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What Now for Nitro?
Written by Rick Ryan   
Monday, June 07 2010

After second title in three years, Wildcats facing uncertain future

If it was indeed the end of an era, then what a way to go.

Nitro capped an extraordinary four-year run Saturday with a 6-0 victory against Bridgeport in the Class AAA championship game at Appalachian Power Park.

The Wildcats (33-4), the No. 1 team in the Gazette's state rankings, captured their second title in three years and made their fourth straight visit to the state tournament a memorable one.

Zach Cloxton supplied the offense with two homers and five RBIs and J.R. Bradley provided the pitching with six innings of two-hit ball. Clay Riggleman shut the door and protected the shutout with a hitless seventh.

Bradley and fellow pitcher-infielder Andrew Pickering, a pair of four-year starters, closed out their Wildcat careers with a record of 120-24 (83.3 percent), including a sparkling 96-13 mark the past three years (88.1).

Nitro's two titles each came by shutout, as the Wildcats blanked Fairmont Senior 10-0 for the 2008 championship.

Since 1998, there have been 39 total championship games in all three classes, and only three shutouts, and Nitro now owns two of them. The other was Buffalo's 10-0 win over East Hardy in 2006 (Class A).

Bradley, a right-hander who is headed either to North Carolina State (where he signed a letter-of-intent) or a major league farm team (he's expected to be selected in this week's draft), said he got more satisfaction out of this year's title.

"I think it was more special this year,'' Bradley said. "We really had to strap it up and play. Two years ago, it was just a different team. It was a team that doesn't come around too often. This year, our road to get there was a little tougher. We had to put more together. The chemistry our team has is just unbelievable. I'm really glad I was part of it.''

The 2008 Wildcats, probably one of West Virginia's strongest-ever high school teams, plowed their way through much of the opposition, and posted a pair of 10-0 mercy-rule victories at the state tournament.

This year, Nitro had its share of close games, especially in the postseason:

A 9-8 sectional-clinching win over St. Albans when it trailed 6-0 at one point and scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh;

A 7-4 regional semifinal victory at Ripley when the Wildcats trailed 4-3 in the seventh and were down to their last strike before plating four runs;

A 3-2 state tournament semifinal win against Princeton when Bradley came on in relief of Pickering with two out in the bottom of the seventh and got the final out with the bases loaded.

Will all that drama and all that success continue into next season? It's hard to tell, since Nitro loses six of the 10 players who started Saturday's title game.

Slated to return are junior infielder Tyler Godbey (.487), sophomore catcher Korey Dunbar (.440, 40 RBIs), junior second baseman Levi Whitehead and sophomore outfielder Daniel Ramsey.

"They do lose experience,'' Bradley said, "but the thing is - the groundwork's been laid. All they've got to do is come in and play within themselves. Be a team and get along, and who knows what can happen?''

There has been speculation that coach Steve Pritchard, who also won a AA title with Sissonville in 1996, may leave coaching and become a vice-principal somewhere. At age 40, he carries a career record of 397-170-1 in 17 seasons, the last nine at Nitro.

Moments after Saturday's win, Pritchard wasn't ready to address any of that, or even his team's prospects for next season.

"I don't know,'' he said. "We're just going to enjoy this one, and we'll take you up on that one whenever that time comes around.''

 

 
 
Final Kanawha Valley Baseball Leaders - June 7
Written by Gazette Sports Writers   
Monday, June 07 2010

TEAM RECORDS

Pos-Team W-L-T Pct.

1. Nitro 33-4-0 .892

2. Hurricane 26-10-0 .722

3. Sissonville 26-12-0 .684

4. George Washington 23-12-0 .657

5. Buffalo 21-11-0 .656

5. Herbert Hoover 21-11-0 .656

7. Charleston Catholic 24-13-0 .649

8. South Charleston 20-11-0 .645

9. St. Albans 20-12-0 .625

10. Capital 19-16-0 .543

11. Winfield 15-19-0 .441

12. Poca 13-18-1 .422

13. Riverside 12-19-0 .387

HITTING

BATTING AVERAGE

(Minimum of 25 hits)

Player, School AB H Avg.

