Giants advance to finals

By Doug Layman Correspondent
Published: May 16, 2008

With Molly Hatchet’s “Flirtin’ with Disaster” blasting between innings, Waynesboro’s Joseph Lucas was flirting with a no-hitter as the Little Giants dismantled Rockbridge 6-2 in Southern Valley District baseball tournament action at Kate Collins Field on Friday.
Lucas lost his no-no and his perfect game with one out in the fifth inning when Wildcats’ pitcher Ryan Miller drilled a 0-1 curveball to center. But the junior lefty finished with a three-hitter and struck out 12 to take the win.
“I knew I had [the no-hitter] going, but I wasn’t worried about keeping it,” Lucas said. “I was just thinking about throwing strikes.”
Lucas was perfect through four innings — with eight strikeouts — and the Little Giants backed him up with a couple of unearned runs.
“Joseph was really on except for that seventh inning,” Waynesboro coach Jim Critzer said.  “His curve wasn’t working early, but it came around.”
Wildcat throwing errors accounted for the first two Waynesboro runs and Josh Craig gave the Little Giants a 3-0 cushion in the fifth as he stroked a single to left to drive in Jay Thompson. Thompson had drilled a one-out, stand-up triple ahead of Craig’s RBI hit and he also doubled and scored in the first. Craig also doubled in the second.
“I just try to zone everything out,” Craig said. “I try to stay relaxed and not get nervous.”
Waynesboro put the game away with a three-run sixth.
Consecutive errors allowed Derek Hall and Will Freeman to reach base and Lucas helped his cause with a run-scoring single down the right field line to chase Miller. Terrell Thompson welcomed relief pitcher Rylen Newcomb by coaxing a walk to load the bases and Jay Thompson delivered the killer blow — a scorching liner past the bag at third to drive in two more.
Lucas lost his bid for a shutout when he tired in the seventh. Two singles and a hit batsman accounted for the Wildcat runs.
“I was a bit rusty,” Lucas said. “I hadn’t started in a week. But once I got into it, I was OK.
“My fastball was really working and I felt really good [on the mound.] I was hitting my spots and keeping [Rockbridge] off balance.”
Lucas was visibly upset when he gave up his first hit — and he followed that up with his only walk. But his first baseman helped to settle him down.
“I just told Joseph ‘the pressure is off. Just go out and have fun’,” Craig said.
Craig also helped the cause on defense, spearing a Chris Strecker line drive in the top of the third to keep the Wildcats hitless.
“That’s probably the best defense I’ve played all year,” Craig joked. “I don’t have much mobility out there, but I do what I can.”
Waynesboro didn’t commit any errors and Terrell Thompson made several running catches in right field to take hits away from Rockbridge.
Thompson dashed from the Southern Valley District track meet where he placed third in the long jump and ran in the 4x100-meter relay.
“Terrell played good defense for us,” Critzer said.  “He didn’t get to the field until 5:40. I thought I was going to have to scratch him.
“We played like we needed to play — no errors, nine or 10 hits, scored six runs. And I ran us out of a couple of innings,” Critzer said, alluding to a couple of steal attempts gone awry and a throw-out at third in the fifth inning.
“And [Kendall] Wolfe did a good job behind the plate. He blocked a couple of third strikes and threw guys out at first. If they get on, it could be a different ball game.”
Lucas tossed 101 pitches in the win and doesn’t feel nervous about facing Fort Defiance in the tournament final on Tuesday.
“I’m confident about the way we are playing right now,” Lucas said. “The pressure is all on [Fort.]”