‘B’ Division finals go to second game
Pioneer Community Baptist Church needed a second game to take the Warren County Church League’s “B” division championship Thursday night.
But after falling to Central 22-19 in the first title game, Pioneer — which came out of the losers’ bracket into the tourney finals — edged their foes 10-9 in the championship-deciding contest.
Central poured it on in the first game to win a nail-biter, scoring five runs in the sixth and four more in the seventh then holding on as Pioneer attempted a rally with five runs of its own in the bottom of the final inning.
In the deciding game, however, a six-run Pioneer second and clutch defense down the stretch were the keys to the championship victory.
Central opened the game with a three-run first, with a Blake Woodlee triple and doubles from Jeff and Jeremy Chisam highlighting the frame. Pioneer answered with three runs of its own in the bottom of the inning, thanks to hits from Nile Seamons, Bobby Bates, Kevin Owen and a double from Kenny Owen.
Central went down in order in the second, and fell behind when Pioneer plated six runs in the bottom of the inning. Doubles from Seamons and Jason Young, and a triple from Kevin Owen, were the big blasts that helped Pioneer to the big inning.
Jeremy Chisam doubled and scored in the top of the fourth to cut Central’s deficit to 9-4, and — after Pioneer plated a run in the bottom of the fourth — Joey Vinson scored in the fifth to make it a 10-5 game.
Central posted three more runs in the sixth, thanks to a three-run homer from Timmy Bryant, and Vinson doubled and scored in the top of the seventh. But pioneer’s defense turned a pair of plays when it counted, ending Central’s rally as well as the tournament.
Both teams had to top North Hills/New Hope to reach the championship game.