PARKERSBURG — Sophomore lefty Colin Bryant needed 82 pitches to spin a four-hit shutout, Reece Fletcher mashed an RBI three-bagger and the host Patriots of Parkersburg South won a classic 1-0 pitcher’s duel against Morgantown here early Saturday afternoon in the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference 5A semifinals at Hank Greenburg Field. “It was definitely one of the best I have ever done, probably in my whole baseball career,” admitted Bryant, who issued two walks and had a quartet of strikeouts. The difference in the heavyweight showdown came in the last of the sixth when Morgantown losing pitcher Caleb Taylor, who walked none, fanned four and finished with a three-hitter, allowed an unearned run. After retiring Ben Menarchek and Todd Burner atop the Patriots’ order, No. 3 hitter Bryce Eagle reached on the last of Morgantown’s four errors. After the catcher stole second, Fletcher crushed a full-count offering from Taylor over the head of center fielder Colton Matthews and the ball scurried to the fence. “Their pitcher did really well, placing pitches and stuff,” Fletcher said. “He threw his curveball really good and he threw his fastball in good locations.” Fletcher added of the 3-2 count he faced, “I try to keep the same approach to every pitch, you know, sit fastball and adjust to the curve. He threw me a fastball and I was ready for it. I just took it to dead-center. “I saw him (Matthews) take a step forward and I’m like great, I hit it right to him, and I’m still watching him and then he just starts darting back and I’m like I burned him. It’s gone, not over the fence, but it’s over him. (First base) coach (Chad) Bloss is telling me to turn two and I’m already looking at (head coach) Todd (Burner) and he said come three. By that time I was already out of breath. It felt good.” No. 2 seed Parkersburg South, which improved to 10-2 and will take on top-seeded Wheeling Park at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Wheeling I-470 Fields for the OVAC crown, thought it had a run in the bottom of the fifth. With two outs, Patriot Drew Cochran reached on an infield single that MHS shortstop Quintin Smith made a diving stop on behind second base. However, his throwing error allowed Cochran to scamper to second. Nathan Currey then reached on an error to put runners on second and third. Bryant proceeded to the dish and grounded to third baseman Devon Neal, who misplayed the ball, but fired a one-hopper across the diamond to first baseman Gavin Cottle. Cottle attempted to make the dig, and for a split-second he had the ball in his webbing, but as he brought the glove up the ball popped out, Bryant was already past the bag and then Cottle plucked it back out of the air. “I seen him juggle the ball a little bit,” Bryant stated. “I thought I was safe, but it was the umps’ call so I had to go with it.” Bryant retired nine of the first 10 Mohigans (11-6) he faced, allowing a two-out walk to Smith in the first. He got into some trouble in the fourth when Morgantown’s Andrew Kerzak singled and Smith reached on a bunt single. However, Taylor then hit into a 6-4-3 double play as Todd Burner fired to Blake McMullen, who made the relay throw to Fletcher at first just in time. Neal then came up with a runner on third and hit the ball just past the outstretched glove of Patriot third baseman Chase Freshour, but Burner made a back-handed play deep in the hole and fired a howitzer to first just in the nick of time. “It was amazing,” Bryant said of the 6-4-3 double play. “I knew my defense was coming in behind me so I just had to pitch strikes and let them hit the ball.” Bryant worked around a two-out walk to Cottle in the fifth, but found himself in some trouble in the sixth. Although Kerzak had a one-out infield single and was caught stealing, Smith reached on an error and then stole second to get into scoring position. McMullen, the junior varsity shortstop who was making his first varsity start, made a fully-extended diving stop on a shot Taylor hit back up the box. The Patriot second baseman then managed to record the 4-3 putout to end the inning. “We called Blake up from JV and he’s been playing a great shortstop down there for us,” said coach Burner. “He played a heckuva game and Colin pitched a heckuva game. We hit a lot of balls right at people, too. That was our big win so far this season. That’s for sure.” Taylor retired the first seven batters he faced before the No. 8 hitter Currey singled to right with one away in the third. Freshour, though, was robbed of a hit in the second when his sinking liner was caught by MHS leadoff hitter and right fielder Preston Fox on a diving catch.