Blacksburg shocks previously unbeaten Tunstall in Region IV baseball tourney

By Matt Fuchs
Danville Register & Bee
Published: May 28, 2008

DRY FORK — It was a tough spot. Tunstall’s Justin Thompson knew that much. But then again, he’d been in situations like this before and come through just fine.

Switching from catcher to relief pitcher in the top of the eighth inning, Thompson tried to recapture the magic that has helped the Trojans out of some tight jams before. But one mistake left that plan in shambles, as a fastball over the middle of the plate turned into Blacksburg’s go-ahead run in its 4-3 Region IV quarterfinal victory over the Trojans on Tuesday.

“It was supposed to be outside,” Thompson said. “But I left it over the middle and he just hit it right back where it came from.”

It wasn’t the first mistake in what had previously been a perfect season for the Trojans (22-1), but it proved to be their last.

Tunstall started well against the Bruins (17-7), managing to scrape together a run in the bottom of the fourth on a Blacksburg error before tacking on two more runs in the fifth thanks to more Bruins miscues.

Yet, even though Tunstall starter Joe Mantiply hadn’t exactly been cruising — allowing five hits and a walk through five innings — Blacksburg continued to strand runners in scoring position no matter how early it got on base. It seemed as though that 3-0 lead the Trojans had cobbled together would be enough to hold up in the long run. Or at least it did until the sixth inning.

Blacksburg finally got to Mantiply in the top of the sixth, ripping off four hits and rallying with two runs to pull close at 3-2. And then the Bruins kept that momentum rolling in the seventh inning, when Mark Manthe took a Mantiply offering just over the center field fence for a solo home run and a 3-3 ballgame.

“They say baseball is a game of inches, and I feel like that tonight,” Tunstall coach Barry Shelton said, referencing Manthe’s homer. “That’s a few inches from being a play that ends up being caught and the game doesn’t change. …Two outs, let’s move on.”

With only one out away and Blacksburg runners on the corners in the eighth inning, Shelton turned to Thompson midway through Greg Juanarena’s at-bat, hoping the senior could escape the jam so similar to the one he got out of in the Piedmont District championship game on Thursday.

And Thompson nearly did it again. If only it hadn’t been for the fastball that ended up as an over-the-middle gift to the Bruins.

“I just made a bad pitch, and (Juanarena) got it and it went through,” Thompson said.

Juanarena’s single to left off scored the runner from third and gave Blacksburg a 4-3 lead heading into the bottom of the eighth that Tunstall could never recover from. The Trojans were set down in order in their final half inning — a ground ball and a pair of fly balls bringing a teary end to their season.

“This is hard, especially because we haven’t had (a loss) this season,” Thompson said. “Knowing that you can’t get another chance at it, or to get to come out here and play with your friends … it’s tough.”

Added Shelton: “I just feel bad for our seniors. We had a good season. I wish it could have went on further. But on any given day …”