Spartans Victimized By Career Outing

Eighteen times West Springfield batters stepped into the box to face Menchville senior reliever Jharel Cotton yesterday in a Virginia AAA semifinal at Westfield. Twelve times they struck out against the Monarchs' No. 3 pitcher in a 6-5, season-ending loss.

Cotton acknowledged that he pitched "the best game of my life," which in turn made life miserable for the second-ranked Spartans, who could not figure out the right-hander who had transferred to the Newport News school from the Virgin Islands before the school year.

"You don't think of numbers" in the staff pecking order, said West Springfield junior third baseman Charlie Morgan, who had two hits off Menchville senior starter Matt Armstead (the team's No. 4 pitcher) but fanned twice against Cotton, the second time on a change-up for the final out of the game.

"It's frustrating not hitting anybody," Morgan added. "It doesn't matter who they bring in there. It's frustrating not hitting them, whether it's number one, two or three."

Menchville (25-2) advances to face Richmond area school Hanover (24-1) in the state final at 4 p.m. today at Westfield. Hanover beat Frank W. Cox, 3-0, last night in the second semifinal.

West Springfield, which had won 17 consecutive games and had not lost on Virginia soil all season, finished 23-5.

"Everything was working," Cotton said, resting in the bleachers after the game with ice packs on his right shoulder. "I had them thinking a lot, and I struck them out a lot."

West Springfield senior Bryn Renner and Morgan homered in the first inning off Armstead and delivered run-scoring hits off him again in the third. On came Cotton, who ended the threat. The Spartans got a runner on third with no outs in the sixth, but Cotton fanned the side. Renner knocked in another run with two outs in the seventh before Cotton retired Morgan for his third strikeout of that inning.

Twelve of the 14 outs he recorded were by strikeout. He walked none. Not bad for a guy who pitches in the long shadow of Division I-bound Ethan Carter (South Carolina) and Austin Chrismon (East Carolina). Cotton, who started in right field, will play at Miami Dade College.

"He just threw strikes," said Renner, who went 4 for 4. "I think we had a good approach at the plate, he just got the better of us."

Sophomore Jeff Gray and senior Devorn Lake combined for five of the Monarchs' 10 hits off All-Met senior right-hander Mike Kent, who struck out eight and walked four. Lake hit a two-run homer in the first.

"Mike threw well enough to win," West Springfield Coach John James said. "They hung in there and put some good swings on him, and they got the timely hits."

The Northern Region has not won a Virginia AAA baseball title since Madison in 2002.

Menchville 6 No. 2 West Springfield 5 First Things First: To reach the semifinals, Menchville first had to complete a 4-4 quarterfinal game with Stafford that had been suspended Wednesday in the sixth inning. Menchville won, 6-4, yesterday at Westfield. Trying on Pinstripes: West Springfield center fielder Bryn Renner, who has committed to North Carolina to play football and baseball, was among a group of about 25 players who worked out for the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Monday. The amateur draft begins Tuesday.