Noah Blackhurst, Hur. 116 66 .569

Jason Lewis, Buffalo 61 33 .540

Steven Lewis, Capital 91 46 .505

Tyler Godbey, Nitro 113 55 .487

J.R. Bradley, Nitro 118 57 .483

Jamie Hurd, Hoover 108 52 .481

Patrick Ryan, HH 107 51 .477

J.C. Morrison, Cap. 91 43 .473

Pat Lively, S. Chas. 96 45 .468

Sam Wood, Catholic 93 43 .462

Sammy McCoy, SA 87 40 .459

David Beaver, Poca 99 45 .455

Tyler Payne, Hurricane 111 50 .450

Josh Hudson, S. Chas. 98 44 .448

Bo McKown, Catholic 131 58 .443

Korey Dunbar, Nitro 109 48 .440

Chris Knapp, River. 104 45 .433

Darryl Deliere, HH 103 44 .427

Alex Levitan, GW 117 50 .427

Eric Stone, Capital 96 41 .427

Andrew Pickering, Nit. 99 42 .407

Cody Hobbs, River. 97 41 .423

Alex Bobinger, CC 83 35 .422

Brody Prudnick, CC 92 38 .413

Kirby Patterson, GW 107 44 .411

Tyler Ratliff, River. 95 39 .411

Jared Tucker, Buffalo 78 32 .410

Zach Cloxton, Nitro 123 50 .407

Josh Kiser, St. Albans 92 37 .402

Cody Ballard, Capital 110 44 .400

Tyler Burdette, Sisson. 108 43 .398

Josh Clark, Winfield 109 43 .394

Josh Burdette, SC 99 38 .383

Tyler Fisher, S. Chas. 77 29 .376

Andy Hapney, SA 101 38 .376

Cory Bird, Hoover 96 36 .375

Kenny Harper, Sisson. 120 45 .375

Derek Ryder, Hoover 91 34 .374

Evan Woods, Capital 94 35 .372

Derek May, GW 89 33 .371

Barrett Arnold, Winf. 100 37 .370

Regan Patton, GW 111 41 .369

Geovany Miranda, Cap. 95 35 .368

Kiefer Hovorka, CC 72 26 .361

Clay Riggleman, Nit. 92 35 .361

Nick Harrison, River. 86 31 .360

Nelson McKown, CC 100 36 .360

Thad Carpenter, Cap. 95 34 .359

Josh Falbo, Hurricane 117 42 .359

Patrick Huxley, CC 92 33 .359

Dylan Ramsey, SA 107 38 .355

Sam Kmiec, Hurricane 117 41 .350

HOME RUNS

13 - J.R. Bradley, Nitro; 8 - Jason Lewis, Buffalo; Wade Walters, St. Albans; 7 - Sam Wood, Catholic; 6 - Zach Cloxton, Nitro; Sam Kmiec, Hurricane; Patrick Ryan, Hoover; 5 - Noah Blackhurst, Hurricane; Jamie Hurd, Hoover; Kirby Patterson, GW; 4 - Brandon Davis, Hoover; Korey Dunbar, Nitro; Josh Falbo, Hurricane; Sammy McCoy, St. Albans; Geovany Miranda, Capital; Regan Patton, GW; Tyler Payne, Hurricane; Gabe White, Hoover

RUNS BATTED IN

55 - Jason Lewis, Buffalo; 53 - Sam Kmiec, Hurricane; 52 - J.R. Bradley, Nitro; 49 - Patrick Ryan, Hoover; 44 - Wade Walters, St. Albans; 42 - Noah Blackhurst, Hurricane; Sam Wood, Catholic; 40 - Korey Dunbar, Nitro; 39 - Kirby Patterson, GW; 38 - Patrick Huxley, Catholic; 37 - Tyler Payne, Hurricane; 36 - Zach Cloxton, Nitro; 35 - Cody Ballard, Capital; 34 - Sammy McCoy, St. Albans; 33 - Jamie Hurd, Hoover; Regan Patton, GW; 32 - Geovany Miranda, Capital; 31 - Nelson McKown, Catholic; J.C. Morrison, Capital; Clay Riggleman, Nitro; Eric Stone, Capital; 30 - Tyler Burdette, Sissonville; Brandon Davis, Hoover; Andrew Pickering, Nitro

