Oakwood grabs Golden Leaf Invitational crown from Southern Nash with four runs in last two innings
By Jimmy Lewis Staff Writer WILSON DAILY TIMES
When Southern Nash High first baseman Leroy Edwards snared a scalding line drive off the bat of Oakwood’s Austin Goins in the seventh inning of Tuesday’s Golden Leaf Invitational game on Hunt’s Sid Boyette Field, it appeared as if the Firebirds were destined to hoist the tournament trophy in the second season of a remarkable turnaround under head coach Todd Brewer.
Bases empty, two outs. The Firebirds owned a one-run advantage with sophomore right-hander Trevor Mills still having credible command of his pitches.
Precious out No. 21 never came.
With its back to the wall, Oakwood hitters became aggressive against Mills, taking healthy cuts early in the count. The result was four consecutive singles, the final blow coming off the bat of catcher Will Cooke to plate Jackson Carriere, sending Southern Nash to a 4-3 walk-off defeat.
Instead of Southern Nash (9-5) of the 3-A Big East Conference ingressing to Fleming Stadium for a trophy presentation, it was undefeated Oakwood (11-0) taking the celebratory trek by bus, winning the championship over fellow Golden Leaf unbeatens C.B. Aycock and Raleigh Cardinal Gibbons. Oakwood captured the first tiebreaker, which was combined opponents record. The Eagles’ foes tallied a 4-5 mark, compared to 3-6 for Gibbons and 2-7 for CBA.
"We knew what we had on the line,” Brewer lamented. "We knew we were an out away from winning the whole thing. You’ve got to credit Oakwood there. They hit the baseball. They put three, four hits together, whatever it was. That’s what you’ve got to do in that situation.”
Southern Nash wasn’t without its lapses, having a runner caught stealing in the second inning and another picked off in the third. Two sixth-inning blunders — a botched rundown that led to one run and a throwing error that allowed the tying run to score — allowed the Eagles to tie it up. However, the Firebirds scratched back against Oakwood ace Zarion Sharpe in relief in the seventh. Sophomore Colton Cruz led off against Eagles starter Charles Corey by working a walk, and with two strikes, Brewer kept the bunt on with No. 9 hitter and senior Matthew Taylor. The faith of the Southern skipper was rewarded, with Taylor sacrificing Cruz over.
With the top of the order up, Oakwood head coach Axel Smith opted to bring in his left-handed ace in Sharpe. Corey was done after 6 1/3 innings and six hits allowed. Up stepped freshman Jason Montague, who took a 1-2 offering from Sharpe back up the middle. Cruz scored, and Southern Nash had reclaimed the lead.
"He’s our ace, and we rolled the dice a little bit,” Smith said. "We told him he wasn’t going to pitch in this tournament, we were just going to let him get his pens in. They got the hit on him, and it can let the air out of our guys. But our guys came in. He was frustrated when he came in the dugout, and they went right straight to him and said, ‘We got you Z.’ And that’s what we look for as a team.
Indeed, with no more outs to play with, the bats sounded off in succession against Mils. Blake Owen, Sharpe and Carriere all provided singles, and Cooke’s walk-off hit to left field finished it.
Mills struck out five and walked one for Southern Nash, which was outhit 11-8. Montague and Mills each collected two hits, with Carriere leading Oakwood with three.
"We had some mental errors, especially there in the sixth that really allowed them to tie the ballgame back up,” Brewer reviewed. "That will be the stuff I think about until next Tuesday when we play again.”
Score by innings:
Southern Nash 000 200 1 — 3
Oakwood 000 002 2 — 4
WP-Zarion Sharpe 2/3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO LP-Trevor Mills 6 2/3 IP, 11 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO
LEADING HITTERS — Southern Nash: Jason Montague 2-4, 2B, RBI, Trevor Mills 2-4, R; Oakwood: Jackson Carriere 3-4, RBI, R, Austin Goins 2-4, Zarion Sharpe 2-4, R, Will Cooke 2-3, RBI, R.
