Warriors fall one game short
Last Updated on 6/19/2013
Published on 3/6/2013
By Chris Sokoloski
csokoloski@gtowntimes.com
Waccamaw High finished second at the seventh annual Coastal Invitational Baseball Tournament, which wrapped up Sunday afternoon.
Chesterfield beat Waccamaw 1-0 to claim the tournament title. The Rams' Kolby Croxton was named most valuable player. He batted .400 and had three saves on the mound. Chesterfield's Taylor King won the home run derby with eight home runs and 37 points.
Chesterfield also beat Marlboro County 7-5, Andrews 3-0, and Pendleton 6-0.
Waccamaw High coach Jeff Gregory, who organizes the event, said the tournament was one of the most competitive in the event's short history.
"That's a tribute to the teams that were here, they were all high quality teams," Gregory said.
Of the tournament's 16 games, nine were decided by one run, and two were decided by two runs.
"You had to play every game," Gregory said.
Waccamaw opened the tournament with a 4-1 win over Pelion.
Justin Colegrove scattered seven hits in 5-2/3 innings to pick up the win on the mound, and had a triple and two RBIs. Cole Cook also had an RBI.
Colegrove had the game-winning hit in game two, a 1-0 win over Cheraw. The Warriors only managed four hits in the game.
J.D. Whitlock walked, advanced on a bunt single by Jordan Hoeweler and a passed ball, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Colegrove.
Zac Sparaco pitched a complete game and struck out 13.
"It was good performance by him," Gregory said.
Colegrove, Hoelweler and Sparaco each had two RBIs in game three as Waccamaw outlasted North Myrtle Beach 8-7 in 11 innings.
Sparaco drove in the game-winner in the bottom of the 11th.
Tucker Perry came on in relief in the eighth inning and picked up the win.
Waccamaw then lost 1-0 to Chesterfield in the championship game.
"We had opportunities we just didn't pull it out," Gregory said.
Ethan Leatherwood scattered four hits over seven innings.
It was the third time in seven years the Warriors have played for the title. They won the inaugural event in 2007.
"It's like Christmas its comes once a year and sometimes you don't always get what you want," Gregory said.
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The other tournament scores were:
n Andrews beat Marlboro County 1-0, Pendleton 4-3, and Cheraw 5-3 and lost to Chesterfield 3-0.
n Pendleton beat Pelion 7-1 and Marlboro County 5-4, and lost to Andrews 4-3 and Chesterfield 6-0.
n Cheraw beat Pelion 7-6 and North Myrtle Beach 8-7, and lost to Waccamaw 1-0 and Andrews 5-3.
n Pelion beat North Myrtle Beach 10-9 and lost to Waccamaw 4-1, Pendleton 7-1 and Cheraw 7-6.
n North Myrtle Beach beat Marlboro County 6-0 and lost to Pelion 10-9, Cheraw 8-7, and Waccamaw 8-7.
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While Waccamaw High's varsity team was competing in the Coastal Invitational, the junior varsity team was winning the Georgetown Invitational.
Christian Hendrickson pitched the Warriors past Andrews 9-7; Carter Fox picked up the victory in a 6-1 win over Georgetown; and Justin Busby was on the mound when Waccamaw beat Johnsonville 16-1.
Leading the Waccamaw hit parade during the tournament were Busby, Will Golden and Kody Gould.
"It's nice to get on the field and go 3-0 right out of the gate," said Waccamaw coach Tyler Vick.
Vick said his team has a good nucleus coming back, are pretty experienced in all positions, and have looked good in practice.
"I expect to be very competitive with everybody we play," Vick added.
