HANAHAN – With a few exceptions, Clinton and Hanahan played the first game of the Class 3A state championship series in a figurative jar of jam on Saturday night, but the Red Devils made the most of the toast in a 17-3 victory.

Clinton head coach Sean McCarthy is fond of advising his charges to “win one.” It’s worked 17 straight times now. Win one more and the Red Devils are baseball state champs.

When the Hawks visit Clinton on Tuesday night, they will have pitching depth, which they didn’t have in game one because they had played two games the night before in order to qualify for the finals. The Red Devils were merely hindered by a long bus trip.

Zane McLendon, Wilson Wages and Zach Fortman all hit homers. McLendon’s was a slam. Caleb Taylor cleared the bases with a double and pitched 2-1/3 innings of no-hit relief for Carson Glenn. Taylor and Wages each had two hits.

Clinton pitching yielded only two hits but issued seven walks. Both Glenn and Taylor struck out four.

Five Hanahan pitchers gave up eight walks and hit five Clinton batters (Fortman twice).

Hunter Gomes hit McLendon, the Clinton leadoff man and right fielder, and then Fortman to open the game. McLendon, however, was thrown out stealing third. Wages worked a walk, but Wil Stewart struck out on four pitches. Fortman and Wages moved up on a wild pitch, and Justin Copeland was walked intentionally.

Taylor cleared the bases with a double to center field, putting the Red Devils up, 3-0, after a half inning.

Like his opposite number, Carson Glenn hit the first batter, Landon Gomes, in the bottom half. Glenn then committed an error on Jacob Bunting’s grounder but came back to fan Mason Brady on three pitches. Landon Gomes stole third and scored on Fortman’s error, but Hunter Gomes struck out and Kwame Parker grounded out to short to end the inning.

The fourth batter to be hit by a pitch was Clinton designated hitter Brett Young. With one out, McLendon reached on Camden Kackley’s error at short. Wages became the fifth batter – and fourth Red Devil – to be beaned, loading the bases. Stewart singled to right, driving in McLendon and Fortman. Riley Ballard came on to pitch, and Copeland greeted him with a single, scoring Wages. Taylor worked a full count, fouling off three pitches before reaching on an error by Kackley to load the bases. Luke Young struck out to end the inning with Clinton leading, 6-1.

Glenn walked the first two batters in the bottom half, and Brayden Joseph’s double drove in Riley Turner. Kackley grounded into a fielder’s choice as Fortman threw out the lead runner at third, and Landon Gomes flied out to left. Glenn caught Kackley too far off first and he was caught stealing, 1-3-6, to end the inning with the Red Devils leading, 6-3.

Ballard retired the Red Devils in order in the third inning. In the fourth, Glenn struck out Bunting on a foul tip, but Brady followed with a double to left and Hunter Gomes walked behind him. On a full count, Parker struck out, and Caleb Taylor succeeded Glenn on the mound with two out and two on. A wild pitch moved up the runners, but Turner’s popup to Fortman on a full count ended the crisis.

Fortman reached on an error to open the fourth inning. Wages clobbered a 1-1 pitch from Ballard to left, and the two-run homer made it 8-3. Copeland walked on five pitches. Hanahan (26-8) deemed another pitching change in order. Taylor greeted Bo Brabham with a single to right that advanced Copeland to third. Harrison Moore pinch-hit for Luke Young and drove in Copeland with a sacrifice fly to right. Brett Young reached first base on a dropped third strike. Bryce Young walked to load the bases. McLendon grounded out.

Clinton (25-3) led 9-3 and had twice left the bases loaded.

In the bottom of the fourth, Taylor wrapped three strikeouts around two walks, and the score remained the same.

After Fortman was, yes, hit by a pitch to lead off the fifth, Wages doubled to right field, and Fortman held up at third, which was of little consequence since he scored on a passed ball and Wages loped to third. Stewart walked and Lucas Brown became the fourth Hanahan hurler. Copeland lined out to short. Stewart stole second, and Wages scored on Brady’s error, which also sent Stewart to third. Taylor walked. Luke Young, who had reentered, flied to right for the second out. Courtesy runner Tanner Kyko stole second. Brett Young walked to load the bases for Bryce Young, who walked to plate Stewart.

What happened next? McLendon belted a grand slam to center, and it was 16-3. Nate Humphrey became Hanahan pitcher number five. Fortman homered to left, and it was 17-3.

The game ended on a double play and run rule after five innings.