'Wolves gain sudden popularity: ; Spring Valley stuns Logan for MSAC tourney title

DAILY MAIL SPORTSWRITER

Near third base, two reporters circled Spring Valley Highbaseball Coach Mike Lemons. Another was tugging shortstop SkylarSmith, the clutch hero, away from his team's outfield huddle.

With midnight approaching, the Timberwolves were getting antsy.Although completely unexpected, they had a Mountain State AthleticConference Tournament championship to start celebrating.

"We've suddenly become very popular," Lemons told his team.

A 4-3 upset victory in extra innings over defending Class AAAstate champ Logan tends to do that.

With the exception of the powerhouse opponent, Spring Valley'slatest victory didn't look much different than any of the others ithas stockpiled in winning 11 of its last 12 games: solid enoughpitching, sporadically spectacular fielding and timely hitting.

The novelty came in the result: the school's first MSAC title,albeit unceremonious, and first championship of any kind in itsthree-year history.

"Do we at least get a plaque?" one player asked Lemons as thelights were rapidly shut off at Nitro High's Sneed Field.

"I don't care if we don't get anything," he replied. "We beatLogan."

The Wildcats earned such reverence after winning last year'sstate championship and returning almost all of its starters.

Top-ranked in the state for most of the season before falling allthe way to second, Logan ran off 20 consecutive victories to startthe season, and amassed a team ERA so low that Nyquil would registera higher blood alcohol content rating.

But within the last week, the Wildcats (22-3) lost to GreenbrierEast and South Charleston on back-to-back nights. The latter costthem the top seed in the conference tournament.

And when Smith stole second, advanced to third on an error andscored on outfielder Jacob Johnson's first inning single, the eighth-seeded Timberwolves (15-11) had more than a 1-0 lead. They also gotthe feeling that Logan wasn't immortal.

"Everybody had been saying they were the best team in the state,"said Smith, whose team never faced the Wildcats during the regularseason. "I wanted to play them. This was the chance we were waitingfor."

The teams traded leads until Logan tied it 3-3 in the fourth, andthen hit a stalemate. The 'Wolves couldn't solve starter John RyanSteele (eight innings, 13 strikeouts), and the 'Cats couldn't quitecrack the trio of Drew Fannin, Drew Damron and Nathaniel Howard.

Howard, the football team's sophomore starting quarterback,shifted from center field to the mound with one on in the seventh -and promptly blasted his first two warm-ups all the way to thebackstop. He then walked the first batter he faced, but battled backto strike out Steele with the bases loaded.

Leading off the eight, Smith, a junior who showed incrediblerange on a screamer deep in the hole during a key sixth inning play,again keyed Spring Valley's offense with a hit.

Again, he stole second, this time on a full count when Lemonsthought a breaking pitch was coming. And just like in the first,catcher Randy Adkins' throw arrived exactly when Smith did, andLogan's middle infielders had trouble judging the play as the ballsailed into centerfield.

"It was a low throw, but it wasn't bad," Smith said. "They justnever had a chance to grab it."

The Wildcats also never had a chance to get Smith at third, andhe scored one batter later when Johnson again singled him home withwhat proved to be the winning run.

"By chance, it worked out," Lemons said.

His team had its title shot only because pinch runner JohnDeboard scored from first on a groundball and error duringWednesday's 10-9 nine-inning semifinal victory over GeorgeWashington.

"We're not loaded with speed, we've just had our fastest guys onbase at the most crucial times," he said. "But lately, a lot ofthings have been working out for us."

Writer Jason Martin can be reached at 348-4883 or by e-mail atjmartin@dailymail.com.