CHESAPEAKE, VA (WTKR)- One upset wasn't enough for Hickory baseball.
After nipping top-seeded First Colonial in the Region 5A semifinals, stealing a state tournament bid from the Patriots, the Hawks kept rolling, holding off second seeded Frank Cox, 13-10, in the region championship game on Tuesday night. Hickory will host a state quarterfinal game next week, while the Falcons will hit the road.
The two teams scored 14 combined runs in the first two innings, with Hickory holding the 8-6 lead after two frames. The Hawks would add a run in the fourth on a Keegan Megaro RBI single into left field. After a two-run fifth inning, which included a Cooper Newell solo home run, Cox trimmed the lead to 11-8 in their half of the inning.
Megaro came through again in the sixth when a single to center plated two more runs. The Falcons would mount a comeback attempt in the bottom of the seventh, but Spencer Sigmon induced a flyout to right to end the game with the bases loaded.
"It was a roller coaster of a game," Hickory senior pitcher Brandon Walsh said. "We went up and down, we fought back, we got punched, we punched them back. I'm just proud of these guys and I'm just glad we could stick it out and get the win at the end."
"That game was crazy," added junior outfielder Austin Jones. "It was up and down the whole time. It was a game of emotions and we really wanted that from last year when they beat us to send us home."
We will have more on Hickory baseball on Friday as our Esprit Decor Student-Athletes of the Week.
Other action Tuesday saw Landstown's season come to an end on the baseball diamond. The Eagles put together a strong comeback attempt in the top of the seventh at Cosby, trimming a 4-0 deficit to 4-3, but could not push the tying run across.
Grassfield's softball team also traveled to Cosby, where the Grizzlies fell to the defending state champion Titans, 3-1.
