Coalfield Responds to Oakdale Challenge in Region 2A Semifinals
By Terry Futrell
With Coalfield ranked 6th in the state by Coacht.com and Oakdale ranked 28th, some folks probably expected their Region 2A semifinal matchup to be a runaway. After all, Coalfield had cruised through most of postseason play, defeating Wartburg 24-0 and Oliver Springs 12-2. The Jackets had been challenged only by Oneida, winning by the slim margin of 11-9. Oakdale fought their way through District 4A play, losing only to district champion Greenback. History did not matter to the Eagles as they came to play with confidence, challenging Coalfield from the opening pitch and trailing only 4-7 after 5.5 innings. As they did against Oneida in their most recent game, Coalfield showed character by fighting off the challenge, ultimately defeating the Eagles 9-4.
Oakdale’s leadoff batter Sydney Gregory set the stage for the competition that was ahead with a driving single to left field in the top of the first inning. Timmy Holder drew a walk later in the inning and the Eagles had runners on first and second with two outs. Holder was picked off at first base with a throw from Coalfield catcher Luke Treece to first baseman Levi Brasel, leaving the Eagles scoreless.
Coalfield wasted no time in making their presence known. After fouling off Joseph Summers first pitch, leadoff batter Cole Hines planted the second pitch over the centerfield fence to give Coalfield a 1-0 lead. The Jackets then loaded the bases, Levi Brasel stole home, and Brayden Burgess scored on a sacrifice fly by Zach Armstrong. Levi Heidel then scored on a double by Aiden Sexton to give the Jackets a 4-0 lead after the first inning.
Coalfield pitcher Cole Hines walked Nehemiah Cooney to begin the second inning. Cooney scored on a hard, line drive double by Joseph Summers to left field, and the Eagles trailed 1-4 midway through the second inning. The Jackets were hitless in the bottom of second and led Oakdale 4-1 after two.
After the Eagles went 3-up, 3-down in the top of the third, Coalfield put three more runs on the board. Levi Heidel drew a walk, and Zach Armstrong singled to right field. Aiden Sexton then singled to right field, scoring Heidel. Reilly Brown was out on an infield grounder, but Armstrong scored. Rommel Conlon singled to left, scoring Sexton. The third inning closed with Coalfield leading 7-1.
After a scoreless fourth inning, Oakdale managed to place four runners on base with two errors by Coalfield and two singles. Joseph Summers reached base on an error and advanced when Tucker O’dell singled to left field. Kyle Miller then singled on a line drive to centerfield, scoring Summers. Oakdale held the Jackets scoreless in the bottom of the fifth and trailed 2-7 after five.
Oakdale’s offense continued to respond in the top of the sixth inning. Nehemiah Cooney drew a walk, and advanced on a single by Eloy Vera. Tucker O’dell doubled to centerfield, scoring both Cooney and Vera. Oakdale closed the gap to 4-7 going into the bottom of the sixth. Once again, Coalfield responded to the challenge and matched the Eagles point-for-point. Cole Hines walked, stole second, and advanced to third on a single by Luke Treece. After Treece was caught stealing second, Hines stole home. The Jackets added a second run when Zach Armstrong singled on a hard infield grounder, scoring Eli Justice. Coalfield led 9-4 after six innings.
Levi Heidel, who came on to pitch in relief of Cole Hines, struck out all three Oakdale batters in the top of the seventh inning, giving the Jackets a 9-4 victory and the opportunity to play Greenback for the Region 2A Championship on Wednesday.
Two factors were major contributors to the Coalfield victory. First was the strength of Coalfield’s hitters throughout the lineup, resulting in stringing together hits that scored runs. Coalfield batters registered only five strikeouts, compared to 14 for the Eagles. Another major factor was the aggressiveness of Coalfield’s base runners. Coalfield stole six bases, compared to only one for Oakdale.
The victory also assures Coalfield of a berth in sectional competition against a Region 1A team. For the Eagles, it was the end to a highly successful season. Next year promises to offer Morgan County baseball fans even greater competition – at one point, there was only one senior in the lineup for the combined teams.