SPRING VALLEY ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” Spring ValleyÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s Garrett Wagoner threw six innings before Jonah Harrold came in to close out a combined shutout of Hurricane on Tuesday at Spring Valley High School, 5-0, in the Class AAAA Region 4 finals.
The series is now tied 1-1, with the rubber match scheduled back in Hurricane on Wednesday.
The Timberwolves scored five runs on six hits while holding the Redskins to just four hits. Harrold entered in the seventh and finished the game with a strikeout after Wagoner reached his pitch count in the sixth.
Hurricane left eight runners on. Wagoner struck out nine batters and walked two, allowing two hits.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWe came out and got on top early, and that was huge for momentum,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Spring Valley coach Austin Pratt said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWe knew that if we could get a few runs with Garrett on the mound that we probably had a good chance to win. IÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™m glad we continued to roll and play a pretty complete baseball game ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥“ just two baserunning mistakes. We played a really good game.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
HurricaneÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s Ryan Bowman pitched a complete game in 92 pitches. Hurricane saw hits from Tyler Baxter, Aiden Ocheltree, Braylan Hutchison and Wesley Sutton.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œTheir kid threw a great game,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Hurricane coach Brian Sutphin said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWe know that their team is going to fight. Anything worth having isnÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t going to come easy. ThatÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s what we play for, though. Tomorrow, we get an opportunity, and thatÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s all you can ask for ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥“ a chance. What you do with it is up to you.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
After Wagoner struck out his first batter to close the top of the first, he supplied a double in the home half. Luke Van Arsdale followed with a single to score him before Parker Phillips singled to put two on for the Wolves.
From there, Harrold singled on a liner to center field that scored Van Arsdale. Trying to take the final bag, Phillips was thrown out at third on the play. Spring Valley led 2-0 after one.
Both teams fielded cleanly despite rainy conditions that slowed baseballs to a slog in the infield. The game, initially scheduled for 6 p.m., was pushed back an hour and managed to dodge heavy rain for the rest of the night. Spring ValleyÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s coaching staff dumped a bucket of dirt onto the mound between innings to slow down the mudding.
The grass grabbed a ball from the Skins in the third. On a grounder to shortstop, a Hurricane error gave the Timberwolves another run, leading 3-0 after three.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWe didnÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t play well,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Sutphin said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œBut a lot of that credit goes to them. I thought that Wagoner was really good. We were having a hard time stringing things together. ThatÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s baseball. Sometimes, things donÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t go your way. You get up and fight and just hope you get another chance. Fortunately, we will have that.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
Spring Valley swings a sledgehammer in the on-deck circle, and it gave Cole Ferguson some pop in the fourth. He ripped a homer so well to left field that he took just four steps, watched it fly and flipped his bat in the air. It was to the amusement and horror of fans, depending on what color shirt they were wearing, and Spring Valley took its final 5-0 lead.
It was part of three consecutive innings of production for the Wolves that put the game out of reach. Meanwhile, Wagoner worked out of multiple jams with two outs. In the sixth, on his final pitch of the night, he struck out his final batter before turning to the Hurricane dugout in celebration.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWe wanted Garrett to go the distance, but Jonah came in,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Pratt said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œHeÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s been pitching well as of late. HeÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s a dog. I knew he could close it for us. We had a five-run cushion, so I knew he would go out there and compete.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
Hurricane gave its best in the seventh. Hutchison singled on a grounder to second base before Sutton followed. A walk of Bryson Shirkey brought up Baxter with two outs, but Harrold pulled the string for the WolvesÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ 10th strikeout and the win.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWe want to come in with the same energy,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Pratt said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œYesterday, we started slow. Today, we were the aggressor. We worked hard on the field itself to get this game in, so thank goodness we did. Now, weÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™re going back to their place for Game 3. ItÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s where we wanted to be.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWe knew with (Hurricane pitcher and WVU commit Weston) Smith on the mound in Game 1 that it was going to be tough to win, so the plan worked out with Garrett in Game 2. Now, itÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s even, so weÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ll see what happens.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
Said Sutphin: ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œIf youÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™re competing, throwing strikes and making plays with good at-bats, then thereÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s no secret ingredient. May the best team compete and come out.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
HURRICANE 000 000 0 -- 0 4 1
SPRING VALLEY 201 110 X -- 5 6 0
Bowman and Dempsey; Wagoner, Harrold (7) and Harrold, Perdue (7).
Hitting leaders: (Hurricane) Baxter 1-3, Ocheltree 1-3 SB, Hutchison 1-2, Sutton 1-2; (Spring Valley) Wagoner 2-2 2B, Van Arsdale 1-2 2 RBI, Harrold 1-3 RBI, Ferguson 1-3 HR RBI.
