EMORY, Va. – It was a Holston heartbreaker.

Again.

For the second time in a week Thursday at Patrick Henry High School, the Cavaliers suffered a walk-off loss to Chilhowie, this time on a two-error play in the bottom of the seventh that gave the Warriors a 5-4 win and the Hogoheegee District tournament championship.

After walking in the winning run in a zany 17-16 loss last Friday to Chilhowie in a regular season playoff, the Cavaliers were again undone by wildness on the mound.

The two Holston pitchers, starter John Pratt and Cody Hawkins, who came on in relief in the fifth, combined to walk 11, including five of the first six batters and Andrew Russell leading off the bottom of the seventh.

After trotting to first, Russell broke for second on the next pitch and then scampered around the bases when catcher Cody Blevins’ throw sailed into the outfield and slipped by center fielder Richie Casey.

“This is a special group,” said Chilhowie coach Jeff Robinson about his find-a-way-to-win bunch.

Russell also had the game-tying hit in the fifth on a slow roller to the right side as the Warriors scored three runs to tie the score at four after Holston had taken a 4-1 lead with four runs in the fourth.

The two teams combined for 30 hits last week in the regular season playoff, but managed just five each in the tournament finals.

Bramlett turns the double play for Holston.
Photo by Andre Teague, Bristol Herald Courier

“I think everybody out here tonight expected another shootout,”  Robinson said.

Instead, walks and errors far outnumbered hits and runs.

Chilhowie starter Tyler King struck out five and allowed only one hit before running into trouble in the fourth. A throwing error by shortstop Rhett Sturgill allowed two runs to score, but Sturgill helped King get out of the rough inning with a strong throw for the third out.

King finished with six strikeouts in four and one-third innings of work.

The game featured only two extra base hits, one each off the bat of the two catchers.

Chilhowie’s Adam Powers slammed a two-RBI double in the fifth and Blevins blasted a two-out double for Holston in the top of the seventh that fell just short of the left field wall.

Blevins, though, was stranded on second when Luke Wampler grounded out to second, setting the stage for another Chilhowie celebration.

Robinson said he hopes the winning touch continues into regionals next Tuesday when Chilhowie will host Radford.

“I feel like we are playing our best baseball at the right time,” he said.

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