By Jimmy Lewis Staff Writer WILSON DAILY TIMES
When Southern Nash High first baseman Leroy Edwards snared a scalding line drive off the bat of Oakwood’s Austin Goins in the seventh inning of Tuesday’s Golden Leaf Invitational game on Hunt’s Sid Boyette Field, it appeared as if the Firebirds were destined to hoist the tournament trophy in the second season of a remarkable turnaround under head coach Todd Brewer.
Bases empty, two outs. The Firebirds owned a one-run advantage with sophomore right-hander Trevor Mills still having credible command of his pitches.
Precious out No. 21 never came.
With its back to the wall, Oakwood hitters became aggressive against Mills, taking healthy cuts early in the count. The result was four consecutive singles, the final blow coming off the bat of catcher Will Cooke to plate Jackson Carriere, sending Southern Nash to a 4-3 walk-off defeat.
Instead of Southern Nash (9-5) of the 3-A Big East Conference ingressing to Fleming Stadium for a trophy presentation, it was undefeated Oakwood (11-0) taking the celebratory trek by bus, winning the championship over fellow Golden Leaf unbeatens C.B. Aycock and Raleigh Cardinal Gibbons. Oakwood captured the first tiebreaker, which was combined opponents record. The Eagles’ foes tallied a 4-5 mark, compared to 3-6 for Gibbons and 2-7 for CBA.
"We knew what we had on the line,” Brewer lamented. "We knew we were an out away from winning the whole thing. You’ve got to credit Oakwood there. They hit the baseball. They put three, four hits together, whatever it was. That’s what you’ve got to do in that situation.”
Southern Nash wasn’t without its lapses, having a runner caught stealing in the second inning and another picked off in the third. Two sixth-inning blunders — a botched rundown that led to one run and a throwing error that allowed the tying run to score — allowed the Eagles to tie it up. However, the Firebirds scratched back against Oakwood ace Zarion Sharpe in relief in the seventh. Sophomore Colton Cruz led off against Eagles starter Charles Corey by working a walk, and with two strikes, Brewer kept the bunt on with No. 9 hitter and senior Matthew Taylor. The faith of the Southern skipper was rewarded, with Taylor sacrificing Cruz over.
With the top of the order up, Oakwood head coach Axel Smith opted to bring in his left-handed ace in Sharpe. Corey was done after 6 1/3 innings and six hits allowed. Up stepped freshman Jason Montague, who took a 1-2 offering from Sharpe back up the middle. Cruz scored, and Southern Nash had reclaimed the lead.
"He’s our ace, and we rolled the dice a little bit,” Smith said. "We told him he wasn’t going to pitch in this tournament, we were just going to let him get his pens in. They got the hit on him, and it can let the air out of our guys. But our guys came in. He was frustrated when he came in the dugout, and they went right straight to him and said, ‘We got you Z.’ And that’s what we look for as a team.
Indeed, with no more outs to play with, the bats sounded off in succession against Mils. Blake Owen, Sharpe and Carriere all provided singles, and Cooke’s walk-off hit to left field finished it.
Mills struck out five and walked one for Southern Nash, which was outhit 11-8. Montague and Mills each collected two hits, with Carriere leading Oakwood with three.
"We had some mental errors, especially there in the sixth that really allowed them to tie the ballgame back up,” Brewer reviewed. "That will be the stuff I think about until next Tuesday when we play again.”
Score by innings:
Southern Nash 000 200 1 — 3
Oakwood 000 002 2 — 4
WP-Zarion Sharpe 2/3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO LP-Trevor Mills 6 2/3 IP, 11 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO
LEADING HITTERS — Southern Nash: Jason Montague 2-4, 2B, RBI, Trevor Mills 2-4, R; Oakwood: Jackson Carriere 3-4, RBI, R, Austin Goins 2-4, Zarion Sharpe 2-4, R, Will Cooke 2-3, RBI, R.
