WHEELERSBURG — Coaches will typically speak often about doing the so-called little things.

For those who desire to watch SportsCenter-esque highlights, the little things may not be flashy. They may even be, to some, boring or monotonous.

However, competitors love to win — and winning is never, ever boring or monotonous. So in good programs, the little things are usually harped on, and executed, to a high degree.

The South Webster Jeeps' and Wheelersburg Pirates' baseball programs have not been regular contenders not only in the SOC's highest division in baseball, but contenders in making deep postseason runs because both programs pride themselves on playing individuals that buy into executing the little things and playing with a team-first concept.

Both programs' templates were certainly on display Friday evening, as few inches were given and fewer hits allowed in another SOC III classic Friday evening in Wheelersburg.

When the dust settled, however, South Webster made all the key plays that it needed to.

Getting a 50-pitch complete game gem from pitching talent Jacob McGraw, Ryan McClintic's group got massive defensive plays from Beneiah Andrews, Brayden Barnard and Easton Large while Andrews, Brayden Barnard, Hunter Barnard and Brycin McClintic were big in run-producing situations, helping South Webster claim a 2-1 triumph and the season sweep of Wheelersburg in a contest that came down to the game's final pitch.

For McClintic and the 2025 SOC III defending champion Jeeps, the contest could represent a breakthrough and a corner turned. South Webster allowed just four Wheelersburg hits and didn't commit a single error in 20 defensive chances while making one top-notch defensive play after another through excellent situational awareness and high IQ play.

"That's Jeep baseball," McClintic said. "Get them on, get them over, get them in. We try to play a fundamental, efficient type of baseball, and you've got to buy into that. We don't have a lot of big boppers out there in our lineup, so just throwing strikes, playing defense, having a steady heartbeat when the game was tied, and bending, but not breaking — that's who we are and who we've been the last couple of years. We've been in a little bit of a funk starting out this year, for our standards, but (Friday) was a step in the right direction."

Wheelersburg themselves was consistent defensively, allowing just seven Pirate hits behind a strong start from Andrew Tabor as well as a good relief performance from Cameron Conn, and committed just one error in 19 defensive chances itself.

But despite getting the leadoff batter on base from the third through fifth frames of action, the Pirates were held to one run as the Jeeps navigated their way out of trouble on each occasion.

"You've got to give (Jacob) McGraw a lot of credit," Wheelersburg head coach Derek Moore said. "He kept us off-balance. When you only have four hits, you can't really establish a great rhythm on the basepaths. One thing I believe we've found with our crew is we can kind of make stuff happen when we get on base. When you don't get many baserunners or you get baserunners with two outs, you can't really get much going. He did a great job keeping us off-balance."

Getting an early opening to pounce, South Webster capitalized immediately.

Leadoff batter Hunter Barnard, who has enjoyed a great three-sport career at South Webster, began the game with a base hit to center field on the contest's second pitch.

The senior shortstop then stole second, advanced to third base on a groundout by South Webster's Beneiah Andrews, and scored on Brycin McClintic's sacrifice fly RBI to left, putting the Jeeps ahead by a 1-0 tally.

South Webster then threatened to score again in the top half of the third frame, as Beau Stephens' poke that ultimately rolled to left field was followed by a sacrifice bunt by Brayden Barnard that moved Stephens to second, a wild pitch, and a walk by Hunter Barnard that put runners at the corners with only one out in the inning.

But Wheelersburg snuffed out an attempted suicide squeeze — and Pirate pitcher Andrew Tabor caught Stephens up in a 1-2-5-2-5 putout. Tabor then got a pop out two batters later, keeping the South Webster lead to a 1-0 count.

However, South Webster countered with its own great defensive work.

Following a leadoff single by Wheelersburg's Owen Wilburn, a sacrifice bunt moved Wilburn into scoring position at second base with one out in the bottom of the third frame.

But after a flyout, South Webster's defense came up big once again.