In rounds one and two, Albemarle Post 74’s offense cranked out 30 runs on more than 30 hits to the tune of a 1-1 showing. With nine different pitchers taking the mound in those two contests, there was little doubt that it was going to take another hitting clinic for Albemarle to stave off an elimination game with Chesapeake-Greenbrier Post 280.
Unfortunately for Albemarle, it simply wasn’t in the cards. And after holding Post 74 to one hit in the first five innings, Post 280 moved past Albemarle, 14-2 in the American Legion state tournament by virtue of the run rule in the seventh inning.
“We came into last night’s game so pumped up, and with the way we lost that game, I think that took a lot out of us,” said Albemarle coach Mike Maynard. “We just didn’t have it in us today.”
It was a nearly flawless performance from Greenbrier in a tournament that’s been all about hitting. Post 280 did not commit a single error on defense and watched pitchers Troy Applin and Thomas Dushatinski hold Albemarle to one lone hit — a single from Jake Hendrix — in the first five innings.
“Troy’s our fifth pitcher and came in and got the job done,” said Greenbrier coach Larry Bowles. “And (Dushatinski) hasn’t thrown but 10 innings for us all year. Our bullpen catcher came in and said Thomas was on and he came on and kept the ball down in the strike zone and that was the key.”
Conversely, Greenbrier came out swinging by putting three runs on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning on a 2-run single from Jordan Adair and a sacrifice fly from Dushatinski. Albemarle held Post 280 to one run over the next two innings, but in the fourth and fifth, Greenbrier put together a pair of 4-run rallies highlighted by a 2-run double from Josh Carter and a bases-loaded triple from Mathew Dickason.
Albemarle broke it’s dry spell at the plate in the fifth after an RBI single from Jordan Gentry scored Rashad Talley, and a ground ball double play from Danny Morris brought home Joey Varaksa. But that was all Albemarle could muster as Greenbrier followed up with a 2-run seventh to make it a 12 run game and then closed the door in the bottom half of the inning.
For Albemarle, Hendrix was 1 for 2. Varaksa was 1-1 with a run scored. Gentry was 1 for 3 and Andrew Kayliss was 1 for 1.
The loss ends the American Legion season for Albemarle and also ends the tenures of Talley, Vince Coles, JD Ballard and Josh Sites.
“I can’t say enough about those guys,” Maynard said of his departing players. “They’ve all got great character.”
If there is a silver lining for Albemarle, it’s that the majority of the team has at least two years of eligibility left. And with strong veteran leadership from stalwarts Talley and Coles, Maynard looks forward to watching his young talent develop.
“Being around a Vince or Rashad for a Logan Forloines or Eli Haden, that’s something that’s going to benefit those guys in life, not just baseball,” Maynard said. “And that’s what this is all about.”
And in many ways, Legion baseball has been good to the veterans.
“Playing with this team, it’s helped us get to play in college,” Talley said. “It’s been an amazing experience, it’s been really special in our lives.”
As for getting the chance to grow up in the system and become a mentor, that’s an important part of the total package for Talley.
“We wanted these younger players to get a chance to get to states, to experience what we already had,” Talley said. “We’ve been trying to help out, and hopefully these guys will help out the younger kids next year. Each kid should try and help the next try and work towards a chance to play college baseball. It’s kind of a life cycle.”
