Rebels notch victory
By By Marty Stamper / EMG sports assistant
April 30, 2004
HEIDELBERG Justin Gibbs' sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth inning plated Derek Griffin for the winning run as Heidelberg Academy eased past Newton County Academy 6-5 Thursday afternoon at Mitch Gavin Memorial Field.
The win gave the 2003 Class A state runner-up Rebels a series sweep. Heidelberg will face the Winona Academy-East Holmes Academy winner Tuesday in state semifinal action.
Heidelberg improved to 25-0 and won the Central State championship with Thursday's victory. The Rebels had six hits, two of which went for extra bases. NCA had nine hits, one of which went for a double.
Heidelberg's Paul Zeagler (9-0) got the win, and NCA's Tommy Harthcock (8-2) took the loss.
The Generals went up 1-0 in the top of the first inning as Sam Thames reached on an error, moved up on Lee Blackburn's bunt single, and scored on a fielder's choice by John Shellenback.
NCA took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second as Daniel Grimes led off with a double and came home on a two-out single by Thames.
The Rebels drew even with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second. Mason Key led off with a solo homer, his 12th, to right field. Ryan Aultman beat out an infield hit and scored on a single by Griffin.
The Generals went up 3-2 with a run in the top of the third as Blake Hedrick got second base when his grounder to shortstop was thrown into the NCA dugout. After an error on a pickoff attempt, Hedrick scored on another fielder's choice by Shellenback.
Heidelberg took its first lead of the game with two runs in the bottom of the third. Matthew Andrews followed a single by Brent Welch with a base on balls. Brooks Lewis drove in Welch with a single, and Andrews came home on a fielder's choice by Key.
The Rebels took a 5-3 lead in the fourth as Ian Sharp walked and scored on a sacrifice fly by Andrews.
NCA tied the game with two runs in the top of the sixth. Shellenback and Harthcock had back-to-back, one-out singles with Jason Tune and Ben Thames getting RBI singles one out later.
Griffin set the stage for the go-ahead run when he led off the bottom of the sixth with a high chop over third base that went for a double.
Griffin went 2-for-3 for Heidelberg. Sam Thames went 2-for-4 for the Generals.
