CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Class AAA No. 1 Cabell Midland trailed until the sixth inning of Friday’s Class AAA semifinal against No. 4 St. Albans.
For a team that lost its postseason opener to Huntington, it was nothing to fret over.
Instead, the Knights pushed across three runs in the sixth inning to take a two-run lead and they made it hold up in a 5-3 victory over the Red Dragons at GoMart Ballpark.
The win allows CMHS (29-10) to play in Saturday’s state final against No. 3 Hedgesville.
“Our backs were against the wall and we had to fight, especially against Huntington and Spring Valley,” Knights’ head coach Tracy Brumfield said. “We had to play the last two games at Spring Valley. We were fortunate to win the sectional and then you get Hurricane. It has not been an easy road, but I’ll take it.”
Trailing 3-2 to start the bottom of the sixth, the Knights solved St. Albans (25-16) starting pitcher Garrett Comer at the opportune time. Luke Samuel got things started with a leadoff single and Isaac Petitt followed suit to put a pair of runners on.
Jack Eastone followed with the game’s key hit — a two-run double to right that left the Red Dragons trailing for the first time.
Eastone stole third with one out, which loomed when he scored on Hunter McSweeney’s sacrifice fly that gave Midland a two-run advantage.
“Our guys showed up today thinking they were going to win and we almost did. They just beat us. Sometimes you show up and play a team and they get a few more hits, make a few more plays and beat you,” Red Dragons’ head coach Rick Whitman said. “It was one of those. It wasn’t like we weren’t giving it everything we had or made a bunch of mistakes. They led off the sixth inning hit, hit, hit, so they earned it.”
Knights’ relief pitcher Jared Netheructt worked around a two-out single and benefited from a nice catch from left fielder Landon Nida for the game’s final out to seal the verdict in the seventh.
Nethercutt logged two scoreless innings and recorded the win after allowing two hits and striking out a batter. He came on for Kenyon Collins, who ran into trouble early, but was otherwise solid.
“Kenyon did a good job. He had a little trouble locating his off speed pitch and as the game went on, he loosened up and was a little bit better with it,” Brumfield said. “Then Jared Nethercutt came in and shut the door.”
The game began with St. Albans’ Ayden Youngblood reaching third on a ball Nida misplayed, and when Comer followed with a run-scoring double, Whitman’s team was off to just the start it desired.
Comer scored his team’s second run on a fielder’s choice that left Midland trailing 2-0, but the Red Dragons left two in scoring in position to end that inning.
“We were just telling [Collins] keep the damage to a minimum,” Brumfield said. “That first inning was not how we wanted to start the game, but we fought out way back into the game and fortunately we won.”
“We came out ready to play and we hit the ball hard to score some runs early,” Whitman said. “They’re a really good team and we were right there. I’m proud of my guys for competing and battling and developing into the team they are right now, which is one of the best teams in the state.”
The Knights immediately cut their deficit in half when Collins helped his cause with a ground ball to shortstop that brought Nida in with the Knights’ first run.
Cabell Midland pulled even in the third when Bryce Alfrey, who led off with a single, scored the tying run courtesy of a Red Dragons’ error.
Comer’s one-out single in the fifth, combined with his stolen base, helped the Red Dragons go back in front when Tristan Harless brought him home with a fielder’s choice.
The Red Dragons’ third run proved to be their last, with Collins overcoming his first-inning struggles to throw five quality frames. He struck out six and walked a pair while surrendering three hits.
“They never got down on themselves,” Brumfield said. “They fought back and that’s a tough team to beat.”
Comer threw all six innings in defeat for SAHS. He allowed seven hits and had three strikeouts and three base-on-balls.
While it marked Midland’s second win over St. Albans in as many meetings this season, the contest was far more competitive than the Knights’ 11-1 victory against the Red Dragons on April 13.
“I told our guys it’s not going to be the same team we played early in the year,” Brumfield said. “That was April 13 when we played them last time. My hats off to our kids and fans.”
Comer and Petitt led their respective teams with three hits each.