by Stephen M. Lewis
DigitalSports Richmond
slewis@digitalsports.com
(804) 240-2191
Cosby has added more hardware to its lengthy collection in a short period of time, dispatching of Matoaca 8-7 in eight innings for the Central Region baseball crown Saturday afternoon at the steamy Diamond.
The Titans entered the semifinals with the most losses of any team left, mostly because of a blistering schedule, which did nothing but help Cosby to the crown.
“I thought that we played the best competition in the Central Region,” Cosby coach Tim Lowery said. “And I think that made us to the point where we are today. I think our kids learned, and we saw good pitching all the way through, so we were getting quality at-bats every day.”
Cosby threw up five runs in the first two innings at the plate, the latter an RBI double by Luke Lowery that scored who else but Mitchell Shifflett.
The Virginia-bound center fielder would have garnered tournament MVP honors if there was such an award, causing constant chaos with his lightning speed and he also brought a fiery bat the whole week.
“I just came out and tried to take it one at-bat at a time,” said Shifflett, who finished 4 for 5 with the game-winning hit. “When I get on base I just try to get a good read.”
Austin Kilbourne took it upon himself to awaken Matoaca’s bats.
He sent Travis McQueen‘s first pitch of the second inning over the left-field fence, the only homer in The Diamond in three region games.
Matoaca went on to put up three runs in the third, but still trailed 7-4 going into the final inning, and Cosby ace Danny Mooney entered to close things out.
“When you’ve got a guy like Mooney on the mound, and you get two outs on you, it’s always tough,” Matoaca coach Fred Stoots said. “My kids didn’t give up, they fought back and scored a couple of runs there.
“I was hoping we could get one more.”
Three was good enough to extend the game. Kilbourne doubled to center for two runs, and Forrest Lodge followed with an RBI single to tie the game.
It all set the table for Shifflett, who took Kilbourne to left to score Kyle McKay for the winner and more Cosby hardware.
The Titans have won girls basketball, girls soccer and now a baseball crown in the 2009-2010 school year.
“We set this goal earlier in the season, and we got here,” Shifflett said. “It feels good.”
Cosby 231 001 01 – 8 16 2
Matoaca 013 000 30 – 7 11 0
McQueen, Mooney (7) and Lowery; Brown, Ayers (3), Kilbourne (7) and Chamberlin.
Records: Cosby (19-6); Matoaca (16-5)
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