It was a case of lost and found for Ryan Waginger.

After struggling early, Waginger found his control and pitched a two-hitter as the St. Joseph Flyers beat the Western Indians 7-1 in the Division IV sectional championship.

Waginger outdueled Western’s Zach Kier who struck out 12, walked one and gave up five hits. However, he uncorked three wild pitches.

Waginger struck out six and did not walk a batter and the only run he allowed was unearned. He threw 14 pitches in the first inning and only 53 pitches the rest of the game.

“Ryan struggled with his control in the first inning, but once he found his control he dominated the game,” said Flyers coach Greg Bryant. “(Kier) kept them in the game. Both pitchers threw well.”

Western went up 1-0 in the first inning when Jeremy McLeod was safe on an error, stole second and third, and came home on a sacrifice fly by Kier.

But the Flyers came right back to tie the game in the bottom of the inning.

With two outs, Jerrod Laber singled, moved p on a wild pitch and scored on Caleb Blackburn’s base hit.

St. Joseph took the lead with three runs in the second inning.

Waginger reached on an error and Chad Harvey singled to put runners on the corners.

Harvey stole second but a fielder’s choice cut down Waginger at the plate.

Ryan Schwab then singled home Harvey. Tre Stambaugh and Schwab pulled off a double steal and both runners scored when the throw went down the left field line.

The Flyers added a pair of runs in the fourth inning.

Michael Basedow was safe on a wild pitch third strike. Stambaugh singled and the runners pulled off another double steal. Two wild pitches scored both runners.

“We didn’t have many baserunners, but we ran the bases well and got them in when we got them on. We manufactured some runs and you have to do that against a good pitcher,” said Bryant.

Another run scored in the fifth inning when Laber walked, stole second, took third on a wild pitch, and came home when Blackburn grounded out.

St. Joseph, 17-4, plays Beaver Eastern at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Lucasville Valley High School in the district semifinals.

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Zach Kier and Brad Rupert. Ryan Waginger and Pat Gagai. W-Waginger (6-K, 0-BB, 0-ER). L-Kier (12-K, 1-BB, 3-ER, 3-WP). PB-Rupert. SF-Western: Zach Kier. Hitting-Western: Brad Rupert 1-3, Colten Lambert 1-2; St. Joseph: Ryan Schwab 1-3, Jerrod Laber 1-2, Caleb Blackburn 1-3 (2 RBI), Chad Harvey 1-3, Tre Stambaugh 1-3.