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It was a phenomenal game -- two district rivals battling it out from beginning to end. Tobin pitching for WS, Church going for LB. LB hits a leadoff HR on the second pitch in the bottom of the 1st.

In spite of getting some base runners throughout, WS is unable to score until the top of the 7th, after Church was removed for a reliever. WS ties the game, and it goes into extra innings.

In the top of the 9th inning, Haeuptle hits a 2-out, 2-run double to put the Spartans ahead at 3-1. Then, in the bottom of the inning, with two runners on and one out, Tagg comes on in relief. He promptly hits the first batter, then after an apparent 3rd strike that wasn't called, he hits the next batter too, making the score 3-2. Bases still loaded; next batter hits an infield fly, and then the following batter flies out to second base.

Both starting pitchers have a lot to be proud of. It was a tight, closely-fought contest from beginning to the end. Lots of twists and turns, but in the end the Spartans prevailed to pick up their their third Northern Regional title in the last 4 years. Hats off to both teams for a very entertaining evening of baseball.
I wouldn't call it a tough break for Cosby. If LB is the best team in the North, I would want them at home on my turf rather than facing them in a later round in Chantilly. I think Cosby will be a handful for LB and if LB throws Thomas, Cosby will not be intimidated after facing Kirby twice and Boyle once.


quote:
Originally posted by Central Region Tom:
I think this is good news for James River, tough break for Cosby. LB was pretty clearly the best team in the North this year. On the other hand, WB is a much better team than it was in the early part of the season.
It's a tough break for Cosby because, if WB loses, you have Lake Braddock, Kellam, and James River on the other side of the bracket. You could make a pretty good argument that those are the best three teams in the tournament outside of Cosby. If they're all on the other side of the bracket, you only have to beat one of them to win a state title. If LB is on your side of the bracket, you have to beat them AND probably Kellam or James River to win the title.

You're right that facing them at home is preferable to playing them in NOVA. However, playing only one of those three teams is preferable to playing two of them under any circumstances.
How about the fact that Cosby's top arms are fresh for Tuesday, while LB will have to use guys other than the ones they used to win the regional title? Because whoever they used today is only getting 2 days off before Tuesday.

Ditto for Western Springfield ... did they use their best guy to win the regional? Is that guy going to be able to go again on Tuesday, a day when you would think they might not score a bunch of runs?
Thomas Rogers of Lake Braddock throws mid to upper 80s and is a U of GA recruit, He had arguably his best outing of the season in the regional semifinal, where he allowed 3 hits, struck out 9, and walked one or none, i don't recall, in a CG shutout throwing in the neighborhood of 85 pitches.

Lake Braddock also hits the ball well throughout the lineup and generally plays very solid defense. The same can be said of West Springfield, a team that is gritty and red hot right now.

Both of these teams will be tough outs for Cosby/James River.
Reading between the lines of what I've seen about Rogers, it sounds like he has great stuff, sometimes will walk a handful?

Interesting that this will mark Cosby's 4th game against a high level lefty. Lost the first 2 (Kirby), won the third (Boyle) albeit with some help from the other team's defense. If nothing else they should be as prepared as you can be for a tough lefty.

Not that that guarantees anything.

I do think it's odd that this game is at 3 p.m. How does that affect LB?
Last edited by Midlo Dad
There you go again Midlo Dad. Cosby beat Boyle legitimately so please get over the Defensive miscue argument. Defensive miscues evened out. Then the 7th inning saw Fitzgerald hit a ball to the track, Meeker smokes a ball to the LC field Gap for a 2B, Williams hits a solid basehit up the middle and of course McKay scorches a ball to the fence in Left, all off Boyle. And for that matter Cosby had Kirby beat in Game 1 if not for a uncharacteristic bad outing by Carpenter that lost it in the 7th. And as far as the game starting at 3pm. I think it's smart. If you start the game at 4-4:30pm you have the potential of rain delay's or extra innings leaving an increased risk for a chance of darkness to postpone.

quote:
Originally posted by Midlo Dad:
Reading between the lines of what I've seen about Rogers, it sounds like he has great stuff, sometimes will walk a handful?

Interesting that this will mark Cosby's 4th game against a high level lefty. Lost the first 2 (Kirby), won the third (Boyle) albeit with some help from the other team's defense. If nothing else they should be as prepared as you can be for a tough lefty.

Not that that guarantees anything.

I do think it's odd that this game is at 3 p.m. How does that affect LB?
That is indeed odd Midlo, but I doubt it will have any effect on LB. It just means that they will miss most of, if not all of the school day.

