Tag: West Virginia Tech

Game #2 on the Day actually left me speechless after the roller-coaster 🎢 ride ended on a bizarre double play. #Proud2BaGoldenBear

Down 3 and coming to bat for the final time in the 7 inning nightcap, our never say die Golden Bears 🐻 rallied to tie the game at 8 – 8 and force extra innings for the second time on the day.

Both defenses stiffened in the eighth inning before the Bearcats plated to go ahead run in the top of the ninth. Once again, down to our final at bat, we loaded the bases with nobody out ! Brescia kept the score at 9-8 by recording the first out of the inning on a force out at home.

Carson Crigger came to the plate for the sixth time in the contest and everyone who had been watching baseball ⚾️ for just over eight hours knew that a base hit would earn the home team a much needed split of the River States Conference league game.

Crigger turned on a pitch and sent a line shot down the third place line. The pitch was headed down the left field line and I was ready to start my game winning call!! Houston Flynn was playing the Hot Corner all weekend for Brescia and he made a nice attempt to snag the ball.

In one blink of the eye, Flynn found the ball in his glove and the glove on top of the bag for a game ending double play. Eighteen years together and close to 100 years combined around the game, I am not sure that one play will stand out more than this one.

In the opener, we entered the bottom of the ninth trailing 13 – 8. No problem, Tyler Mackey delivered a pinch hit two run single to make it 13 – 13 before Brescia recorded the 27th out. In this one what followed was one scoreless inning before the Bearcats plated one in the top of the 11th.

First Pitch took place at 12 :03 and the last pitch, incredibly hard hit last pitch took place at 8:13. 490 minutes of Baseball ⚾️ that included 44 runs 🏃‍♂️ and was an eyelash from being 46 runs.

The scorebook will show that we ended the day 0-2 and those are the facts. But our Student Athletes went hard for all 490 minutes and their announcer left it all on the field as well. As tough for it was for me to witness the ending from the Press Box, Skipper had to absorb it from five feet away.

The upside is that we will live to fight another day….

First Pitch – 3:00, Game time temp 55° – Ump shouts – Play Ball !!! ➕ four more VHSL Championship games and Golden Bears 🐻 Softball.

Brescia University is coached by Casey Hamilton, son of legendary High School Coach, Jody Hamilton. Dad won over 1,000 games in the Ashland, Kentucky area.

The Baseball ⚾️ World 🌎 is a fascinating place !

Brescia U. 0 6 4   3 1 (12)   3 – 29  26  0

WVU-T…..  6 0 0   0 4   4      0 – 14  18  2

Called after 7 innings due to Mercy Rule

Offensive stars 🌟 for the Golden Bears :

Jake Tompkins went 3-4 with two 💣💣

JJ Polvinale went 3 for 3

Tyler Mackey went 2 for 3 with a double and a triple.

Gabe Templeton finished 2 for 4

Offensive stars 🌟 for the Bearcats :

Grant Huebner entered the batters box six times as the #9 hitter. Grant scored all six times after reaching base on a Homer,   Double, 3 Singles and 1 Walk.

Leadoff hitter, Max Johnson entered the box 📦 7 times, scored five runs 🏃‍♂️after going 4 of 6 with two triples and a double.

High School 🏫 Hoops back in the Commonwealth….

Had the Graham – Central Boys Class 2 State Championship game on here in the Press Box. Congrats to Graham !

Congratulations Clarke County 👏

We have played 2:36 minutes and just now reached the Top of the 6th inning.

Wind blown, Wrigley Field type wind blown has led to 24 runs being scored.

Bearcats 14, Golden Bears 🐻 10 after 5.

6th inning lasted from 5:23 to 6 : 26 pm

Galax Girls over Luray

Luray Boys vs Fort Chiswell next up….

WVU-T Softball earns a split.

