News 2A State Baseball Tournament

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Friday June 10th at Kiwanis Park

Grayson County vs Maggie Walker 10am

Goochland vs Virginia High 1PM

http://www.vhsl.org/doc/upload/base-2016-2A-bracket2.pdf

 

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Maggie Walker baseball headed to 2A state championship game for first time in school history

SALEM – One batter into the top of the sixth inning, both Maggie Walker and Grayson County had as many errors as they did hits – four.

The difference, however, was Maggie Walker didn’t let its own mistakes fester. Oh, and it had Matthew Pinson on the mound.

The Green Dragons right-hander kept Grayson County off balance through six innings and off the scoreboard for five, leading Maggie Walker to its first state championship game in program history with a 2-1 win in the 2A semifinal Friday at Kiwanis Field.

“Too many mistakes,” Maggie Walker head coach Meade Langhorne said. “But that horse on the mound kept us in the ballgame.”

Pinson gave up just four hits over six innings and struck out seven. Grayson County’s lone run came in the top of the sixth on a sacrifice fly that was set up by the fourth-and-final error by the Green Dragon defense.

But Maggie Walker (13-8) was able to get the outs when it mattered, stranding seven Grayson County runners throughout the game and clinching a berth in the state title game Saturday at 1 p.m. at Radford University against Goochland.

“We were pretty disappointed last year losing in the semifinals (to Virginia High), so it’s really nice to get this win and make the finals this year,” Pinson said.

With a veteran team – MWGS only graduated two seniors from last year’s squad – the Green Dragons have played a grueling regular-season schedule against mostly 5A teams.

That’s helped in the 2A playoffs, Langhorne said, as Maggie Walker is now on a six-game winning streak.

“The pitching is a big difference,” he said. “We see good pitching all the time.”

But now it’s about hitting, Langhorne continued.

Maggie Walker had just four hits Friday, scoring two runs on one of those hits in the bottom of the first, only after it capitalized on a Grayson County error.

“Getting those two runs (helped) – the last two games we’ve done that early,” Langhorne said. “Then, you know, we sort of stopped hitting. It’s worked for us the last three games. But we’ve got to get our sticks going (in the state championship game).”

Forrest Smith had two of Maggie Walker’s four hits, including a two-run double in the first, which scored Benjamin McGuigan and Frankie Celentano, who also had a huge play in the field, throwing out a Grayson County baserunner at the plate from left field to end the top of the first inning.

Maggie Walker 2, Grayson County 1

GC 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 - 1 4 4

MW 2 0 0 0 0 0 x - 2 4 4

Lundy (6); Pinson (6), Celentano

WP - Pinson

LP - Lundy

Records: Grayson County 18-4 ; Maggie Walker, 13-8

 

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Maggie Walker baseball wins first state championship

RADFORD — Starting pitcher Frankie Celentano of Maggie Walker said he worked a new pitch into his arsenal for the first time at the Group 2A state championship game against Goochland on Saturday.

The pitch was a cutter, and even Celentano was surprised by its effectiveness.

“It did better than I expected,” he said. “That definitely helped to get (Goochland) to swing at a few.”

The cutter, in addition to a three-run fifth inning for the Green Dragons, led Maggie Walker to a 3-1 state-title win over the Bulldogs at Radford University.

It’s the first state baseball championship for Maggie Walker.

Goochland jumped on Celentano early, getting two hits in the first inning and then two more in the second, including Reid Chenault’s double. Chenault eventually scored on a Coleman Duty sacrifice fly to get the Bulldogs on the board 1-0.

But at that point, Celentano found his groove and didn’t allow Goochland to string hits together. The Bulldogs were hitting the ball squarely, but the Green Dragons’ defense was right there for quick putouts.

“I thought we could have hit way better than we did,” said Goochland coach Wes Farkas. “I thought we hit it hard most of the time. Credit to (Celentano), he mixed it up well.”

While Maggie Walker did commit three errors, that was an improvement from the four errors it made in the state semifinals against Grayson County.

“The guys did a really good job,” Celentano said. “They definitely won the game for me.”

Goochland starter Tanner Bradshaw had allowed just two hits through the first four innings and his defense was making plays behind him. Third baseman John King made a diving play at third to get a runner, and second baseman Andrew Harcum snagged a line drive that would have driven in a run had it fallen.

In the fifth inning, the Green Dragons finally got to Bradshaw.

James Wyatt led off with a single, followed by another single from Matthew Haines and another by Henry Haas to load the bases.

Nathan Berry grounded into a fielder’s choice at second, scoring Wyatt to tie the game 1-1.

Bradshaw struck out Tommy Snead to get a big second out, and Farkas turned to reliever Nic Norman.

Cole Ragone was up next, and broke open the game for the Green Dragons, hitting a single to center, scoring Haas and Haines to make it 3-1.

That fit right into Maggie Walker coach Meade Langhorne’s plan.

“We had said that if Frankie is on the mound in the fifth inning, we just need a couple runs and we’ll win the game,” Langhorne said. “We needed two and we got three.”

Goochland tried to counter in the bottom of the sixth, when Chenault reached third on an error in right field, but a fly out to center ended that threat.

