ELKINS- After finishing their game from the previous day literally 30 minutes prior, the Central Greenbrier 12U all-stars hit the field immediately after to battle tradition-rich Barboursville looking for more magic they had just experienced in their improbable win over Logan.
After getting down big and coming back to tie multiple times, GC eventually ran out of gas in a wild and crazy 17-15 finish.
The loss eliminated Central Greenbrier from the state tournament.
It was evident from the very beginning that the game was going to be a show for the ages. Barboursville opened the first inning with four hits and batted around en route to a five-run first and led 5-0 quickly.
Central answered with two runs of their own on back-to-back home runs from Hendo Bostic and Trenton Skaggs to lead off the bottom half. Central left two runners on when the inning finally ended at 5-2.
After four innings, Barboursville had increased their lead to 9-2 and it appeared they were well on their way down easy street for a lopsided victory.
But those fellas from Central Greenbrier never allowed it to happen.
Skaggs laced a 2-run double in the fifth and then Zander Rodoussakis knocked in two more runs via a single. That made the score 9-6 and they still weren’t finished. Rodoussakis would later score on an error and Graham McDaniel’s RBI base hit brought CG all the way back as they trailed just 9-8 after five frames.
But a 2-run single from Anderdingus D–who also scored on the next batter’s appearance after a CG error– put Barboursville up 12-8 going into Central’s final at-bat.
And Central Greenbrier’s patience paid off. Sandwiched around two outs, they drew four walks, the last one an RBI by Skaggs and the bases were all loaded up with Rodoussakis up to the plate. After looking at a first pitch strike, Rodoussaki drilled the second offering to center and cleared the pond with a 3-run double and tied the game at 12-all in the process.
So, that forced the contest into extra innings, and the seventh inning was just as exciting as the sixth.
Barboursville jumped back in front on two scores on a passed ball and a wild pitch and then put one on the board due to an error. At that point, it seemed like the wind had been knocked from CG’s sails as Barboursville led 15-12 headed to the final frame.
But wouldn’t you know it, Central Greenbrier refused to go home.
Dawson Holliday brought them closer with an RBI single and then with two outs and hope fading, Spencer Holliday drew a bases loaded walk that made it 15-14. Bostic then singled home Da. Holliday on the subsequent at-bat and the game got tied up yet again, this time at 15-all.
However, that’s where the heroics ended.
After picking up two key runs in the eighth, Barboursville had a relatively drama free bottom half and secured the victory.
Bostic 2-2, 3 runs, 2 RBIs), Skaggs 2-4, 3 runs, 4 RBIs), and Rodoussakis (2-2, run, 5 RBIs) led CG at the plate. McDaniel also got two hits, scored a run, and drove one in.
Congrats on a great all-star year. The team finished 8-2.