Luray Boys lead 8 – 7 early 1st

Luray 12 – 9 , end of 1st

Luray 21 – 19 after 7-0 run for the Bulldogs – late 2nd

Luray 27 – 23 at the break

End 3rd – Fort 51, Luray 48

Start of 4th – Luray starts out 5 – 0. (6:34)

Beat the Buzzer 3 allows Fort to force OT, 61-61

Luray wins 84 – 82 in double overtime!!!

Every morning 🌄 when I wake up, I do two things. Give thanks to God for waking up and ask the question – how can I serve him today ? This week he must have known that I needed a Booster Shot because I heard a voice…

I have been Blessed 🙌 to have quite a few next level individuals placed in my path over the decades. Dr. T. Ramon Stuart sits incredibly high on that list.

The distinguished Gentleman is the President of West Virginia Tech University and does a tremendous job for the Student Body in Beckley, West Virginia. His background and mine has some similarities in regards to our humble upbringings but this young Man took his game and love for Education and took it to a different level if not universe.

Everything is life is a bit more of a challenge due to health issues, especially when it comes to traveling. So on Tuesday morning, when it was time to head towards Charleston, I had to pad the window by a couple of hours to allow for a Rest Area nap along the way.

Fast Forward to arriving in Beckley, where the campus is located. Our games that day were being played one hour further North so I parked the car and decided a long walk across the campus might be the best way to wake up and get the blood flowing.

We don’t play baseball on campus so its very rare for me to take in the sights and sounds of the small grounds so I was taking it all in. It was just about time to get back in the Car 🚗 and head up the turnpike for the games.

Then, I was startled by a voice that came out of nowhere. To clarify my relationship with West Virginia Tech University, I announce for the Baseball team, write ✍ for them and do my very best to help my long time friend, Lawrence Nesselrodt keep the Train 🚆 on the tracks.

For 18 years now, we team up with the Legendary Joe Goddard and try to guide young Men through a key 🔑 part of their life. It’s not just about Baseball, at least not at Tech.

Not an Alumni, Not a Big Booster, but hey, I do have a nice title for my volunteer position. I’m the Director of Baseball Operations which sounds Awesome but I’m a small pebble in the pond that is WVU-T.

The voice calling out to me was that of Dr. Stuart. It might have been the cane or the odd gate that allowed him to spot me from 50 feet away while he was greeting a Student at the front door to his office.

We have had previous conversations since the took the title of President but this one was different because seeing the humility that this Man has while doing a very difficult job impressed me even more.

The task that day was to hand sign a certificate for each and every Student who made the Presidents List. The next step was his Staff would take a Photo 📷 of the Student and Dr. Stuart, much like the one above where I had the privilege of standing next to him.

We went on to Charleston and played baseball ⚾️ for five hours and split a double header with West Virginia Wesleyan. Afterwards, I would set a new record for the closest Hotel 🏨 I have needed to stop at in regards to miles from our home. Forty Five miles for those of you scoring along.

I ended up with a few keepsakes out of the 15 minutes we spent together but the lasting impact came in the acknowledgment from someone who I have a Coal Truck full of respect for.

If you have an opportunity to take a moment or two, one never knows what it might do to lift the spirits of the person who you are sharing the time with.

Yesterday afternoon, as I was finishing up a conversation with Track Coach Shawn Montgomery, I was headed back to my car and head back to Laurel Fork at the end of two very long days. Just short of reaching the car, I crossed paths with two sharp looking young people.

Isaiah Easter was walking across campus with Ali Wright. Two young Student Athletes that enjoy spending time together and this led to an opportunity to have a conversation with them.

I believe that I have written pretty much everything I going to write ✍ about the youngest of the Easter children and the next time Ali will play for the School is Volleyball next fall. Not to say that the brief exchange with the two left the impression with them that my time with the President did but I would like to think it mattered.

Life happens FAST and people stay busy but try hard to never be too busy to show kindness to others and not just when its to your benefit.

I think this one brings me to within one of being caught up !!!