Southwestern's Cooper Charles delivers to the plate during Sunday's Section VI Class B prequarterfinal against Salamanca at Packard Field in Lakewood. P-J photo by Matt Spielman

LAKEWOOD – Entering the season, and even as late as just a few weeks ago, Cooper Charles would have been considered Southwestern’s No. 3 starter.

Now, if he’s not the Trojans’ ace, he’s certainly 1B or 1C in the rotation.

Charles’ late-season dominance continued Sunday as he threw a complete game to lead No. 3 Southwestern past No. 14 Salamanca 7-2 in a Section VI Class B prequarterfinal at Packard Field.

“That’s a resilient group. It’s hard to beat a team three times, especially a league opponent,” Southwestern head coach Jared Brown said of the Warriors. “Kudos to (the team) for being resilient and finding a way to grit one out.”

His start pushed back a day due to rain, Charles tossed a three-hitter with 11 strikeouts and five walks. The left-hander improved to 6-0 with a save on the season. He leads the Trojans in innings pitched (32 â…”), earned run average (0.87) and WHIP (1.052).

Southwestern's Lucas Genareo celebrates at second base after hitting a two-run double against Salamanca during Sunday's Section VI Class B prequarterfinal at Packard Field in Lakewood. P-J photo by Matt Spielman

“We planned on throwing Cooper no matter what. It would’ve been nice to get it a day earlier,” Brown said. “I was proud of the way he pitched today, to be able to go a full seven innings.”

Charles held the Warriors scoreless through four innings, allowing Southwestern to build a 7-0 lead. He faced just one batter over the minimum, allowing a one-out single in the first inning, before retiring the side in order in the next three innings.

The Trojans got on the board in the second inning when Michael Rambacher reached on a fielder’s choice for the first out and Oliver Stump walked before a dropped flyball in right field allowed Rambacher to score the first run of the game. Lucas Genareo followed with a two-run double to make it 3-0.

“It seems like these games are always like that. At one point you are up 6-0 or 7-0 and then all of a sudden they are clawing back,” Brown said of the importance of Genareo’s two-run hit. “That’s what our league has been all year. Nobody is going to roll over for you.”

In the Trojans’ third, Gavin Anderson walked and stole second before Rece Card reached on an error that plated Anderson. After Rambacher drew a walk, Stump hit an RBI single to right field. A pair of bases-loaded walks made it 7-0 in the fourth.

Southwestern first baseman Alex Watkins stretches to force out Salamanca's Brendon Ghani during Sunday's Section VI Class B prequarterfinal at Packard Field in Lakewood. P-J photo by Matt Spielman

That turned out to be enough run support for Charles. Salamanca ran itself out of the fifth inning when a runner was caught attempting to steal home. In the sixth, the Warriors loaded the bases with no outs and made it 7-2 on Madden Wolfe’s RBI fielder’s choice, but Charles induced a pair of grounders to get out of the inning without further damage.

“That was a pivotal point,” Brown said. “I think had things gone a little differently and Salamanca put the ball in play, that probably would’ve been it for him.”

After Andrew McCormick walked to open the top of the seventh inning, Charles finished the win with a pair of strikeouts and a flyout.

“I think he bore down. He knew in that last inning we were going to give him one or two batters,” Brown said. “He kept his pitch count down low enough to finish it off.”

Now Southwestern will host No. 6 Springville in a 5 p.m. quarterfinal Tuesday back at Packard Field. The Griffins beat No. 11 Eden 6-3 in another Sunday prequarterfinal.

Salamanca second baseman Andrew McCormick fields a groundball during Sunday's Section VI Class B prequarterfinal against Southwestern at Packard Field in Lakewood. P-J photo by Matt Spielman

“We have to have better at-bats,” said Brown, whose Trojans had just three hits in the game. “We have to have better composure at the plate.”