The Northwest Region representatives are Hylton and Freedom-South Riding. Hylton won the title and will host Eastern regional runner-up Nansemond River, while FSR travels to play Eastern champion Kellam.
quote:
Originally posted by Montyrules:
And as far as the game starting at 3pm. I think it's smart. If you start the game at 4-4:30pm you have the potential of rain delay's or extra innings leaving an increased risk for a chance of darkness to postpone.



So Cosby doesn't have lights? Well then that answers that question. I think it's also a function of trying to get the teams that have to travel back home at a reasonable hour. Although as far as I know the game scheduled at West Springfield is a 7pm start. Hopefully VHSL will update the bracket with the start times nailed down.
Monty, I'm not sure why but you seem bent on proving that I have something against Cosby. Weird. You may not realize this, but it's possible to have a dispassionate, analytical look at things and not just go rah-rah for a particular team, yet still think highly of them and even pull for them.

The fact that the game with Deep Run had giveaway runs in both directions doesn't change the fact that there wouldn't have been many runs (for either side) without the miscues. I'm wondering aloud how that will affect another game where Cosby faces an elite lefty. Will LB bring the defense to back up Rogers? Or will Cosby pressure and battle until they crack the other team one way or the other? I'm not denigrating what Cosby accomplished, just wondering which script will play out this time around.

As for beating Kirby, Cosby actually went ahead in that game at JR off Carrico, not Kirby. I've previously noted that despite his overpowering stuff, one thing about Kirby is that he does not have a track record for getting to the 21st out. This leaves the opponent with a late-inning opportunity, and one thing Cosby does well is work the pitcher so as to run up the pitch count and get to the bullpen.
bigger story as told by Midlo Dad is there were a number of balls hit off of Boyle that would have been homerums if playing on a pitcher friendly college sized field in Ashland.

I do not understand why it is necessary to point out Cosby beat Boyle but it was because his defense let him down?

I think that is the kind of comment that can only betaken one way by fans of the winning team....point being dont be suprised when some react.

No would should take anything away from what Cosby has accomplished this year....the school has just won 5 Spring Sport Regional Champiomships. AMAZING
One thing that's interesting to me is that Lake Braddock, in a game that got postponed to Saturday night, decided to throw their ace. This is strange for two reasons:

1. Lake Braddock had already beaten West Springfield three times this year, and none of the games were close. Combined 27-3 margin. In other words, the Spartans had to feel fairly confident, even if Church (the Northern Region Pitcher of the Year) hadn't pitched.

2. Cosby and James River are both darn good baseball teams. I think I would have wanted my staff rested for the state tournament, regardless of which team I played - especially considering those teams would have two extra rest days.


Maybe this means that Lake Braddock really didn't want to play Cosby, so they were willing to throw their ace against a team they had beaten soundly three times to increase their chances of victory? Or maybe they thought they could get a big lead and pull him before his pitch count got too high?

I don't know, but I can say that this represents a definite difference in philosophy on using top-level pitchers in regional finals than what we've seen in the Central Region for years and years.
Last edited by Central Region Tom
I can definitely see playing to win to try for that home field advantage for the one last game when you could conceivably have it.

But for most teams, their tourney hopes are to use their ace Tuesday and have him back for Saturday if they can get there. Using a guy Sat/Tues/Sat is asking a lot.

But then, there have been times when coaches overuse their big horse to try to win. I remember Deck McGuire throwing a complete game in a Tuesday quarterfinal in 2007, then returning to throw a few innings in relief on Friday, and still going out there to start in the championship game that Saturday. (Where he finally hit the wall and his team lost.) Sure glad that didn't cost him his future $2 + million bonus!
And I think I can be passionate (not rah-rah) when someone who although he gives due props to any Cardinal players on Cosby, in every reference to the game against Deep Run you find it necessary to claim defense letting him down was the reason for Cosby's victory. So lets be dispassionate and analytical about it. The 2 plays you reference. #1 Passed ball/Wild Pitch. My view on this was the catcher got crossed up. Ball was down and was hard to see by my view point if it actually hit the dirt. But either way, that happens in high school baseball and Fitzgerald's speed made it an easy run for the Titans. One thing you fail to mention was in that same inning, Lloyd (SS for Deep Run) made an outstanding defensive play off a shot by Luke Lowery in the hole that maybe saved an even bigger inning. #2 the Ball misplayed/lost in high sky in RF. That play is scored a hit 9 times out of 10 for a reason. It's unfortunate but even in the Big leagues if someone loses a ball in the sun/lights/dome it's scored a hit. Now, the infield fly that Cosby dropped at 2nd base allowing 2 runs to score was a true defensive let down. Also, don't forget that Boyle benefitted from another top notch defensive play in the 7th when the CF threw out Cosby's PR at the plate. Now if Coach Lowery had it to do over again, I'm thinking he would have held that runner up. It could have been much worse and even if you take a couple of runs of the board for both teams Cosby still wins the ball game with some timely clutch hitting. Again, one ball lost in the lights and a PB/WP combined with 2 exceptional plays for Deep Run wasn't exactly bad defense in my book. But that's just my opinion. Most unbiased observers of that game believe it was a 3-2 Cosby win taking away a couple of the unfortunate plays or miscues.