Celentano issued a one-out walk to Jeb Anderson in the bottom of the seventh, but he got Noah Doczi and Norman with fly balls to end the game and clinch the title for the Green Dragons.

“We never gave up,” Langhorne said. “We played an excellent team and knew it was going to be a battle. It’s great for our program (to win the state title.)”

Goochland 010 000 0 — 1 4 1

MWGS 000 030 x — 3 6 3

Bradshaw, Norman (5) and Roberts. Celentano and Smith.

Records: Goochland 21-5; Maggie Walker 14-8

 

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Maggie Walker baseball headed to 2A state championship game for first time in school history

SALEM – One batter into the top of the sixth inning, both Maggie Walker and Grayson County had as many errors as they did hits – four.

The difference, however, was Maggie Walker didn’t let its own mistakes fester. Oh, and it had Matthew Pinson on the mound.

The Green Dragons right-hander kept Grayson County off balance through six innings and off the scoreboard for five, leading Maggie Walker to its first state championship game in program history with a 2-1 win in the 2A semifinal Friday at Kiwanis Field.

“Too many mistakes,” Maggie Walker head coach Meade Langhorne said. “But that horse on the mound kept us in the ballgame.”

Pinson gave up just four hits over six innings and struck out seven. Grayson County’s lone run came in the top of the sixth on a sacrifice fly that was set up by the fourth-and-final error by the Green Dragon defense.

But Maggie Walker (13-8) was able to get the outs when it mattered, stranding seven Grayson County runners throughout the game and clinching a berth in the state title game Saturday at 1 p.m. at Radford University against Goochland.

“We were pretty disappointed last year losing in the semifinals (to Virginia High), so it’s really nice to get this win and make the finals this year,” Pinson said.

With a veteran team – MWGS only graduated two seniors from last year’s squad – the Green Dragons have played a grueling regular-season schedule against mostly 5A teams.

That’s helped in the 2A playoffs, Langhorne said, as Maggie Walker is now on a six-game winning streak.

“The pitching is a big difference,” he said. “We see good pitching all the time.”

But now it’s about hitting, Langhorne continued.

Maggie Walker had just four hits Friday, scoring two runs on one of those hits in the bottom of the first, only after it capitalized on a Grayson County error.

“Getting those two runs (helped) – the last two games we’ve done that early,” Langhorne said. “Then, you know, we sort of stopped hitting. It’s worked for us the last three games. But we’ve got to get our sticks going (in the state championship game).”

Forrest Smith had two of Maggie Walker’s four hits, including a two-run double in the first, which scored Benjamin McGuigan and Frankie Celentano, who also had a huge play in the field, throwing out a Grayson County baserunner at the plate from left field to end the top of the first inning.

Maggie Walker 2, Grayson County 1

GC 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 - 1 4 4

MW 2 0 0 0 0 0 x - 2 4 4

Lundy (6); Pinson (6), Celentano

WP - Pinson

LP - Lundy

Records: Grayson County 18-4 ; Maggie Walker, 13-8

Goochland baseball opens it up against Virginia High, clinches berth in 2A championship game

SALEM – Goochland had been searching all game for a big inning against Virginia High starter Brayden Rawson. The Bulldogs finally found it in the top of the sixth of the 2A state semifinal game.

Goochland scored nine runs on seven hits in the frame, rolling to an 11-4 win over the defending state champion Bearcats on Friday afternoon at Kiwanis Field.

Goochland will now face Maggie Walker in the 2A state title game at 1 p.m. Saturday at Radford University. Maggie Walker beat Goochland in the regional final just a week ago. Goochland won the first game against the Green Dragons earlier in the season.

Saturday will be the rubber match.

“(It’s a) team we’re familiar with,” Goochland coach Wes Farkas said of Maggie Walker. “It should be a battle. We know what to expect from them.”

Maggie Walker beat Grayson County 2-1 in Friday’s first 2A semifinal.

Goochland entered the game-changing sixth inning Friday down 3-2 to Virginia High and side-armer Rawson, and looking as though it was on the ropes.

Looks can be deceiving.

Goochland loaded the bases with its first three batters, then scored two runs to take a 4-2 lead before Virginia High could even record an out. The Bulldogs scored four more runs before the second out.

Scott Carter scored twice and had a hit in the inning for Goochland, while John King and Coleman Duty each had two RBIs and scored runs.

“It was just kind of a matter of time before we got on (Rawson),” Farkas said. “I felt we were hitting him well all (game) and we finally got on him that one inning. It was a good effort by our guys.

“It’s contagious. You string your hits together and one hit after another, and our guys fed off each other.”

This will be the first time since 2006 that Goochland will play for a state title, Farkas said.

“This is the first time in a while we’ve made it to the championship game,” he said. “It’s great for these guys. We got 10 seniors, so this is a seasoned team.

“It feels real good right now.”

Goochland 11, Virginia 4

Goochland 1 1 0 0 0 9 0 – 11 12 2

Virginia High 0 0 2 0 1 1 0 - 4 6 4

Duty (5), Mayosky (1), Norman (1); Rawson (5), Griffin, Sizemore.

WP: Duty

LP: Rawson

Records: Goochland 21-4; Virginia High 19-9