STOLEN BASES

49 - Tyler Burdette, Sissonville; 46 - Bo McKown, Catholic; 33 - J.C. Morrison, Capital; 31 - Jason Lewis, Buffalo; Evan Woods, Capital; 25 - Kenny Harper, Sissonville; Steven Lewis, Capital; 22 - Zach Cloxton, Nitro; 21 - Tyler McClaskie, Capital; 20 - Tyler Godbey, Nitro; Clay Riggleman, Nitro; 19 - Brad Carpenter, Sissonville; 17 - Colin Davis, Hurricane; Taylor Farris, Catholic; 16 - Derek Tate, Sissonville; 15 - Alex Levitan, GW; Zack Montebell, Hurricane; Patrick Ryan, Hoover; 14 - Cory Sovine, Hurricane

PITCHING

WINS

13-0 - J.R. Bradley, Nitro; 12-6 - Jameson Landers, Sissonville; 9-0 - Andrew Pickering, Nitro; 9-3 - Cody Ballard, Capital; 8-0 - Derek May, GW; 8-3 - Jason Lewis, Buffalo; 7-1 - Kyle Huffman, GW; Patrick Ryan, Hoover; 7-2 - Patrick Huxley, Catholic; Sam Wood, Catholic; 7-3 - Sam Kmiec, Hurricane; 6-1 - Clay Riggleman, Nitro; 6-3 - Thad Carpenter, Capital; 6-6 - Andy Hapney, St. Albans; 6-8 - Joe Mounts, GW; 5-1 - Calvin Bench, St. Albans; Tyler Burdette, Sissonville; 5-3 - Drew Lawrence, Hurricane

STRIKEOUTS

130 - Jason Lewis, Buffalo (622/3 innings pitched); 114 - Patrick Ryan, Hoover (59 IP); 113 - Jameson Landers, Sissonville (1072/3 IP); 109 - J.R. Bradley, Nitro (691/3 IP); 88 - Sam Wood, Catholic (62 IP); 84 - Jamie Hurd, Hoover (642/3 IP); 83 - Sam Kmiec, Hurricane (63 IP); 78 - Andrew Pickering, Nitro (54 IP); 73 - Clay Riggleman, Nitro (551/3 IP); 69 - Joe Mounts, GW (691/3 IP); 65 - Taylor Humphrey, Poca (551/3 IP); 64 - Thad Carpenter, Capital (641/3 IP); 62 - Cody Ballard, Capital (702/3 IP); 58 - Derek May, GW (661/3 IP); 57 - Calvin Bench, St. Albans (60 IP); 55 - Ryan Baldwin, Sissonville (56 IP); 53 - David Beaver, Poca (481/3 IP); 52 - Matt McClanahan, Poca (442/3 IP)

EARNED RUN AVERAGE

(Minimum of 30 innings pitched)

0.61 - J.R. Bradley, Nitro (691/3 IP); 0.84 - Jason Lewis, Buffalo (622/3 IP); 1.13 - Sam Wood, Catholic (62 IP); 1.65 - Clay Riggleman, Nitro (551/3 IP); 1.78 - Sam Kmiec, Hurricane (63 IP); 1.95 - Andrew Pickering, Nitro (54 IP); 2.01 - Tyler Burdette, Sissonville (451/3 IP); 2.14 - Alex Bobinger, Catholic (322/3 IP); 2.32 - Joe Mounts, GW (691/3 IP); 2.47 - Jameson Landers, Sissonville (1072/3 IP); 2.50 - Ryan Baldwin, Sissonville (56 IP); 2.60 - Drew Lawrence, Hurricane (401/3 IP); 2.87 - Cody Ballard, Capital (702/3 IP); 2.99 - Thad Carpenter, Capital (641/3 IP)

NOTE: Includes only players from Kanawha and Putnam counties. Figures provided by schools.

