Hilltoppers fall into a three-way tie for second

By Ted Allen

Published: May 9, 2008

Kent Brizendine was robbed.
E.C. Glass’ cleanup hitter came up with the bases loaded and the Hilltoppers trailing GW-Danville 3-2 with two outs in the sixth. He ripped a 3-2 pitch from Josh Hackworth down the left-field line that had game-winning double written all over it.
But Jackson Heard, the Eagles’ diminutive left-fielder, got an excellent jump on the line drive and made a lunging dive to spear it inches above the ground, snuffing Glass’ final threat.
“That play in the sixth inning was the game,” GW-Danville first-year coach Wayne Shelton said. “If that gets by him, then three runs score and the game’s over the way (Mike Bergin) was pitching for them.”
The Hilltoppers wasted a quality complete-game effort by Bergin, their only healthy pitcher, by leaving runners in scoring position in each of the first six innings, including three in the fifth and sixth frames.
“We just didn’t come through at the plate when we had runners in scoring position,” Bergin said.
“Pop-ups killed us,” Glass coach Kevin Brown added. “We didn’t hit the ball hard on the ground. If we would have, we would have won. We hit the bottom two-thirds of the ball instead of the upper two-thirds.”
The loss drops the Hilltoppers (9-6, 6-3 Western Valley District) into a three-way tie for second place in the district standings with the Eagles (9-9, 6-3) and Franklin County. They each trail Halifax, which Danville meets on Tuesday, by one game.
“It was very disappointing,” Brown said. “We used to have (the district lead) in our hands and with this loss, we need some help to have a chance.
“We had plenty of opportunities,” he added. “We didn’t come up with the big hits at the right times.”
Glass knocked out GW starter Travis Coates in the third inning. Coates had pitched a no-hitter through seven innings of the teams’ first meeting in Danville, a 1-0 Glass win in eight, but was replaced when Lucas Signor tied the game at 2 with a double to right.
However, Signor was stranded there as Hackworth struck out Brizendine and Mac Ware to end the inning.
“Hackworth’s been our best pitcher all year,” Shelton said.
The game remained tied until the top of the sixth when Zach Gibson led off with a home run to left, the Eagles’ first of the year.
“That was a big home run,” Sheldon said, noting the Eagles play their home games at Dan Daniel Memorial Park, with Major League dimensions and a 20-foot fence. “If you’re going to pick one, that’s the time to hit the home run.”
Bergin said he should have struck out Gibson on the previous pitch.
“Giving up the home run was frustrating,” he said. “I left it over the plate.”
Bergin will likely be called on to start again on three days rest Tuesday at Franklin County, which is just as critical for the Hilltoppers if they are to have a chance at the regular-season title and first Northwest Region bid.
“Injuries are piling up for our pitching staff,” Brown said.
Mac Ware injured the tip of his index finger of his throwing hand on a play against William Fleming when he jumped up to try to make a catch at first base and landed with his cleat on his hand.
Reliever James Gaines left Friday’s game after a collision at the plate in the sixth, when he was thrown out trying to score on a dropped pop fly hit by Bergin to shallow right field.