STATE EXTRA: Giants heading back to Pulaski

By Bucky Dent / Media General News Service
Published: June 3, 2008

ABINGDON — Even when odds and reality suggested otherwise, Abingdon’s baseball team thought it could rally for a win in Tuesday’s Group AA quarterfinal.
After all, the Falcons wiped out a 9-3 deficit with six outs left against Hidden Valley in Friday’s Region IV finals.
“I really believed our kids were going to come back and win,” Abingdon coach Mark Francisco said.
But Region III runnerup Waynesboro wasn’t going to serve as the Falcons’ foil. Junior Joseph Lucas worked a complete game four-hitter as the Little Giants eliminated Abingdon 6-2 at Falcon Park.
Waynesboro (19-6) pieced together three-run rallies against Falcon ace Justin Malone (4-2) in the third and fourth innings, finishing with 10 hits to earn its second straight trip the Group AA Final Four.
But Malone, like the rest of his teammates, remained convinced a victory was destined until right fielder Terrell Thompson dove into straightaway center field to rob Matt Rasnake of a hit for the final out.
“We have a motto that Falcons never quit,” Malone said. “We’re a comeback team. I never had a doubt in my mind that we could come back and give them a run for their money.
“But things fell the wrong way and we didn’t.”
Lucas was the main reason why Abingdon (19-8) didn’t win its first state tournament game since 1997. Using a deceptive motion and deftly changing speeds to keep the Falcons off balance, Lucas shut down a team which scored 32 runs on 37 hits in winning the Region IV crown.
Lucas also worked around four errors — all by the infield’s right side — as he improved to 10-0.
“Lucas pitched a great game,” veteran Little Giants coach Jim Critzer said. “Abingdon’s got a great club over there, but Lucas worked in and out and his fastball was tough to hit. They hit some balls hard right at our defense, but a four-hitter against Abingdon is fantastic.”
The game’s key hit was Josh Craig’s two-out, two-run double down the left field line in the top of the third, capping a three-run inning which put Waynesboro ahead for good. All three runs were unearned, thanks to a throwing error.
Four singles, a fielder’s choice and another throwing error led to three more Little Giants runs in the fourth. From there, Malone retired 12 of the last 13 hitters he faced, but the margin was too steep and the opposing pitcher too skilled.
“I didn’t hit my spots like I should have,” Malone said.
Malone gave the Falcons a 1-0 first inning lead on a passed ball. Abingdon’s other run scored in the fourth when Preston Pionk’s two-out single to right chased Josh Barker home.
That was it for the offensive highlights, and, ultimately, the Falcons’ season.
“Our kids never gave up,” Francisco said, “but their pitcher got a lot of pop-ups from us and their hitters were patient.”