NEW HAVEN, Mo. - An impressive effort by Eric Steinbeck hoisted Black-Gold to a 3-0 win in seven innings over Kelso Fastpitch and into the championship game later this afternoon.
Steinbeck held Kelso to just three hits, striking out 11 over seven shutout innings.
Black-Gold scored three runs in the first inning to build an early lead. They scored in the first on an RBI single by Brad Johnson and a two-run single by Dean Haeffner.
Tom Jansen took the loss for Kelso. He lasted just six innings, walked one, struck out eight, and allowed three runs.
Black-Gold will play the winner between Kelso and Pickneyville.
Games are running about one hour behind.
Championship game estimated start time is approximately 2:30 p.m.
Black-Gold
Total Hits: Cullen Speckhals 2-3, Dean Haeffner, Brad Johnson, and Justin Wurtz
RBIs: Brad Johnson, Dean Haeffner
Pitching - Steinbeck improves to 3-0 on the weekend
| Name | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | HR |
| Eric Steinbeck | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
In the first three games of the 14 Annual Black-Gold Tournament, Steinbeck has struck out 28, allowed just three earned runs for an ERA of 1.474 while holding opponents to a batting average of just .219
As a team Black-Gold has been stellar from the plate with a .320 average and combined for 18 RBIs.
Cullen Speckhals has gone 5-9 from the plate, which includes a triple and a double for an average of .556.
Brad Johnson is 4-8, leading the team with 6 RBIs. Justin Wurtz has a team high two doubles, while going 5-10 from the plate.