Chris Martin has been around the Prospect League block a few times.

“I'm the old man of the league,” the Quincy manager said, smiling.

Martin has been at the helm of the Gems for seven seasons and 10 total as a coach and a player dating back to the club's time in the Central Illinois Collegiate League.

He has never seen such dominant pitching as he has this summer.

Martin got a first-hand look at most of those shut-down arms as the manager of the West Division in the Prospect League All-Star Game that was won by the East Division 2-1 at Pullman Park Wednesday night.

The only thing that was hotter than the temperature on a steamy night in Western Pennsylvania was the pitchers.

“The pitching in the league in general since I've been involved, which has been a long time, continues to get better year after year,” Martin said.

The East made a pair of runs in the first inning stick. The inning was keyed by two Butler players, Ryan Fitzgerald and Matt Peters.

Fitzgerald singled and scored and Peters also roped a single. That set up a RBI fielder's choice groundout by Slippery Rock first baseman Matthew Calhoun and a run-scoring double by Chillicothe designated hitter Dan Zuchowski, who was named the game's MVP.

“It feels great,” said the native of Hamtramck, Mich., and sophomore at the University of Toledo. “I played in the All-Star Game last year, but didn't quite get the MVP. I came back this year, still playing for Chillicothe, and I was just going up there looking for something good to hit. I ended up driving one in the gap.”

Both runs were charged to Troy Conyers, a left-handed pitcher for Danville.

The East didn't get another hit off a parade of West pitchers after the second inning.

The West could do little at the plate against the arms the East trotted out to the hill.

West Virginia pitcher Jaesung Hwang started for the East and wasted little time to retiring the side in order in his one inning of work.

Hwang, a native of Cumming, Ga., leads the Prospect League with an 0.39 ERA in 46 innings.

“That's typical of Jaesung,” said Butler and East manager Anthony Rebyanski. “We've seen it from him all year.”

The West managed just three hits against 10 East pitchers.

Andrew Marra of Chillicothe got the save, striking out one batter in the ninth.

Butler pitcher Adam Aldred had perhaps the shortest outing in Prospect League All-Star Game history.

The left-hander, who started for the BlueSox on Monday, relieved Slippery Rock pitcher Zach Streaker with two outs in the top of the fifth inning and needed just one pitch to get Ryan Light of Quincy to pop out to first to end the frame.

“I had 10 arms and only nine innings, so someone was going to have to go short,” Rebyanski said. “The amusing part of the night was (Aldred) threw one pitch and got one out. That was good for us from a health standpoint.”

Both teams used all 30 of their players. Despite not needing its at-bat in the bottom of the ninth, the East took it so both teams could empty their benches.

It was the first All-Star Game win for the East in five tries. The West was 3-0-1 in the last four years with the tie occurring in 2010.

With the win, an East team gets the home field advantage in the championship series.

Rebyanski, who has served as the BlueSox manager for three seasons, was at the helm of the East in last season's All-Star Game.

“One thing sums it up: travel,” Rebyanski said. “Last year we had to travel to Springfield (Illinois) and it was a 12-hour drive. This year, getting the chance to do it here and in front of our home crowd, it was a pleasure. Our fans here are very supportive, not only of the BlueSox, but of all the teams that were here. It was fantastic. I think all the guys here had a great time.”

Notes: Calhoun won the home run derby, outlasting Thomas Richards of Quincy. Richards hit nine home runs in the first round. Calhoun needed just three in the finals, though, to best him. ... Butler center fielder Taylor Schmidt, who leads the league in stolen bases with 27, swiped second after drawing a walk in the first inning. ... There were 20 pitchers used in the game, 15 of them entered the All-Star Break with an ERA under 2.

West 000 100 000 — 1 3 0

East 200 000 000 — 2 4 1

East batted in bottom of ninth

W: Jaesung Hwang 1IP (0K, 0BB). L: Troy Conyers 1IP (0K, 1BB). SV: Andrew Marra 1IP (1K, 0BB)

West: Kyle Kempf 3B R, Chet Simoneaux 1B, Tyler Wampler RBI, Casey Fletcher 1B

East: Ryan Fitzgerald 1B R, Matt Peters 1B, Matthew Calhoun RBI, Dan Zuchowski 2B RBI, Kaeo Aliviado 1B