Bradley Central’s versatile Jon Clinard has been begging all year to drive the gator and drag the Bears’ infield at practice. He finally earned the ride.

Clinard pitched a six-hitter Monday night, striking out eight and giving up no walks in a 4-1 Region 3-AAA semifinal baseball victory over visiting Soddy-Daisy. The win allowed Bradley to advance to Wednesday’s region final at Red Bank, a 10-6 winner over McMinn County

Clinard also was a star on offense. He and fellow senior Zach Roberts combined for seven hits in the Bears’ 29th win in 36 games.

“I told the seniors that we expected them to carry a little more of the load, and those two guys stepped up,” said first-year Bears coach Travis Adams.

Clinard had a shutout until the top of the seventh, when he allowed a second single to Steven Magnussen and an RBI double to Andrew McWilliams. The pitcher also went 4-for-4 with a double, giving him nine hits in 15 postseason at-bats.

“He had an unbelievable performance on the mound and at the plate,” Adams said. “He kept them in check, and you can’t ask any more than that. He isn’t doing ‘above and beyond.’ He’s doing what a player of his caliber does.”

Roberts had three doubles, one to each third of the outfield.

“Zach had been struggling but he was one of those seniors that stepped up,” Adams said.

Only one Trojan got as far as second in their first six at-bats. After Magnussen reached on an infield single and Zane Leffew sacrificed him to second, Clinard struck out the next two batters. He also struck out the side in the third after giving up a leadoff single to Zach Stephens.

“I sold Clinard short,” Soddy-Daisy coach Steve Garland said. “I told our guys they were going to be hitting against an infielder. He’s a pitcher. Granted, as well as he pitched he was signed (by Austin Peay) as an infielder. If he’s a better infielder than pitcher, somebody’s getting a steal. He can pitch, hit, run the bases and bunt.”

Clinard ran himself out of a run, getting picked off in the first inning after a leadoff single. It was the only mistake he made all night.

“I thought (Soddy-Daisy pitcher Zane Leffew) gave me a balk move and I thought the umpire was going to call it, but he didn’t,” Clinard said.

In assessing his game, the pitcher/shortstop felt his mound effort surpassed his plate performance.

“Overall, when you look at the hits column and the run column, this was probably my best game,” Clinard said. “I had great command of my pitches and I spotted my fastball pretty well.”

The Bears scored a run in the third on a wild pitch, and it looked as if that might be the final outcome as Clinard and Leffew dueled.

Bradley had two runners in scoring position in the first with one out, and Leffew struck out two batters back-to-back. The Bears got another runner to third with one out and the Trojans pitcher induced an infield popup and a fly to left to end the third. Roberts lined a one-out double to left-center before a fly to left and a grounder to third.

Leffew almost wriggled out of a fifth-inning jam, too, getting a two-out popup to right. It fell in when the right fielder slipped, allowing two runs to score. He allowed one earned run before giving way to McWilliams with two outs in the sixth.

“Leffew kept us in check,” Adams said. “They had a couple of suspect plays, but he didn’t rattle even when we had runners in scoring position. He pitched well enough to win.”

n Red Bank 10, McMinn County 6: At Red Bank, Corey Emery led the Lions by going 3-for-4, scoring three runs with a home run, a double and three RBIs. The Lions’ Casey Bembry also homered among three hits and scored three runs. The Lions host the championship game Wednesday night at 7, and they and the Bears will play again in Friday’s sectionals.