaus. Next was a base hit by Elam Faust, moving Niehaus to second base with no outs. 

Then came a single from a bunt by Cody Bell, loading the bases as both runners advanced a base. The third Lynchburg-Clay run crossed the plate off a sacrifice fly by Burns, scoring Niehaus for a 3-0 advantage. 

The next run was scored by Faust who took home on a passed ball for a four-run lead. In the same plate appearance, West drew a walk on seven pitches. The final two runs of the inning, and the game, scored when Cole Wells hit a line drive to left field for two RBI, scoring West and Bell for the 6-0 lead. 

Wells and Bell each finished with two hits in the championship win. Wells was 2-for-3 with two RBI, plus a steal. Bell finished 2-for-3 with a run. 

Burns ended the day at 1-for-2 with one run and one RBI, while West was 1-for-2 with two runs, one RBI, a steal and a walk. 

Niehaus went 1-for-3 with one run, while Faust was also 1-for-3 with a run. The Mustangs also had Flowers finish with an RBI.

Wells was the winning pitcher, finishing with seven innings pitched, allowing no runs on three hits and one walk with 14 strikeouts. He threw 101 pitches, 76 for strikes. 

Whiteoak had Zander Roades finish 2-for-3 with a steal, and Izayah Clift was 1-for-3 also with a steal. Christian Hite drew a walk for WHS. 

Clift was charged with the loss on the mound. 

BOX SCORE
WHS      000 000 0 — 0 3 0 
LCHS    240 000 x — 6 8 1 

On Tuesday, May 13, the Mustangs defeated SHAC foe, the North Adams Green Devils 6-0 at LCHS. 

The SHAC Division I game saw the Mustangs score one run each in the bottom of the second, third and fourth innings for a 3-0 lead. They added three more runs in the bottom of the fifth for their six-run win. 

LCHS totaled seven hits and no errors, while North Adams had two hits and no errors. 

Christian Flowers finished 2-for-4 with a run and one RBI. Quin Wells was 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI. 

Cole Wells went 1-for-1 with three walks, while teammate Trevor Niehaus ended the day at 1-for-2 with a run and walk. Braedon West was 1-for-3 with one RBI. Josiah Burns finished the day with a run and two walks. Tanner Roberts collected an RBI, and Cody Bell forced a walk. 

Wells and Flowers each hit a double in the win, while Jay Cordrey, Niehaus (two) and Quin Wells (two) all had steals. 

West was the winning pitcher, finishing with a two-hit shutout. He allowed no runs on two hits and one walk with seven strikeouts. West totaled 79 pitches in the seven-inning game, with 62 pitches for strikes. 

BOX SCORE
NAHS    000 000 0 — 0 2 2 
LCHS    011 130 x — 6 7 0 

• • •

As the postseason nears, the Lynchburg-Clay Mustangs continue to play a strong non-conference schedule and on Friday evening they went on the road to Ross County to take on the Unioto Shermans of the Scioto Valley Conference.

LCHS in the May 16 game were outscored 5-2 in the first inning and were unable to catch the Shermans on the scoreboard, falling by an 8-4 score in a competitive game at UHS.

After the first inning, the Shermans didn’t add to their lead until the bottom of the fifth inning when they scored two runs for a 7-2 advantage.

LCHS responded with two runs in the top of the sixth, but HS scored one last run in the bottom of the same inning for the final four-run win over the Mustangs.

Lynchburg-Clay finished the game with 10 hits, but committed four errors, while Unioto had 11 hits and no errors.

Cody Bell finished as the Mustangs' leading batter going 3-for-3. Josiah Burns was 2-for-3 with a double, one run, two RBI and he also forced a walk.

Cole Wells went 1-for-3 with a home run, one run, two RBI and a walk. Trevor Roberts ended the day at 1-for-2, while Caden Faust was 1-for-1. Elam Faust finished 1-for-3, and teammate Kristian Beachy was 1-for-3.

Braedon West forced a walk for LCHS, while Quin Wells scored a run and walked once.

Quin Wells was charged with the loss with a competitive pitching performance. He allowed one earned run on six hits and four walks in four innings. Wells totaled four strikeouts. Caden Faust pitched two innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits and no walks with one strikeout.

LCHS now has an overall record of 17-3 this season.

BOX SCORE
LCHS    200 002 0 — 4 10 4
UHS    500 021 x — 8 11 0