William Monroe’s Keegan Woolford was searching all over the place as the celebration, at least for a second, died down.
“Can I please get some water,” Woolford said.
The freshman had earned it. In the bottom of the eighth inning with the game still deadlocked, Woolford cracked a single to centerfield and in turn brought in Austin Batten to secure a 5-4 victory and the Group A, Division 2 championship for the Dragons.
A lot of teams would’ve been nervous with a freshman who hits seventh facing that situation with an out and runners in scoring position in the bottom of the eighth. But Monroe’s entire bench wasn’t worried when Woolford stepped into the box. In fact, Logan Forloines was thrilled.
“I’d say he’s top five (as far as hitters he wants up in that situation),” Forloines said. “He’s just a natural hitter.”
Head coach Mike Maynard went a step further.
“Top three,” Maynard said. “He’s done that all year long. He’s got a natural swing. I was happy he was up.”
Woolford showed exactly why Maynard was that confident, connecting for the critical hit that sent the Monroe bench into hysterics as the Dragons celebrated a wild victory for the school’s first state baseball title.
The hit capped a roller coaster ride of a championship game for the Dragons, who leapt out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the second on the strength of a three-run home run by Ryan Leake. They held that four-run advantage fifth inning solo shot by Chilhowie’s Aaron Conley cut into the lead. An inning later, Monroe loaded the bases with three straight walks. Jordan Gentry, who threw 7.2 innings for the Dragons, struggled a bit during the inning with throwing strikes.
“I wasn’t feeling the best and I just kept trying to throw strikes, but I walked too many to win really,” Gentry said. “But we got a hit.”
That hit came from Woolford, but not until Chilhowie turned the bases loaded situation into a tie ballgame. A bases clearing double by hurler Caleb Sheets changed the equation for Monroe who’d led for most of the ballgame. Gentry remained steady for the Dragons though and threw until Lamar Nelson came in needing one out in the eighth. He surrendered a pair of hits but Chilhowie got aggressive on the basepaths on the second hit. That’s when Monroe’s Logan Forloines hauled in an on point throw, blocked the plate and came up with a critical tag to send the game to the bottom of the eighth and set the stage for Woolford’s hit.
Woolford’s game-winner came after Batten drew a walk and Spencer Breeden got him into scoring position with a single.
The Dragons’ eight seniors, Gentry, Forloines, Nelson, Breeden, Ryan Morris, Jacob Hirtz, Trey Kirby and Michael Thompson, got to savor the victory in their cap and gowns. Shortly after the state championship trophy presentation, the eight graduates tossed the gowns over their dusty, dirty uniforms and were handed diplomas, walking across the infield near the third baseline. Monroe’s other seniors graduated at 9 a.m. Saturday morning.
The victory was particularly sweet for Gentry, the Region B and Bull Run player of the year, Monroe’s ace and leadoff hitter. Gentry lost his mother Brenda Gentry in March to a battle with brain cancer. The Monroe baseball family rallied around Gentry and his father Farron. The Dragons’ caps are emblazoned with Brenda’s initials and they kept her memory close every day, every game.
“At her grave we said ‘we’re going to win a state title,’” Gentry said. “Every time out of the huddle we said ‘let’s do it for BG.’”
They just did.
