CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Nitro’s Jacob Bradley threw a three-hitter and escaped a bases-loaded jam in the final inning of Thursday’s 2-1 win over Wheeling Park in the West Virginia Class AAA semifinal from Appalachian Power Park.
With Wheeling Park threatening to erase a 2-0 deficit in the bottom of the seventh, Bradley struck out No. 9 hitter Killian Coyne, sending the Wildcats (25-10) into Saturday’s championship game.
“I was going to make him beat me,” Bradley said. “I wasn’t going to just give it to them and walk him in. I was going to make him hit it.”
Bradley finished with six strikeouts and two walks and cruised until the seventh. But Nitro coach Steve Pritchard was determined to stick with Bradley even as Wheeling Park (17-11) put the tying and potential winning runs in scoring position with one out.
“I have total faith in him,” Pritchard said. “Usually, you pull a pitcher when he has lost his stuff or you don’t have confidence in him finishing. I didn’t think the lost his stuff and he’s been our bulldog all year. I had confidence in him that he would finish the game.”
After surrendering a lead-off bunt single to Jarrett Delbrugge in the first and intentionally walking Wheeling Park’s Michael Grove, Bradley retired the next 15 batters.
“Bradley was great today,” Pritchard said. “He took a lot of options away from them and really pounded the zone. His velocity was the same in the seventh as it was in the third and fourth. Those first two or three innings, I had never seen him throw that hard consistently.”
Nitro took a lead in the second inning with an RBI single from Jacob Williams. Levi Kelly’s RBI single in the fourth scored Kipp Brewer.
Delbrugge sixth-inning drive narrowly eluded the diving Kelly and rolled to the right-field wall. However, two perfect relay throws, nailed Delbrugge at home plate for the second out of the inning.
“I thought it was an inside-the-parker,” Bradley said. “My heart just kind of sank.”
Wheeling Park coach Mike McCleod stood by the decision to send Delbrugge from third.
“I felt like it would take two perfect throws to get him,” McCleod said. “I was trying to get a little spark, because we didn’t have much going on. If he scores with that, it’s only 2-1 in the seventh. A one-run game is much different than a two-run game. But they made the perfect throws.”
Grove led off the seventh with a triple and scored the Patriots’ only run on a squeeze play, which also moved the tying run to third. After a walk and a hit batter loaded the bases, Nick Nardone’s chopper in front of the plate was grabbed by Nitro catcher Matt Jewell, who made the tag for the second out.
“I’m honored and privileged to coach a group of kids that make it this far,” Pritchard said. “Some people coach forever and never get here. But we’ve had some special groups that have allowed me and the town of Nitro to have a lot of success.”
Grove, a West Virginia signee, surrendered one earned run in the complete-game loss, striking out five giving up six hits.
“In the moment it’s tough, but I think we grew up and peaked at the right time,” Grove said. “I came in here and said I’m willing to throw eight or nine innings, just get me a couple runs. In the seventh inning we came close. We just lost a tight game. Couple bad bounces. Nothing you can do about it. I’m proud of the guys.”
Matt Harrison and Andrew Stone doubled in the win for Nitro, which previously won state titles in 2008 and 2010.
Saturday’s championship game is set for 10 a.m. between the Wildcats and Jefferson, which defeated Greenbrier East 6-4.
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