Cosby Keeps It Going

by Seneca Contomanolis
DigitalSports Richmond

Cosby made James River pay for their mistakes.

Timely hitting by the Titans and numerous errors by the Rapids led to a 12-2 Cosby victory in a crucial Dominion District showdown on Tuesday.

"They are absolutely a good team," said Cosby coach Tim Lowery of James River. "We took advantage of opportunities and good teams have to score when they can."

James River compiled seven errors, a few coming on bad hops in the infield, but the Titans also finished with 13 hits.

Cosby starting pitcher Ronnie Shaban went 6 1/3 innings allowing only two runs on eight hits as the Titans, ranked first in the DigitalSports Top 10, won their 13th straight game.

"I just knew I had to hit my spots and work my pitches because they're a good team," Ronnie Shaban said. "They can hit the ball so I just had to come out and hit the spots."

Sophomore Mitchell Shifflett led the Titans' offensive attack against No. 2 James River going 3 for 4 with two RBI, two runs and a double. He also made a tremendous catch at the fence in left field to save two runs in the fifth inning.

Cosby started the scoring with three runs off James River starter Austin Stadler in the second inning.

Three singles in a row by seniors Jake Lowery, Ryan Parker and Greg Moon loaded the bases for Shifflett.

The Titans then performed a squeeze bunt scoring Lowery and when Stadler fielded the ball to throw to first base no one covered allowing Shifflett to reach safely.

An error and a sac fly by junior Bradley Shaban (2 for 4, RBI, run) would plate two more runs in the inning.

The Rapids got a run back in the third inning on an Austin McGowan RBI single.

A James River throwing error scored a run in the fifth and Jake Lowery (2 for 3, RBI, two runs) followed that with a sac fly.

Another error led to a run for Cosby in the sixth.

"Honestly we didn't field the ball well," James River coach Pete Schumacher said. " When you play against a good team you have to do the little things right. They put the ball in play and that is what good teams do."

Cosby blew it open in the seventh inning with six runs on five hits.

Tadd Bower led off with a single, Jake Lowery followed with a single and then Parker (2 for 4, RBI, two runs) hit an RBI single.

After Michael Granger relieved Stadler, Moon put down a sac bunt that James River catcher Jack Cleary fielded and over threw first to allow a run to score. Josh Wilburn then doubled in two runs, Shifflett doubled in a run and the final score was pushed across on a bases loaded walk to Bower.

Ronnie Shaban only struck out two but did not walk any batters. He also went 2 for 4 at the plate.

"I thought he did a good job," Tim Lowery said. "It's been a while since he has pitched and I thought he did well. We had him on a pitch count."

Stadler, a senior, finished with six strike outs, McGowan was 2 for 4 with an RBI and Ian Harvey was 2 for 3 for the Rapids.

Cosby            030 021 6 - 12 13 1
James River  001 001 0 -   2  8  7
R. Shaban, Ackerman (7) and Lowery; Stadler, Granger (7), Jaszewski (7) and Cleary. W: R. Shaban. L: Stadler.
Records: Cosby (8-0 Dominion, 13-1); James River (6-3, 10-5)