West Outlasts East 7-6 In Baseball

by Stephen M. Lewis
DigitalSports Richmond
slewis@digitalsports.com

NEWPORT NEWS - Young and old can sometimes forget what it takes to even be invited to an all-star game.

Not Justin Bagbey. The Halifax star remembers how about 10 years back how he got his start in baseball. So his West MVP award in the VHSCA all-star baseball game, a 7-6 win for his team, was extra special.

"For me, it feels really good," said Bagbey, who delivered five RBI on the steamy Thursday afternoon, "because my dad's worked with me since I was eight years old."

His dad is Perry Bagbey, and was Justin's coach through Dixie Youth and Babe Ruth ball before Justin got to high school.

By ninth grade Dad was still by his side, having batting practice with his large, powerful hitting son every weekend.

And Thursday at Christopher Newport University, you could tell the practice has paid off.

Bagbey drilled an RBI double in the top of the fourth inning to give the West a 2-0 lead.

The East responded with a four-run fourth of their own, paced by Douglas Freeman's Dustin Galbraith.

He launched a two-run home run after Powhatan's Paul Nice and Will Lamb provided RBIs of their own.

A half-inning later, Bagbey was up again to do damage, this time with the bases loaded.

He drilled a bases-clearing double, leading the West to a four-run fifth and a 6-4 advantage.

"I went up to the plate my first appearance and I was pretty nervous," Bagbey said. "After that, I started to see the ball really well."

The East answered in the bottom of the fifth, scoring on a double steal to shave the West's advantage to one.

Bagbey pushed it back up to two in the top of the seventh inning, knocking in Hidden Valley's Zack Helgeson, who doubled right before Bagbey came up.

That's all the West would need as Richlands Jordan Barnett came in for a six-out save. He had some trouble in the bottom of the ninth as Hampton's Sean Fields delivered an RBI double.

But what looked like a sure East hit was gobbled up in left-center field, making another out at second as Fields was running for home.

"I just wanted to throw some strikes," Barnett said. "Anytime you're facing Division I batters you want to throw some strikes and changes your spots to keep them off-balance."

That's what East MVP Ben Tomchick of Princess Anne did. He struck out four batters in the game's first two innings to earn the honor.

"It's sweet," said Tomchick, who is headed to Old Dominion. "No way I expected to do this."

West 000 240 100 - 7 8 2
East  000 410 001 - 6 8 4