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SPORTS
Nitro comes back, beats Hurricane
Nitro's Tyler Godby is greeted by teammates after scoring a run during the baseball Region IV final against Hurricane on Wednesday, May 27, 2009, at Nitro High School.
Purchase this photoSISSONVILLE, W.Va. -- At first, Nitro's Andrew Pickering didn't know the outcome of the ground ball he hit to Hurricane second baseman Noah Blackhurst.
After Pickering crossed the first base bag, he quickly turned to his left and saw his teammates jumping up and down and heading in his direction to celebrate.
That meant Tyler Godbey had beaten Blackhurst's throw home on Pickering's high hopper. Blackhurst was playing up as the Redskins had pulled the infield in trying to cut off the winning run from scoring. Godbey's slide home safely capped a comeback and five-run deficit as the Wildcats came to bat in the bottom of the fifth inning to score a 9-8 victory Friday in the completion of the Class AAA, Region 4 baseball title game at Sissonville High School.
"I didn't see what happened," a smiling Pickering said as he watched Nitro fans and teammates whoop it up at home plate and along the first base line. "I was going on what I could hear. It sure sounded nice."
The victory sends the Wildcats (28-4) back to Charleston next week to defend the Class AAA title in the state tournament at Appalachian Power Park.
Hurricane (27-8) opened a 5-2 lead on Nitro after one inning Tuesday in the title game that started at Brandon Matthew Sneed Field in Nitro. Rain halted play and the Redskins had the bases loaded at the time.
Attempts to continue Wednesday and Thursday were rained out and the game resumed Friday at Sissonville, where the field has artificial turf in the infield.
Hurricane stretched the lead to 8-3 going into the bottom of the fifth.
Nitro got a run back in the fifth inning on Pickering's home run to right center. It was the second of two homers allowed by Hurricane pitching ace Brett Barber. The first was by Matt Frazer in the third inning.
The Wildcats opened the sixth inning with five straight hits and finished with three runs to cut the deficit to 8-7 and finish Barber.
In the bottom of the seventh, Hurricane coach Brian Sutphin turned to right-hander and sidearmer James Eminger. J.R. Bradley, Nitro's top pitcher who came on in the sixth, started the rally with a single and Godbey followed with a line single to right. Frazer grounded to short, but Barber, who had moved back to shortstop, bobbled the ball and the Wildcats had the bases loaded. Andrew Frazier stepped in and was hit by Eminger on a 3-2 pitch and the run tied the game 8-8 and set the stage for Pickering.
"Our heads were down a little bit, but we pulled through," Pickering said. "We started hitting him (Barber). Sidearmers? I don't like them."
"We wanted to get his pitch count up," Wildcats coach Steve Pritchard said of Barber. "He battled and battled though. Give him credit for that. We showed the heart of a champion. The guys weren't willing to end the season and did what it took."
When Nitro loaded the bases in the seventh, Pritchard did start to feel a little better.
"The pressure's on them then," he said ."They don't have a strike out pitcher. They have to make plays."
Making plays is what the Wildcats did all season. A year ago, they outscored two opponents in the state tournament, 20-0.
"The pressure was on the kids after we won the state," Pritchard said. "Fans expect nothing less than perfection. The kids put pressure on themselves and there's outside pressure, but we've handled it so far."
Nitro will play the Region 1 champion in the second game Thursday. The opener matches Region 2 against Region 3 at 4:30 p.m.
Sutphin said he didn't hesitate going to Barber, who also had a four-hit game and drove in two runs, when play resumed.
"He wanted the ball. It was a no-brainer," he said. "He wanted to come out after the sixth. He said he was done. I thought he thew the ball well on short rest. We didn't give it to them. They earned it."
HURRICANE 150 020 0 -- 8 8 3
NITRO 201 013 2 -- 9 17 5
Blackhurst, Barber (2), Eminger (7) and Payne; Kemerer, Pickering (2), Bradley (6) and Frazier. W -- Bradley. L -- Eminger.
Hitting: (H) Barber 4-5, 2B, 2 RBI; Blackhurst 2 RBI; (N) Bradley 2-5, 2B; Godby 2-5, Frazer 3-5, 2B, HR, 2 RBI; Frazier 2-4, 2 RBI; Pickering 3-4, HR; Cloxton 2-4.
