Jeff Cunningham
05-22-2007, 10:49 PM
Dinini runs Comets to Eastern District title
By Jeff Cunningham | jcunningham@hrvarsity.com (j_cunningham_pbp@yahoo.com)
NORFOLK -- According to logic, if a baseball team commits six errors and strikes out a combined 19 times against the opposition's pitching, said team shouldn't win the game.
But who ever said baseball was logical?
Granby did indeed commit six errors and strike out 19 times, but still found a way to pull out a 3-2 13-inning win over Maury in the Eastern District title game Tuesday night at Old Dominion University's Bud Metheny Baseball Complex.
So how did the Comets walk off with the trophy? A run-scoring single, a gapper that brought the guy around from first? A walk-off home run? No ... it was a wild pitch.
Justin Dinini began the bottom of the 13th by getting hit square in the back by a Kasey Rivera pitch. He then advanced to third base on an error by Commodores shortstop Brian Bashara before coming home when Rivera's first pitch to Justin Dean skipped past Marcus Breeden's glove and to the backstop.
Dinini broke immediately for the plate, scoring with ease to give the Comets (19-3) the district title.
"Coach (Robert Butler) told me that even if the catcher bobbled it, even if all he had to do was reach for it, I was going," Dinini said. "I saw the ball perfectly, and the moment it scooted by, I was gone."
Maury, the tournament's No. 3 seed, appeared to have the game in hand early. Breeden stroked a two-run double to left-center field in the top of the first inning to give the Commodores (16-6) a 2-0 lead. And with starter Karter Rivera throwing three strong hitless innings, Maury appeared ready to celebrate a district title.
But Granby loaded the bases in the fourth inning on back-to-back singles from Robert Goodwin and Adam Wisneiwski and a Maury error. Karter Rivera then gave up consecutive singles to Josh Todd and Corie Barnitz to tie the game at two.
After Barnitz's single, Maury coach Jack Baker pulled Karter Rivera in lieu of Coby Cowgill. Cowgill went on throw eight innings, giving up just five hits and striking out 16.
"He's just unbelievable," Baker said of Cowgill. "He really ate some innings for us tonight, kept us in the game. I wanted to leave him out there even longer, but he was up to about 120 pitches or so, and he's only a sophomore, so I wanted to get him out of there."
Granby's pitching was just as strong, Barnitz threw eight innings as the starter. He gave up just four hits, walked one and struck out seven before turning the ball over to Wisneiwski -- who struck out seven and gave up three hits in five solid innings.
"I can't say enough about Corie and Adam," Butler said. "Their arms ware what kept us in this game tonight."
Wisneiwski did wiggle his way out of a jam in the top of the 13th, when Maury loaded the bases with nobody out. Tyon Ore began the inning by reaching on an error, then Karter Rivera singled to center. Drew Williams tried to lay down a sacrifice bunt, but Ore beat the throw to third.
Breeden followed that with a strikeout -- his fifth of the night -- before Doug Hatcher grounded into an inning-ending double play.
"That was rough," Dinini said. "A game like this, a few plays like that, it gets very tiring and very interesting."
Both teams advance to the Eastern Region tournament, which will also be held at ODU, May 28, 30 and 31. Granby, the district's top seed, will face Bethel, while Maury will face Peninsula District regular-season champion Denbigh.
EASTERN DISTRICT BASEBALL CHAMPIIONSHIP at Old Dominion University
Granby 3, Maury 2, 13 innings
Granby 200 000 000 000 0 2 8 3
Maury 000 200 000 000 1 3 10 6
Standouts -- Granby, Goodwin 4-6 (4 singles, run), Dinini 0-4 (HBP, game-winning run); Maury, Breeden 1-6 (2-run double). Records -- Granby 19-3, Maury 16-6.
By Jeff Cunningham | jcunningham@hrvarsity.com (j_cunningham_pbp@yahoo.com)
NORFOLK -- According to logic, if a baseball team commits six errors and strikes out a combined 19 times against the opposition's pitching, said team shouldn't win the game.
But who ever said baseball was logical?
Granby did indeed commit six errors and strike out 19 times, but still found a way to pull out a 3-2 13-inning win over Maury in the Eastern District title game Tuesday night at Old Dominion University's Bud Metheny Baseball Complex.
So how did the Comets walk off with the trophy? A run-scoring single, a gapper that brought the guy around from first? A walk-off home run? No ... it was a wild pitch.
Justin Dinini began the bottom of the 13th by getting hit square in the back by a Kasey Rivera pitch. He then advanced to third base on an error by Commodores shortstop Brian Bashara before coming home when Rivera's first pitch to Justin Dean skipped past Marcus Breeden's glove and to the backstop.
Dinini broke immediately for the plate, scoring with ease to give the Comets (19-3) the district title.
"Coach (Robert Butler) told me that even if the catcher bobbled it, even if all he had to do was reach for it, I was going," Dinini said. "I saw the ball perfectly, and the moment it scooted by, I was gone."
Maury, the tournament's No. 3 seed, appeared to have the game in hand early. Breeden stroked a two-run double to left-center field in the top of the first inning to give the Commodores (16-6) a 2-0 lead. And with starter Karter Rivera throwing three strong hitless innings, Maury appeared ready to celebrate a district title.
But Granby loaded the bases in the fourth inning on back-to-back singles from Robert Goodwin and Adam Wisneiwski and a Maury error. Karter Rivera then gave up consecutive singles to Josh Todd and Corie Barnitz to tie the game at two.
After Barnitz's single, Maury coach Jack Baker pulled Karter Rivera in lieu of Coby Cowgill. Cowgill went on throw eight innings, giving up just five hits and striking out 16.
"He's just unbelievable," Baker said of Cowgill. "He really ate some innings for us tonight, kept us in the game. I wanted to leave him out there even longer, but he was up to about 120 pitches or so, and he's only a sophomore, so I wanted to get him out of there."
Granby's pitching was just as strong, Barnitz threw eight innings as the starter. He gave up just four hits, walked one and struck out seven before turning the ball over to Wisneiwski -- who struck out seven and gave up three hits in five solid innings.
"I can't say enough about Corie and Adam," Butler said. "Their arms ware what kept us in this game tonight."
Wisneiwski did wiggle his way out of a jam in the top of the 13th, when Maury loaded the bases with nobody out. Tyon Ore began the inning by reaching on an error, then Karter Rivera singled to center. Drew Williams tried to lay down a sacrifice bunt, but Ore beat the throw to third.
Breeden followed that with a strikeout -- his fifth of the night -- before Doug Hatcher grounded into an inning-ending double play.
"That was rough," Dinini said. "A game like this, a few plays like that, it gets very tiring and very interesting."
Both teams advance to the Eastern Region tournament, which will also be held at ODU, May 28, 30 and 31. Granby, the district's top seed, will face Bethel, while Maury will face Peninsula District regular-season champion Denbigh.
EASTERN DISTRICT BASEBALL CHAMPIIONSHIP at Old Dominion University
Granby 3, Maury 2, 13 innings
Granby 200 000 000 000 0 2 8 3
Maury 000 200 000 000 1 3 10 6
Standouts -- Granby, Goodwin 4-6 (4 singles, run), Dinini 0-4 (HBP, game-winning run); Maury, Breeden 1-6 (2-run double). Records -- Granby 19-3, Maury 16-6.