 
 
Wildcats Back on Top
Written by Rick Ryan   
Saturday, June 05 2010

Cloxton, Bradley come up big as Nitro claims second championship in three years

The way it all came about may have looked a bit different, but the end result was all too familiar.

Nitro hung a loss on another opponent and soon will hang another state championship banner.

Zach Cloxton belted a pair of homers and drove in five runs Saturday night and J.R. Bradley closed out his remarkable career with six strong innings as the Wildcats blanked Bridgeport 6-0 in the Class AAA finals before an estimated crowd of 3,500 at Appalachian Power Park.

It marks the second title in three years for Nitro (33-4), the No. 1 team in the Gazette's state rankings. No. 5 Bridgeport (23-13) was seeking its first crown in AAA after taking titles as a double-A school in 1993 and 2000. 

The Wildcats, as expected, got a stellar performance from Bradley (13-0), the North Carolina State recruit who's expected to be selected in the major league draft, which begins Monday.

Bradley allowed just two singles - one a dribbler in the infield - and struck out seven with two bases on balls. He could only work six innings because he came on in relief Friday night to throw 13 pitches to two batters and close the door in a 3-2 win over Princeton.

"He didn't have to do this,'' said Nitro coach Steve Pritchard. "He took a chance on his career to come out and throw last night and throw today the way he did. J.R. didn't have to do that. It just shows what kind of winner J.R. is.''

The Wildcats wound up with a 120-24 record in the four-year starting careers of Bradley and fellow pitcher-infielder Andrew Pickering - as well as four state tournament berths.

But Nitro also got contributions Saturday from sources that weren't as expected.

Cloxton, the team's leadoff hitter, broke out of a slump in a big way.

He'd gone 0-for-4 in both the regional finals win at Cabell Midland and Friday's first-round victory. He singled in the first inning (later getting picked off second), then followed with a three-run homer in the second and a two-run shot in the fourth, accounting for all the runs in a 5-0 Nitro lead. He was intentionally walked in the sixth.

"He's been doing it all year,'' Pritchard said. "It was just nice to see Zach do it on a big stage like this.''

Cloxton's homers, which came off Indians surprise starter Brady Weaver, were his fifth and sixth of the season.

"I hit real good in [batting practice] today,'' Cloxton said, "and normally when I hit good in BP, I do bad in games. I don't know what happened. I was feeling good today and seeing the ball well, and it carried. Every time they threw me the ball inside, those are the ones I was able to turn on.''

Left-hander Clay Riggleman, the sometimes-forgotten No. 3 pitcher on the staff, needed to close out the game since Bradley was limited to six innings because of his relief stint Friday and Pickering was also out of innings. Riggleman did so with gusto, striking out the first two, allowing a walk, then inducing a comebacker to the mound to end it.

Riggleman said he was ready for the assignment and wasn't worried.

"No, I've thrown good all year,'' he said. "I was just thinking, 'Go out there and throw strikes.'''

Daniel Ramsey, the No. 9 hitter who made just one out in the entire tournament and joined Bradley, Cloxton and Pickering on the all-tournament team, drew a pair of walks and scored on each of Cloxton's clouts.

Nitro also got two defensive gems from second baseman Levi Whitehead and one from third baseman Gus Darby to cut down potential Indians rallies.

With runners at second and third and two out, Darby made a nice scoop and throw to gun down Nunzio Bonamico and end the fourth. Whitehead made a spectacular diving stab of Tommie Brunswick's grounder in the fifth to get a force out on the lead runner at second.

With normally heavy-hitting Nitro getting just six hits for a second straight night, Pritchard was glad for all the bonus contributions.

"That's a good thing,'' he said. "Our team coming in had been good hitting one through nine [in the lineup]. Different people produced and it makes pitching to us tough because you constantly have somebody up there who can hurt you. It was different spots in the lineup, and that's the way it's been all year. That's why we're state champs.''

