Friday, May 22, 2009
Woods, Austin deliver for Radford and Glenvar in Three Rivers District baseball semis
The Highlanders improve to 16-1, while the Bobcats claim a Region C berth.
JUSTIN COOK The Roanoke Times
Glenvar's Anthony Ratliff is congratulated at the plate by Jonathan McGhee after scoring as Giles catcher Michael Atkins reacts.
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PULASKI -- The ice machine might have been working overtime at Calfee Park on Thursday night after four pitchers combined to throw almost 500 pitches.
Glenvar and Radford survived semifinal games to advance in the Three Rivers District baseball tournament.
In the first game, top-seeded Glenvar (16-1) used a five-run third inning to build a 5-1 lead before holding off Giles 7-4 behind the pitching of Eric Austin.
In the nightcap, Radford's James Woods outdueled Auburn's Nathan Vaughn to put the Bobcats into the Region C tournament with a 3-2 victory.
"There were gutsy performances from all the pitchers here tonight," Bobcats coach Darden Freeman said. "I told our kids they won despite some bonehead coaching. They battled and hung with it and I'm proud of them."
Woods went the distance for the Bobcats, tossing 143 pitches while limiting Radford to three hits, all from Auburn leadoff hitter Michael Spencer. He struck out 12.
Vaughn hurled 128 pitches over six innings before giving way to a reliever in the seventh. Vaughn struck out 11 while allowing no earned runs in his no-decision.
"The arms will recover," Eagles coach Skip Thompson said. "While Eric and James will feel like they could go another seven, Nathan's not going to feel like that because his team didn't win.
"We have shown a lot of heart all season and it is tough to see us bounce back this year and have a magical season like we have and then have it end so suddenly."
Auburn (13-6) took the lead with single runs in the first and third as Spencer and Dalton Altizer scored on wild pitches.
Radford (10-8) rallied in the fifth inning as two errors led to two unearned runs when Tyler Hoy rapped a double down the left-field line with the bases loaded to tie the game.
The Bobcats took the lead in the top of the seventh off relief pitcher Jacob Underwood. A leadoff triple by Brian Sowers put Radford in business. After a strikeout and a pop out, a wild pitch brought home the Bobcat center fielder with the go-ahead run.
Spencer got to third with no outs in the bottom half of the seventh thanks to a single, stolen base and throwing error. But two strikeouts and a fielder's choice got Woods out of the jam and the Bobcats into the regional.
Giles (9-10) took the lead in the opener with an unearned run in the first before the Highlanders got to Spartans starter Caleb Tilley in the third.
With one out in the inning, six straight Glenvar batters reached base, including five straight on hits, to plate all five runs in the inning.
Austin and Todd Dunbar had RBI doubles in the uprising as the regular-season champion Highlanders grabbed the lead for good.
That would be all that Austin needed. He struck out 14 in his 129-pitch complete game.
"He is our ace and has only given up one run all year until today," Glenvar coach Billy Wells said. "He wants to ball and wants to win and even though he didn't have his best game today, he battled threw and got the W."
Giles pitcher Caleb Tilley took the loss. Tilley hurled 91 pitches in his four innings of work.
His Spartans did try to battle in the sixth as five hits in the inning led to three runs.
Wes Conley had the big hit of the inning, an RBI double that plated Michael Atkins, who had doubled as well.
"They are a good team," Giles manger Bruce Frazier said of Glenvar. "I'm proud of the way we battled today."
Radford and Glenvar will meet in the championship game at Calfee Park at 4:30 p.m. today.
Giles 100 003 0 --4 10 0
Glenvar 005 101 x-- 7 11 1
Tilley, Thorne (5) and Atkins; Austin and Strickland. W-- Austin L--Tilley.
Radford 000 020 1--3 5 1
Auburn 101 000 0--2 3 4
Woods and Earles; Vaughn, Underwood (7) and Duncan. W-- Woods L-- Underwood.