quote:
Originally posted by Midlo Dad:
Monty, I'm not sure why but you seem bent on proving that I have something against Cosby. Weird. You may not realize this, but it's possible to have a dispassionate, analytical look at things and not just go rah-rah for a particular team, yet still think highly of them and even pull for them.

The fact that the game with Deep Run had giveaway runs in both directions doesn't change the fact that there wouldn't have been many runs (for either side) without the miscues. I'm wondering aloud how that will affect another game where Cosby faces an elite lefty. Will LB bring the defense to back up Rogers? Or will Cosby pressure and battle until they crack the other team one way or the other? I'm not denigrating what Cosby accomplished, just wondering which script will play out this time around.

As for beating Kirby, Cosby actually went ahead in that game at JR off Carrico, not Kirby. I've previously noted that despite his overpowering stuff, one thing about Kirby is that he does not have a track record for getting to the 21st out. This leaves the opponent with a late-inning opportunity, and one thing Cosby does well is work the pitcher so as to run up the pitch count and get to the bullpen.
Sheez.

I guess if you go looking for things to take offense at, you can find them lurking behind every bush. But if you do want to argue, at least don't make things up.

First of all, the ball in RF wasn't lost in the sun. I know some people said that out of charity to the guy in RF, but the truth is, the sun wasn't on that angle at all -- it wasn't in his face, it was off to his left, over the parking area, at the time. I guess you could say it was "a high sky" situation. I previously equated it to the dropped infield pop on Cosby's side and still feel they are comparable plays. Both would've ended innings, both cost 2 runs, both are plays that you should be able to count on being made as a matter of routine. The fact that things of that nature happened both ways was a lot of why that was the game of the day on Monday -- nip and tuck, very equally played by two tough teams.

Secondly, the guy who hit that ball to RF was a Cardinals player. So make up your mind about the biases you accuse me of. Am I only pro-Cardinals, or am I just anti-Cosby?

Thirdly, if you think Lowery would hold that runner in the 7th inning given another chance, you haven't watched many Cosby games yet. (Perhaps your son is in his first year on the varsity?) It was a situation that called for an aggressive attempt to score and it was definitely the right decision to send him. Yes, Deep Run made a nice play, esp. the catcher (which BTW I said at the time). But the fact that the other side converts the play on occasion doesn't make it the wrong decision. In that situation you can't just hope the next guy gets the big hit, you have to take that chance when it's presented. He had the pinch runner in there for just that situation. It's a decision that pays off 9 times out of 10. In fact if the throw had skipped by, you'd've had your winning run at third with only one out, where he could've scored on a contact out. True, the next guy got the big hit anyway, but you never know that is going to happen.

Speaking as someone who coached a travel team side-by-side with Coach Lowery for 2 years -- bet you didn't know that, huh? -- I would bet you dollars to doughnuts he sends that runner in that situation every time he gets the chance. And I would agree with his doing so every time, too.

As I said before, the reason to bring up the defensive miscues is not to denigrate Cosby. I think highly of the Cosby team and have said so on many occasions (though you don't seem to have read any of those posts). The reason to bring them up is to analyze how the next game might play out by looking back at the three games in which Cosby has faced top lefties so far this season. (Kirby twice, then Boyle.)

I think the fact that Cosby was able to put men on base consistently against Boyle, so that they were in a position to take advantage of miscues when they happened, indicates that they may be well prepared at this stage of the season to face a guy like Rogers. It'll be interesting to see if, on what will mark their 4th game in the progression, they move on to getting runs no matter what the defense does or doesn't do.

