by Stephen M. Lewis
DigitalSports Richmond
slewis@digitalsports.com
(804) 240-2191
MATOACA 8, MILLS GODWIN 6
Mills Godwin coach John Marano has been around the block a few times, so don’t take the next quote lightly.
“Matoaca gets off the bus swinging the bats,” the longtime Eagles coach said. “I
knew that coming in. They have men at the plate. They don’t back down.”
The Warriors ripped off eight runs in the odd innings to halt a game Mills Godwin team to advance to the Central Region title game, which will also be played at The Diamond.
Matoaca led 8-2 in the bottom of the fifth inning before Godwin started its comeback.
The Eagles dropped two runs in the sixth and quickly put up two more in the seventh on Zach Mihalko‘s two-run double that had the Warriors shaky.
Though two outs were on the board, runners were on first and third, with the winning run at the dish.
But Brandon Lindsay got Conner Brown to pop out as Matoaca also earned a state Group AAA tournament berth.
Mills Godwin 002 002 2 – 6 9 1
Matoaca 302 030 X – 8 11 1
Lees, Garrett (4) and Moore; Ramsey, Lindsey (7) and Chamberlin. W: Ramsey. L: Lees.
Records: Mills Godwin (19-4); Matoaca (16-4)
COSBY 15, DOUGLAS FREEMAN 7
The nightcap was a slugfest that the Titans won handily to face Matoaca in the Central Region final.
Cosby looked to run away and hide with the game, throwing up five runs in the top of the second.
But so did Freeman, the game squad from the Colonial District.
Undaunted, Cosby threw up four runs in the third that the Rebels couldn’t answer quickly enough.
Mitchell Shifflett had a two RBI single, and Christian Hamlett knocked him in with a double of his own to make it 9-5 as Cosby continued to score to put it away.
The Titans last reached the state tournament in 2008, as region runner-up, but would like to host a home game this year.
The Rebels had a fabulous year under first-year head coach Ray Moore, taking the Colonial’s regular-season crown and finishing 19-5.
Cosby 054 012 3 – 15 13 3
Freeman 050 101 0 – 7 12 3
Carpenter, Birnbaum (2) and Lowery; Slough, Costas (2), Keller (3), McLaughlin (6), Dodson (6), Butler (7) and Herod. W: Carpenter. L: Slough.
Records: Cosby (17-6); Douglas Freeman (19-5)
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