By Will Swary

PICKERINGTON- Nick Jensen-Clagg stole the show in an anticipated pitcher’s duel with a one hit, 16 strikeout performance to help Pickerington Central advance to the Division I district finals with a 1-0 victory over the No. 43 ranked New Albany Eagles.

For a game billed as a battle between two of the top arms in central Ohio, it did not disappoint. The two stars, Pickerington Central’s Nick Jensen-Clagg, a Kent State commitment, and New Albany’s Wynston McMartin, a Youngstown State commitment, kept the offenses at bay for nearly the whole game in a classic duel.

The game moved quickly as the two aces made little work of the opposing lineups early on. Nick Jensen-Clagg struck out eight of the first nine batters he faced, using a veteran like changeup at 72-74 mph to compliment his 86-88 mph fastball. He was able to keep the hitters off balance all game, holding a perfect game in to the 5th.

Things were sailing just as smooth for McMartin who used a fastball that was consistently between 87-89 mph, while even touching 90 mph a couple times and a curveball between 73-75 mph to keep a strong Pickerington Central lineup subdued early on.

McMartin would allow the only run of the game in the top of the 3rd inning when a one out infield single for Devon Fisk sparked a rally. The hit by Fisk was one of two hits McMartin allowed in the game, but it would prove a difference maker as Fisk would get to second on a fielder’s choice and then to third on a wild pitch, before scoring the game’s only run on a passed ball.

McMartin didn’t allow another hit the rest of the game, but the damage was done and Nick Jensen-Clagg was in cruise control for the Tigers. The perfect game bid came to an end in the bottom of the 5th inning when Jensen-Clagg walked Grant Oehler with one out before striking out the next two batters to end the inning.

His no-hitter would end an inning later when New Albany senior Zach Sevenish would hit a hard ground ball between the third baseman and the short stop for the Eagle’s only hit. Jensen-Clagg would work out of that situation in the same way as the previous one, by striking out the next two hitters and ending the inning.  He would go on to strikeout the side in the bottom of the 7th to end the game. Of his sixteen strikeouts, eight were by batters who got caught looking.

Pickerington Central advances in the tournament to play Olentangy Orange in the District final Thursday at Ohio Wesleyan University, with the game at 5:00pm.