Jefferson captures 11th title, edges Nitro in AAA championship

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Brad Davis capped Jefferson’s 11th baseball state championship Saturday morning in fitting fashion, striking out Nitro’s Levi Kelly and prompting an emphatic infield celebration as the Cougars prevailed 2-1 for the Class AAA title.

“It’s unbelievable to be here and throw a complete game in the championship game,” Davis said. “I’ve got an amazing team and amazing coaches—this couldn’t be better. I couldn’t be with a better group of kids. Growing up as a kid, watching Jefferson, I didn’t know it would be like this. But to be on the field, it’s just an amazing feeling.”

Davis finished with six strikeouts and allowed four hits, the last one Matt Jewell’s leadoff single in the seventh. After a stolen base, Nitro had the potential tying run in scoring position with no outs.

The Wildcats (25-11), however, couldn’t advance Jewell any further as Davis forced Jacob Bradley into a flyout, Kipp Brewer into a pop-out and then finished off Kelly.

“This was just a great team win with Brad leading the way for us,” said veteran Jefferson coach John Lowery. “We’re just tickled to death. I’m especially tickled for this group—we had a great team last year and we couldn’t get out of the sectional. That really stung them and really motivated them for this year. These guys responded the way you would like to see young people respond.”

Jefferson pitcher Brad Davis celebrates the Class AAA state title after pitching a complete game against Nitro on Saturday, in Charleston, W.Va.

Jefferson (37-2) scored both its unearned runs in the first inning—a Paul Witt infield single and two Nitro errors contributing.

“They got two runs and didn’t put the ball out of the infield in that first inning,” said Nitro coach Steve Pritchard. “That’s bad on our part and good on their part. It would have been easy for us to hang our heads or let the errors continue, but they put the mistakes behind them.”

It was Pritchard’s lone senior, Brewer, who kept Nitro in the game by giving up just five hits, striking out four and holding Jefferson without an earned run through six innings.

“He threw the ball extremely well,” Pritchard said.

Nitro’s one run came in the top of the sixth when Eddie Flores followed up a Matt Harrison single with an RBI double.

Chase Crockett, Michael Tennant, Will Oliver, Andrew King and Witt accounted for Jefferson’s five hits—all singles.

“My best friends are on this team,” Davis said. “I hope next year we’ll be right back out here doing the same thing.”

It’s the first state championship for Jefferson since 2011, while Nitro was trying for its first title since 2010. The win adds to the storied legacy for Lowery, a Hall of Famer with over 1,200 career wins.

“I’m a Jefferson County kid and I think the unique thing about the Jefferson job is that I was fortunate enough to be there at its inception and I’ve been there ever since,” Lowery said. “The program has grown with facilities, players and interest. It was a program that we started from the ground floor and it’s been a lot of fun.”

Lowery’s overall coaching tenure stretches so far back that one of the players on his very first team is now the grandfather of Austin Cross, who pitched Jefferson’s semifinal game in relief.

“That dates me a little bit,” Lowery said.

Jefferson placed four players on the Class AAA all-tournament team—Tennant, Davis, Witt and Brody Price. Nitro’s Bradley, Brewer and Kelly made the team as well, along with Wheeling Park’s Jarrett Delbrugge and Michael Grove and Greenbrier East’s Daylon Colley.

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