On Saturday, August 3, 2019, the Fuquay-Varina Twins faced off in Salem, Virginia, against the top-seeded Kernersville Bulldogs for the Carolina Virginia Summer Collegiate Championship. In a two-of-three series, the Twins swept the Dogs 7-6 and 11-2.
The 2019 season has been a roller coaster ride for the Twins who came in with high expectations after a 2018 regular season championship and a frustrating second place in the tournament. 2019 saw the Twins hunger for the finals again. Starting off hot, the Twins had a 17-game winning streak with 12 players going to the All-Star game as Coach [first name?] Hauser was the East coach. After the break one loss and still winning with a five to six game lead, the Twins coach was hospitalized with gangrene for 10 days and had a toe amputated as the team went on 4-9 skid. Travelling to Kernersville for a DH on a Thursday night, Twins ace Adam Amerson lost a 6-5 game with only two earned against him. The Twins slipped to second place by a game and a half as Coach Hauser led from a wheelchair. The following weekend, the Twins beat the High Point-Thomasville Locomotives 21-0.
On Thursday night, August 1, the Twins hosted the Roanoke Rails and beat them 12-6 with Mt. Olive pitcher Hunter Britt getting the win. Friday night, the Twins hosted the Stem Thunder, with league MVP pitcher Tripp Creech on the bump, winning 1-4. The stage was now set for the showdown in Salem.
At 2:00pm, the Twins squared off once more with Amerson eager for another chance. In the bottom of the first inning, the Dogs got two runs with high grass and three infield hits. However, the Twins matched with two back-to-back home runs by St. Andrews right fielder Dean Pulley and Methodist left fielder McKinley Strickland. The Dogs went up by one with a homer in the bottom of the fourth, but in the top of the fifth Youngstown State catcher Tanner Montgomery singled and N.C.C.U. DH Jacob Raby hit a shot 335 feet to the wall and over the 30-foot net in dead right. Then N.C.C.U. third baseman Cameron Norgren reached on an error, and with two outs, Mt. Olive first-baseman Coy Barnett homered over right center. In the bottom of the fifth, the Dogs singled and homered setting the stage for drama. The score was 6 to 5, Twins.
ed and, after heads-up base running, advanced to third on a single by Raby. Indiana Tech’s Mike Snyder brought “Monty” in for the score with a sacrifice RBI. Going into the bottom of the seventh with a two-run lead, Twins pitcher from Campbell University, Landry Moore, struck out the number two batter for the Dogs. However, the number three batter homered on the first pitch to make it 7-6, Twins. Relief pitcher Braxton Boddorf came in and gave up a single and a walk to load the bases. One could feel the tension as Guilford pitcher Joey Heggeman walked to the mound as cool as Coach Hauser had ever seen. Joey proceeded to strike out the 7 and 8 pinch hitters for the save.
The championship game started 20 minutes after the first with the Twins scoring four in the first when Snyder singled and Mt. Olive centerfielder Gunner Tolston homered some 400 feet and over the 30-foot wall and screen. Then, Barnett singled as Mt. Olive shortstop Jack Casbarro singled, Strickland walked, Pulley reached on an error and Methodist catcher Josh Lallo scored Casbarro on a sacrifice fly. In the second inning, Tolston reached on an error, Barnett singled, and Casbarro singled scoring two more. In the third, Lallo doubled, Raby singled, Snyder was hit, and Barnett sent a moonshot to left center. After three innings, the score was Twins 10 to Dogs 1 off of a solo home run.
aby hit a solo moonshot over the monster into a house across the street and the Twins ended the game in the bottom of the seventh with a beautiful 4-6-3 double play. Catawba College pitcher Trent Montgomery went seven, giving up two runs on three hits. Twins win 11 to 2!
Coy Barnett was named tournament MVP as Twins Coach Hauser celebrated in his wheelchair with former Twin great Triton and Barton pitcher Louis DeCarolis handling the bases. The Twins had eight home runs, two doubles, 37 hits, and 34 runs to 15 runs given up and only one error. Go to FVTwins.org for more scores and statistics.
