GAHS stuns Vinton County, 23-13

[jottings]

Troester’s grand slam deciding blow in 5th inning

Blue Devils to face Athens on road in semifinals on Thursday at 5 p.m.

"Unbelievable. Amazing. Never have seen anything like it. "

Those were some of the comments following Monday's contest by a large crowd of Blue Devil and Viking fans.

Visiting Vinton County led Gallipolis 13-2 going into the bottom of the fifth inning on Memorial Field Monday evening and was within two outs of a mercy victory over the Blue Devils in the 2010 Division II south sectional tournament opener.

Then, after “the musical dance,” by GAHS student fans, it happened.

Gallipolis sent 22 batters to the plate with 21 of them scoring, and in a quick reversal of form, Gallipolis mercy ruled the Vikings 23-13 to advance to second round play in the south sectional tourney semifinals Thursday at Athens. The Bulldogs eliminated Marietta 8-2 in their tourney opener Monday.

Big blow that sent stunned Vinton County home was a one-out grand slam home run by pitcher John Troester whose blast cleared the left field fence. Oddly enough, Troester was not the winning pitcher.

He was relieved in the top of the fifth by Kyle Dingess with the Gallians trailing 13-2. Dingess received credit for the victory even though he pitched only one inning allowing just one hit, no runs and one walk.

It looked bad early on for GAHS as Vinton County scored four unearned runs in the first inning to take a quick 4-0 lead. GAHS bounced back in its half of the first to score two runs, but VCHS erupted for three runs in the second and two more in the third to take a commanding 9-2 advantage.

After a shaky start, Viking hurler Andy Grillo blanked the Blue Devils the next three innings. After his teammates plated four more runs in the top of the fifth to take a commanding 13-2 advantage, it looked impossible for the Blue Devils to recover.

Before the bottom of the fifth began, GAHS students, along with some members of the University of Rio Grande’s baseball varsity team, performed a “fifth inning stretch routine” a song and dance event which seems to inspire the Blue Devils after every performance.

Thus, in the bottom of the fifth, freshman Jim Clagg was called out on a close play at first, leaving the Vikings within two outs of a mercy rule victory.

Then it happened. GAHS sent 22 batters to the plate with 21 of them scoring on 11 hits, climaxed by Troester’s grand slam that mercy ruled the Vikings. All told the Vikings used four pitchers in the fifth inning in an effort to stop the Blue Devils. After Grillo allowed nine runs on seven hits with one strikeout and four walks in four and 1/3 innings, Viking reliever Curt Rose gave up four earned runs, Betz four earned runs and Allen six earned runs.

Gallipolis scored 23 runs on 17 hits and had six errors. Vinton County scored 13 runs on 10 hits and had four errors.

Troester was three for five at the plate, including the grand slam, Denbow had three singles in four trips for GAHS, Dingess was two for four including a double, Eastman was three for five, all singles, Ben Saunders two for three, both singles, Taylor one for three, a single, Warnimont one for three, Clagg one for four, and Smith was none for one. Pinch hitter Russ Dennison was one for one, a single. Justin Bailey was none for one.

Grillo led Vinton County with three hits in four trips. Justin Brenhiser had two hits in three trips and Terry Allen was two for two.

Troester gave up nine earned runs on nine hits. He fanned four and walked four. However, GAHS was guilty of six errors behind the GAHS senior hurler.

It was the Blue Devils final home game on Memorial Field after playing there for 60 years. GAHS is expected to move into its new home in Centenary next spring. It was a game GAHS fans will remember for a long time to come.

Prior to the game, a brief ceremony was held comemorating 60 years of high school ball at that location. Hobart Wilson, Jr., retired newspaper man and former sports editor was named honorary co-captain for the game by the Blue Devil coaching staff, and he met with the umpires and Coach Corvin and the Vinton County coach to discuss ground rules. Wilson then tossed the game’s first pitch for the last home game on Memorial Field.

Wilson was a sophomore centerfielder for the Blue Devils on April 13, 1950 when GAHS edged Pt. Pleasant 4-3 in the first game ever played on Memorial Field on a cold wintry day in which the game was halted a few minutes because of a snowstorm in 32 degree weather.

Coach Corvin played 17 of 18 players dressed for Monday’s final home game. Only Drew Young, a sophomore who moved up from the JV team, did not see action.

Blue Devils playing the final home game ever on Memorial Field were: Caleb Warnimont, Tyler Eastman, Kyle Dingess, Jimmy Clagg, Terry Smith, Casey Denbow, John Troester, Brandon Taylor, Chuck Calvert, Ben Saunders, starters and substitutes Tyler Davis, Corey Eberhard, Ben Robinson, Justin Bailey, Russell Dennison, David Stout, and J. D. Nelson.

GAHS will battle Athens at Athens 5 p.m., Thursday in the south sectional finals for a trip to the Division II District Tournament, to be held May 17 at the Veterans Stadium in Chillicothe.

Score by innings:
Vinton County……432 04 -- 13-10-4
Gallipolis…………200 0(21)—23-17-6
Losing pitcher, Allen. Winning pitcher, Dingess.

[Gary Redus]

13 hits, 4BB, 2HBP, an error (another error in the OF allowed runners to advance) and a Fielder's Choice that pulled the catcher off the plate scored the 21 runs. Only a ball hit at sharply to the right of the 1B was questionably a hit, off of 4 Viking pitchers- Without a barrage of walks or errors it is inconceivable that all of that could happen the way the game had gone to that point. Wow...

Regarding records, senior shortstop Andy Grillo of Vinton County was 4-4 with 4 runs scored, giving him 62 on the season- setting a new single season record in the state of Ohio. Grillo has 59 hits this year, along with 17 BB's for an OB% of .670, also has over 50 stolen bases while hitting over .600. What a season, and a career for Andy. His average, runs, hits, and stolen bases for his career rank high on the all time lists.

[jottings]

Grillo was outstanding for the Vikings. Hope he plays at the next level.

Post-game notes--I would like to thank Coach Corvin, his staff and players for allowing me to throw out the first ball last night. It's something I will remember forever.

Too, I would like to thank the players for the autographed baseball, and the coaches for the new GAHS baseball hat and T-shirt.

Last night's 16th win was the Blue Devils third 16-win season in four wins. Coach Corvin's crew have now won 97 games and lost 75 overall in seven years, and in the expanded SEOAL, GAHS is now 43-33 with one league title and a second place finish in the Corvin era. His teams now have six winning seasons in seven years.

To my knowledge, GAHS has never won a district championship since league play began in 1941. The 1950 team made it to the district finls, but fell 5-1 to Ironton in the finals. There may have been a team or two that also reached the district finals, but I can't recall it at this time.

[jottings]

Here are Thursday's north-south Divison II sectional final games. Two winners will advance to the district at Chillicothe's VA stadium on May 17.

South Sectional

Gallipolis at Athens
Waverly at Warren Local

North Sectional
Circleville at Greenfield
Logan Elm at Sheridan

[noreply66]

wonder why 4ever didn't lock this topic with one like it already started?

He did it to me when I started a topic that talked about the samething.

Oh--thats right lol