Sunday, August 07, 2005
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal
Skyhawks top Reno, advance to region tournament
By DAMON SEITERS
REVIEW-JOURNAL
With the state tournament on the line Saturday night, the top of Silverado’s order came through.
Jordan Keegan led off the bottom of the seventh inning with a double, and Kyle Bostick singled him home to break a 5-5 tie and lead the Skyhawks to a 6-5 win over Reno in the championship game of the American Legion state tournament at UNLV’s Wilson Stadium.
Keegan doubled inside the first-base bag off Reno ace Garrett Luippold, who had come on in relief in the fourth inning. It was Keegan’s third hit of the game.
“That leadoff double there, that was clutch,” Silverado coach Brian Whitaker said. “Because then you’re in a situation where you can maybe even manufacture something.”
Bostick then lined a single to right field for the game winner. It is the first state championship for Silverado since 1999.
The Skyhawks (24-14) advance to the American Legion Western Regional, Aug. 11 to 15 at Community College of Southern Nevada. Sierra Vista, which won the regular-season league championship, also advances to the regional as a host team.
Reliever Kevin Chapman pitched three scoreless innings of relief to earn his second tournament victory.
“He threw nice tonight,” Whitaker said. “He came in in a tie-ballgame situation and gave us three good innings.”
The Skyhawks entered the tournament as the No. 5 seed and won despite an extremely young roster that featured just one graduated senior.
“We used 12 or 13 pitchers this summer and spread around the at-bats,” Whitaker said. “The whole thing is to try to develop these kids. I believe that you can develop and win. That’s kind of our mind-set and it worked out this year. It was a nice win for us tonight.”
Silverado led 5-3 entering the sixth, but the Knights scored twice to tie the game. Michael Brown walked to lead off the inning.
Two outs later, Adam Shochat singled to put runners on the corners. John Wallace and Bryan Hill each delivered RBI singles to make it 5-5.
Silverado wasted little time against Reno starter John Rice. Keegan led off the bottom of the first with a bloop single to left. After Bostick walked, Rance Roundy singled up the middle to bring home Keegan with the game’s first run.
After Reno tied the game, Silverado retook the lead in the third. Bostick led off with a single, and Roundy was hit by a pitch.
After a passed ball moved the runners to second and third, Kevin Rath singled up the middle to score two and make it 5-3.