The other point of view is that coaches turn to top lefties for a reason. Lefties are often harder to hit for whatever reason, and those with high velocity are rare birds who tend to do well at any level of baseball. By the same token, Hunter Williams is rounding into form ahead of schedule. He was 86-88 last time out which is not exactly chopped liver given that he's only a sophomore. If he goes 5 and gets the game to Carpenter it's a tough row to hoe for LB as the visitors.

If what I hear is true, i.e., that Rogers is prone to wildness, I could see Cosby working him to death by the 4th inning or so and getting a solid win.

All of which is to say, this should be a fun game to watch. I just wish it weren't at 3 p.m. because I won't be able to see it myself!
Just for the record I didn't say the kid lost it in the sun. I believe it was the high sky / big cloud. Standing down the RF line the kid lost it. And you're correct, the sun was behind us who were watching down the RF line. My point was whether its lost in any way (sun, high sky, dome, snow) it's ruled as a hit. Unfortunate for Boyle, but again a hit. And I'll agree Lowery is typically agressive sending runners (I prefer). But if you watch the video (Virginia Preps) the runner got a horrible jump on the Williams hit. I agree with you that Cosby has seen two quality Lefty's and should be prepared. I have heard that Thomas can be very good when on. Should be a good one.

quote:
Originally posted by Midlo Dad:
Sheez.

I guess if you go looking for things to take offense at, you can find them lurking behind every bush. But if you do want to argue, at least don't make things up.

First of all, the ball in RF wasn't lost in the sun. I know some people said that out of charity to the guy in RF, but the truth is, the sun wasn't on that angle at all -- it wasn't in his face, it was off to his left, over the parking area, at the time. I guess you could say it was "a high sky" situation. I previously equated it to the dropped infield pop on Cosby's side and still feel they are comparable plays. Both would've ended innings, both cost 2 runs, both are plays that you should be able to count on being made as a matter of routine. The fact that things of that nature happened both ways was a lot of why that was the game of the day on Monday -- nip and tuck, very equally played by two tough teams.

Secondly, the guy who hit that ball to RF was a Cardinals player. So make up your mind about the biases you accuse me of. Am I only pro-Cardinals, or am I just anti-Cosby?

Thirdly, if you think Lowery would hold that runner in the 7th inning given another chance, you haven't watched many Cosby games yet. (Perhaps your son is in his first year on the varsity?) It was a situation that called for an aggressive attempt to score and it was definitely the right decision to send him. Yes, Deep Run made a nice play, esp. the catcher (which BTW I said at the time). But the fact that the other side converts the play on occasion doesn't make it the wrong decision. In that situation you can't just hope the next guy gets the big hit, you have to take that chance when it's presented. He had the pinch runner in there for just that situation. It's a decision that pays off 9 times out of 10. In fact if the throw had skipped by, you'd've had your winning run at third with only one out, where he could've scored on a contact out. True, the next guy got the big hit anyway, but you never know that is going to happen.

Speaking as someone who coached a travel team side-by-side with Coach Lowery for 2 years -- bet you didn't know that, huh? -- I would bet you dollars to doughnuts he sends that runner in that situation every time he gets the chance. And I would agree with his doing so every time, too.

As I said before, the reason to bring up the defensive miscues is not to denigrate Cosby. I think highly of the Cosby team and have said so on many occasions (though you don't seem to have read any of those posts). The reason to bring them up is to analyze how the next game might play out by looking back at the three games in which Cosby has faced top lefties so far this season. (Kirby twice, then Boyle.)

I think the fact that Cosby was able to put men on base consistently against Boyle, so that they were in a position to take advantage of miscues when they happened, indicates that they may be well prepared at this stage of the season to face a guy like Rogers. It'll be interesting to see if, on what will mark their 4th game in the progression, they move on to getting runs no matter what the defense does or doesn't do.

The other point of view is that coaches turn to top lefties for a reason. Lefties are often harder to hit for whatever reason, and those with high velocity are rare birds who tend to do well at any level of baseball. By the same token, Hunter Williams is rounding into form ahead of schedule. He was 86-88 last time out which is not exactly chopped liver given that he's only a sophomore. If he goes 5 and gets the game to Carpenter it's a tough row to hoe for LB as the visitors.

If what I hear is true, i.e., that Rogers is prone to wildness, I could see Cosby working him to death by the 4th inning or so and getting a solid win.

All of which is to say, this should be a fun game to watch. I just wish it weren't at 3 p.m. because I won't be able to see it myself!
Last edited by Montyrules

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