Bridgeport managed just two hits off Bradley, but did have nine baserunners in all and four were left in scoring position.

"Two hits will not win a tournament game,'' said Indians coach Robert Shields. "We had runners on base, we had people in scoring position. We went up there and we took our cuts at Bradley for the most part. We battled. I thought we had some good approaches at the plate.

"We had two pitching mistakes [on Cloxton's homers] and we should have been out of the inning on one. They hit a little flare with spin on it and it got away [for an error].''

Weaver got the call instead of Brunswick (6-1), who Shields said would start following Friday's 5-0 semifinal win against Fairmont Senior.

Bridgeport wasn't able to piece together a big late rally that had become the trademark of this state tournament. Nine of the Indians' final 10 batters were retired.

Bradley was able to go out on a high note, fanning the final two he faced in the top of the sixth. He left to a standing ovation from the Nitro fans and was greeted and hugged by each of the Wildcats' coaches upon entering the dugout.

"There were a lot of mixed emotions going into that pitch,'' Bradley said. "One, I felt like I had a little pop on it, so I was glad about that. Two, I struck the guy out, so I was even more happy there. And the thing was, that was the last pitch I'll throw wearing a Nitro uniform. I wouldn't trade it for the world, coming down here. It's just been a blast.''

Reach Rick Ryan at 304-348-5175 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

 

 
 
State Baseball Tournament: Nitro Survives, Plays for State Title on Saturday
Written by Sports Writers   
Saturday, June 05 2010

The Nitro High School baseball team got what it would expect from two seniors who were playing in their sixth State Tournament games.

Andrew Pickering pitched six-plus strong innings and shortstop J.R. Bradley hit a solo homer and made several critial defensive plays as the Wildcats survived a scare from underdog Princeton with a 3-2 semifinal victory.

The win puts Nitro (32-4) in today's Class AAA title game at approximately 6 p.m. against Bridgeport.

The Tigers scored on a Colt Karnes hit to cut the lead to one, but left the bases loaded in the sixth and seventh innings.

"The strikeout on three pitches in the fifth inning got Andrew going," said Nitro Coach Steve Pritchard, who will be seeking his third state title as a coach today. "He struck the guy out on three pitches - fastball, curve, curve - and from then on he was really good.

"I hated to take him out, but when you have the best pitcher in the state at shortstop you can't 'what ifs' 'what mights,' you have to go with him."

Pickering went 62/3 innings with eight strikeouts and two walks. With one out in the fifth inning, Princeton's Alex Quick singled off Pickering, who then struck out leadoff hitter Sean Williams on three pitches. Steven Owens got the count full against Pickering before striking out swinging.

When Pickering departed with two outs in the seventh, Bradley entered, walked Seth Rose on a full count then induced Austin Southcott to ground out to second baseman Levi Whitehead.

Bradley finished the game and will get the start on Saturday against the Indians. He had one putout and four assists on defense, but said the key was Pickering's focus.

"The good thing Pick did is not give up any extra-base hits and didn't really put any runners on," Bradley said. "They got eight or nine or 10 hits, but the hits they got were just singles that we could keep under control."

The Tigers finished with 11 hits, but few were hard hit. Williams, Corey Quick and Colt Karnes had two apiece - all singles. The game's only extra-base hits were a double by Korey Dunbar and Bradley's home run, which gave Nitro a 2-0 lead in the third inning.

Dunbar had an RBI, as did Jon Entenmann for the Wildcats.

When Bradley moves to the mound on Saturday, Pickering will shift to shortstop - both seeking their second state title in their fourth state tournament trip as high school varsity baseball players.

Pickering said the experience played a key role in his bulldog mentality in the victory over Princeton.

"It was tough, but I definitely think I matured the four years I was at Nitro," Pickering said. "You're battling for the last game of your season, you have to go out with a bang. You just keep thinking that the next pitch could be your last one of high school."

 

 

 
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