2A State Semi-Final Game – Linden Kildare defeats Valley Mills

The sun game out full force for Game 1 of the 2A State Semi-Final matchup between Linden Kildare and Valley Mills.  The wind had shifted from the morning games and was blowing slightly from left field to right field.  The visiting Linden Kildare Tigers would wear blue tops with white sleeves and white pants.  The home team, the Valley Mills Eagles would wear white tops, with green sleeves and white pants.

Each team would get leadoff singles in the first, but neither team could get a runner past second.  Linden Kildare’s leadoff, Dalton Alford, singled to right field.  A double play sent him back to the dugout.  A strikeout by Chase Keeton would end the inning.  In the bottom of the first, Chase Keeton would leadoff with a single but there wasn’t much excitement after that.  End of 1 – no score.

The top of the second was very similar.  A leadoff single by Nic Kunze and little more.  Valley Mills would go down in order on a groundout to short, a flyout to left and a flyout to center field.  At the end of two, there was still no score.  Linden Kildare would capitalize on 2 Valley Mills errors to score one run on 1 hit and a walk in the top of the 3^rd.  Valley Mills could not muster any offense in their half of the third.  A ground out to short, a flyout behind second and a popout to second ended the third,

The pitching duel would continue into the forth as Chase Keeton would get two quick outs from a groundout and a flyout before hitting Colt Neville with a pitch.  Neville would steal second before Keeton struck out Trent Wert to end the top of the 4^th.  Valley Mills would get Tyler Phillip on first after a single.  It got interesting after this. Tyler would advance run to second thinking it was ball 4 to Cooper Buxkemper; but it was just ball 3.  The second baseman would drop the ball on the tag.  But Phillip would then be picked off at second by Pitcher Jacob Owen.

In the fifth, Chase Keeton would entice a flyout to Caden Collins, a ground out to Cory McNair and record strikeout number 7 to end the top of the 5^th.  Valley Mills couldn’t get the offense going as Cooper Lane grounded out to second baseman Chase Bynum.  Dalton Alford made a great play up the middle to complete the 6-3 play on Copper Nix for out number 2.  Caden Collins would get a single but that would be all the offense as Eli McNair popped out to Dalton Alford at shortstop.

It was still 1-0 Linden Kildare headed to the sixth.  Valley Mills would send Linden Kildare down in order after a pop-out to shortstop, a groundout to the pitcher and strikeout number 8 for Keeton.  Valley Mills bats were still cold and they went down in order.  As we headed to the 7^th, a leadoff walk and a hit by pitch put runners on first and second with one out for Linden Kildare.  The lugs nuts would get really loose as Linden Kildare scored 4 after a hit batter and a critical error by the right fielder that allowed 3 runs to score.  Linden Kildare would take a 5 run lead into the bottom of the 7^th.  Valley Mills would go down in order.  Linden Kildare advanced to the State Finals to play the winner of Dallardsville Big Sandy versus Albany.

WP –  Jacob Owen

LP –  Chase Keeton

Player of the Game:  Jacob Owen