RED OAK — Regardless of their records, places in the Big East 2A/3A Conference standings or circumstances during the games, rivals Northern Nash and Southern Nash always seem to have a flair for the dramatic when they step on to a baseball field.
It was Brady Jenkins’ turn to provide heroics on Tuesday night.
Jenkins ripped a bases-loaded, two-out single to deep centerfield to bring home Tristan Murray with the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning as the Knights defeated the Firebirds 5-4 in the semifinals of the conference tournament.
Northern Nash (14-7), the No. 2 seed, will play host to No. 4 seed Nash Central (13-11), a 3-0 winner over No. 1 seed Bunn in the other semifinal, in the tournament championship game Thursday night.
In a contest that had a little bit of everything — spectators arguing balls and strikes (and batters being warned for the same thing), runners caught stealing, several batters being hit by pitches, an appeal upheld that took a run off the board, and clutch hits and quality outs made by players from both teams — it was Jenkins who had the final say with his walk-off hit.
The dramatic finish started when Murray led off with a walk to begin the bottom of the eighth. He moved to second on Ben Edgerton’s sacrifice bunt. Landon Keefe was hit by a pitch, and after SN reliever Luke Faulkner coaxed a flyout to center, Peyton Clay drew a four-pitch walk to fill the bases.
Jenkins worked the count to three balls and two strikes, fouled off a pitch and then delivered the game-winner, capping off the victory by throwing his helmet high in the air as he rounded second base and being lifted off the ground in a bearhug by teammate Chason Boseman.
Both teams showed much grit in the contest, as rivals tend to do.
Northern Nash took a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. Logan Denton reached on a dropped third strike (passed ball), moved to second on Murray’s single and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt from Edgerton. Denton would score on a passed ball that sent Murray to third, and Keefe then came through with a sacrifice fly to center to plate Murray. Dominick Robbins followed with a two-out single but was left stranded.
But Southern Nash (10-15 overall) showed its mettle, rallying to tie it with two runs in the top of the seventh inning on walks to Trey Ormond and Blake Strickland, a single from Brayden Parker (and an errant throw) and a sacrifice fly from Isaiah Battle that brought in Strickland but Parker was thrown out at third to end the frame.
SN reliever Landon Brown allowed a leadoff single to Jenkins in the bottom of the seventh but got two groundouts and a flyout to send the game into extra innings.
The Firebirds had a chance to take the lead when Brennan Pridgen reached on an infield single with two outs and advanced to second on an errant pickoff throw, but Denton — NN’s third pitcher — got a flyout to left to end the frame.
Southern Nash took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. With one out, Parker singled but was caught stealing. Keegan Wallace followed with a solo homer over the right field fence.
The Firebirds made it 2-0 in the second inning on consecutive singles from Isaiah Battle and Maddox Deans, a groundout by Jeremiah Battle, a walk to Pridgen and a wild pitch that scored Isaiah Battle. Strickland then walked to load the bases again with two outs, but a fielder’s choice (Murray to his catcher Clay) ended the inning.
Northern Nash left two runners stranded in the second but broke through against SN starting pitcher Jeremiah Battle in the third with two runs to tie it. Robbins was hit by a pitch, Clay singled and they moved up on Jenkins’ groundout. A balk plated Robbins, and one out later, an error allowed Andrew Zipko (Clay’s courtesy runner) to touch the plate. After Denton was hit by a pitch, Battle got a flyout to end the inning.
Both teams seemingly had chances to gain momentum but were turned away.
NN stranded Denton after his two-out single in the fourth, and SN had three batters walk in the top of the fifth but the first one (Ormond) was caught stealing. Murray then got a flyout for the final out.
The Firebirds wasted another chance to take the lead in the top of the sixth. Isaiah Battle singled and moved to second on Deans’ groundout. Jeremiah Battle then reached on an infield error and Pridgen lifted a sacrifice fly to centerfield that seemingly brought in Isaiah Battle with the go-ahead run. But the Knights appealed, and it was upheld with Isaiah Battle leaving third base before the ball was caught for the final out of the inning.
Nash Central 3, Bunn 0
Landon Dillane had the only hit (a home run) and drove in two runs as Nash Central advanced to the Big East 2A/3A Conference Tournament finals by shutting out top seed Bunn in Bunn on Tuesday night.
Winston Lee had the other RBI and Camden Posey and Colby Lewis also scored runs for the Bulldogs.
Nash Central played mistake-free defense behind pitcher Landyn Holt, who went all seven innings and allowed three hits with 13 strikeouts and three walks while throwing 107 pitches.
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