It took eight innings for the Liberty Christian Academy baseball team to edge a game Lord Botetourt nine last week in the VHSL Class 3 semifinal at Liberty University in Lynchburg. The Bulldogs tied the game in the bottom of the seventh inning, then walked off the Cavaliers in the eighth to take a 2-1 win.
Botetourt was the heavy underdog coming into this game. LB had to travel to Lynchburg after finishing second in the Region 3D tournament. LCA, the consensus favorite to win the state championship, was the Region 3C champ and sported an undefeated record.
LB coach Todd Smith had ace Nolan Medley ready to go and the senior lefty was at his best in what turned out to be his last high school game. Medley allowed just two hits and no runs through six innings and took a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the seventh.
The Cavaliers scored their only run in the top of the fourth inning. Braylon Wells got the rally started with a walk, then moved to second on Jakari Nicely’s single. Isaac Nichols hit a ground ball for a force out at second for the first out, but Cody McConnaughey worked a walk to load the bases. Caleb O’Quinn then lined out to first for the second out and Ethan Deschambault followed with a clutch two-out single to score Wells. Nichols was thrown out at the plate trying to score to end the inning, but LB led 1-0.
That lead held up as Medley took the mound in the bottom of the seventh. However, a walk and an RBI double tied the game and put the potential winning run on second with no outs.
The next batter reached on a bunt single, but Medley then struck out the next Bulldog for the first out of the inning. Smith called for an intentional walk to load the bases at that point, and LB got the second out on a come backer to the mound with Medley throwing home for the force out. With the bases still loaded the next batter had a 3-2 count, and at that point another ball ends the game. However, Medley got a strikeout on a called strike three to end the inning and keep the Cavaliers alive.
Photos by Jenn King
Botetourt failed to score in the top of the eighth and Deschambault relieved Medley to start the bottom of the inning. Nolan had thrown 109 pitches and was on the verge of the VHSL limit and Deschambault had been reliable out of the bullpen all season, posting a school record six saves.
The Bulldogs opened the bottom of the eighth with a double, then Deschambault hit the next batter. Both moved on a sacrifice bunt, putting runners on second and third with one out. Ethan got the next batter to strike out on a pitch that hit the dirt. Catcher JJ Tyree blocked the ball, checked the runner at third and threw to first for the out. However, the runner on third broke when the throw went to first and beat the return throw to the plate to score the game winning run.
“JJ made a good play, the runner just beat the throw home,” said Smith. “It was a tough way to lose, but we held our own against a really good team. I told the kids we had nothing to be ashamed of, we took them to the wire and lost on a bang, bang play.”
Medley allowed four hits and one run in his seven innings while striking out seven and walking seven. He also had a two-out seventh inning triple, but was stranded when Noah Donaho’s hard ground ball was fielded cleanly for the third out.
Seven different Cavaliers had hits, Medley, Donaho, Wells, Nicely, McConnaughey, O’Quinn and Deschambault.
LCA advanced to the state semifinal, where they defeated Lafayette 4-1. The Bulldogs then saw their unbeaten season ruined with a 10-5 loss to York in the state championship game.
The Cavaliers finished the season with a 15-9 record. They graduated nine seniors and will have four starters returning next spring.
“It was a good season,” said Smith. “Five of our nine losses were to teams who were in their state tournaments. When you make it to the state quarterfinal you have to be happy.”
