VA Great Bridge Duo No-Hits Hickory in SE District Semi's

No Hitter For Wildcats
Suffolk, VA

Southeastern District Tournament Semi's sees 2 hits in 14 innings for the home teams.
2009 LHP Eddie Perkins and 2010 LHP Anthony Stokes (pic left) held the Hickory Hawks to no hits in a 3-2 win that saw Hickory get both runs off errors.

On a brisk night and a late start time, 8pm, Great Bridge earned the right to face Western Branch to determine who will advance to the Eastern Regional Tournament at Old Dominion University.

Hickory started senior Cory Inman, who suffered his first loss of the season and was effective in keeping Great Bridge hitters off stride for most of the game.  Back to back hits scored the 2nd and 3rd runs for the Wildcats which would be enough for Anthony Stokes to work with when he entered the game in the 5th inning.  Stokes got the last out of the game with a swing and a miss on a fastball up in the zone as the night air provided enough chill to be able to see his breath as he took the signals for the last batter.  Inman, a Ferrum signee, suffered his first blemish of the season against a very potent Wildcat offense.

In the first game of the evening, Western Branch scored in the first and never looked back in a 7-0 victory over regular season number 1 and regional assured Indian River Braves.  Nick Thompson (2009 RHP) held the Braves to just 2 hits over seven innings.  

In a game that has the number one seed assured a spot in the regional playoffs, this 1 vs 4 match up has long been a very poor indicator of the health a team.  Every season the number one seed tends to throw non- number one starters to supposibly rest for the regional.  This strategy has not shown to be a very good prelude for the number one seed in the regional with the overwhelming majority bowing out in the first game of the regional tournament when comming in with the loss in the previous game.

Only time will tell if this trend is broken this year.

Number 1's for the Eastern Regional Tournament are
Indian River    Southeastern No 1            Cox          Beach No.1
Menchville      Peninsula No 1                  Maury       Eastern No. 1