HUNTINGTON — George Washington is headed where no Patriots baseball team has gone before.
Behind a dominant complete-game performance from Eli Smith and a pair of two-run innings, George Washington defeated Jefferson 4-0 Friday evening in the Class AAAA semifinals of the WVSSAC baseball state tournament at Jack Cook Field.
The victory sends the Patriots (31-5) to the first state championship game in program history, where they will face Hurricane on Saturday. Jefferson finished its season 29-8.
Smith was in complete control from the outset.
The George Washington right-hander tossed a two-hit shutout, striking out eight and walking two over seven innings. Smith threw 65 strikes among his 94 pitches and never allowed Jefferson to advance a runner past second base.
Jefferson’s best scoring opportunity came in the second inning after Andy Roberts was hit by a pitch and Liam Sager drew a walk. But Smith escaped the threat by inducing a pop up to shortstop from Blake Kutcher.
The Patriots broke through in the third.
Aiden Hayes opened the inning by reaching on a hit by pitch before Luke Gordon ripped a triple into the right-center field gap to score the game’s first run. Joel Nelson followed with an RBI double to make it 2-0 before Jefferson cut down Nelson trying to stretch the hit into a triple.
George Washington doubled its lead an inning later.
Wyatt Barnett opened the fourth with a double and moved to third on a failed pickoff attempt. After Mason Lowery replaced Jefferson starter Andrew Engle, Jackson Engles delivered an RBI single to center field to score Barnett. Later in the inning, Josh Stowers crossed the plate on Gordon’s bases-loaded walk to extend the advantage to 4-0.
That was more than enough support for Smith.
Jefferson managed just two hits, singles by Roberts and Kutcher, while striking out eight times. The Cougars finished 0 for 2 with runners in scoring position and stranded four baserunners.
Gordon sparked the George Washington offense, finishing 2 for 3 with a double, triple, two RBIs and a walk. Nelson added a double and RBI, while Barnett doubled and scored a run. Engles contributed an RBI single as the Patriots collected six hits.
Engle took the loss for Jefferson after allowing four runs, three earned, on four hits in 3 1/3 innings.
Now the Patriots will play for the first baseball state championship in school history.