CHARMCO (WVDN) – Greenbrier West head coach Matt McClung has reminded his team that baseball can humble you quicker than any sport. Just when you think you have it figured out, your fortunes can change with the swing of a bat.
After a 2-0 start that saw the Cavaliers win by ten-running both opponents, you’d have to excuse the West ballclub for feeling confident. If only they hadn’t been warned.
The Cavaliers dropped a 3-2 decision to sectional foe Midland trail on Tuesday evening. It was the first loss of the season for the Cavaliers and their fifth consecutive loss to the Patriots. Greenbrier West last defeated Midland Trail on April 30, 2019. With no season in 2020 due to COVID-19, it has been almost three seasons since West has tasted victory against the Patriots. If Tuesday’s game was any indicator, the 2022 meetings will be nailbiters.
Junior Larry Bigham took the mound for the Patriots and quickly worked his way through the top of the Cavalier’s order. Leadoff hitter Josh Jones struck out on the first three pitches he saw, Braydon McClung grounded out to shortstop Aaron Dempsey, Ethan Holliday reached on error, and Chase McClung flied out to right field.
The Cavaliers were not as fortunate. Cody Harrell doubled from the leadoff spot. Shortstop Aaron Dempsey punched an RBI single to leftfield and Trail led 1-0. West pitcher Dale Boone settled in and struck out the next two Patriots. Dempsey tried to steal third with two outs, but Holliday threw him out by a step to end the inning.
Bigham picked up where he left off in the first inning by mowing through the Cavalier order for two more innings. The only West baserunners would be Tucker Gibson who drew a second inning walk and Chase McClung who singled up the middle in the third.
Midland Trail got the break they needed when Gideon Bragg was hit by pitch to lead off the bottom of the third inning. Dempsey executed a sacrifice bunt to move Bragg to second and Harrell singled to short moving Bragg to third. Dempsey launched a two RBI double to left field put the Patriots ahead 3-0. Boone got out of the inning by forcing two groundball outs, but the damage had been done.
It looked as if the Cavaliers would dent the Patriot lead in the top of the fourth inning when Chase McClung jumped on Bigham’s first pitch and towered a fly ball to the left field corner, but the damage would not come that quickly. The ball sailed into foul territory, landing in the adjacent softball field backstop. Bigham shrugged the foul ball off and worked a three-pitch strikeout of McClung. Desperately needing some run support, Boone took matters into his own hands. Boone teed-off on an 0-2 fastball that sailed into the woods over the left field fence.
It was a short-lived shot in the arm to the Cavalier offense. West could not capitalize any further as Cole Vandall struck out, Gibson singled up the middle, and Colton Hamrick struck out to end the inning.
Boone and Bigham battled each other in a classic pitcher’s duel into the top of the sixth inning. The Cavaliers had their four, five, and six batters in the lineup coming to the plate. Chase McClung grounded out to short. Boone held back just enough on a changeup to knock a single into shallow left field, then advanced to second on a passed ball with Vandall at the plate. Vandall took Bigham to a full count before succumbing to the strikeout. Gibson stepped into the box with two outs and promptly fell into an 0-2 count. Gibson would battle Bigham with a couple of foul balls to keep the at-bat alive before finding a pitch he liked. Gibson singled up the right field line to score Boone and draw the Cavaliers within one. Trying to keep the offense alive, Matt McClung elected to use a pinch-hitter in the eight spot, tapping senior Chase Franklin for the job. He also inserted sophomore Hayden Ridgeway to run for Gibson. Franklin took Bigham to a 2-2 count but went down looking at strike three, ending the Cavalier rally.
Boone had his best inning of the evening in the bottom of the sixth, setting the Patriots down in order. The Cavaliers would have a shot to tie in the top of the seventh, down by one run.
David Lester led off with a sharp liner that Dempsey snagged for out number one. Back to the top of the order, the Cavaliers leadoff batter Jones tried to bunt for a base hit. The ball squibbed its way back to Bigham who threw Jones out in a bang-bang play at first. Braydon McClung kept the West hopes alive with a ground ball to centerfield, sending Holliday to the plate. Bigham, however, would finish his evening the same way it started, setting down a West batter on three pitches.
Greenbrier West, 2-1, travels to Richwood on Wednesday. First-pitch is set for 5:30 at Pratt Park.
GW: 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 – 2 6 0
MT: 1 0 2 0 0 0 X – 3 4 1
Pitchers and catchers – GW: Dale Boone-Ethan Holliday; MT: Larry Bigham-Cody Harrell WP: Bigham; LP: Boone
Hitting – GW: Dale Boone 2-3 (HR), Braydon McClung 2-4, Tucker Gibson 2-2 (RBI); MT: Aaron Dempsey 2-3, 2B (3 RBI), Cody Harrell 2-3 (2B).
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