Jefferson Forest Notches Automatic State Berth With Win Over Orange County, E.C. Glass Ends Dream Campaign At Salem | High-school

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Jefferson Forest reliever Luke Gouldthorpe unleashes a pitch against Orange County on Saturday. He earned the win by throwing the final 2 2/3 innings, and Forest notched a state tournament berth with a 2-0 victory.

Jefferson Forest shorstop Sully Tibbs reacts after hitting an RBI double that broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the sixth inning against Orange County on Saturday at Thacker Field. Forest won 2-0 to notch an automatic state tournament berth.

Jefferson Forest's Peyton Smith rounds the bag at third and scores on Sully Tibbs' one-out double in the bottom of the sixth at Thacker Field on Saturday.

Jefferson Forest starter Breckin Nace walks off the mound after completing a half inning in Saturday's Region 4D semifinals against Orange County, clutching a good-luck charm that hangs out in the JF dugout.

Jefferson Forest shortstop Sully Tibbs fires to first after fielding a grounder on Saturday.

Jefferson Forest starter Breckin Nace delivers a pitch in early innings against Orange County in Saturday's Region 4D semifinals in Forest.

Jefferson Forest reliever Luke Gouldthorpe celebrates a strikeout as he walks off the mound and is greeted by his teammates.

JF pitcher Breckin Nace walks off the mound in the early innings of Saturday's game.

Orange County pitcher Scott Clore delivers a pitch against Jefferson Forest.

Jefferson Forest's Breckin Nace releases a pitch in the Region 4D semifinals against Orange County on Saturday.

JF's Luke Gouldthorpe delivers a pitch against Orange County in the Region 4D semifinals in Forest.

JF's Peyton Smith gestures to his teammates after hitting a one-out double in Saturday's Region 4D semifinal that jumpstarted the Cavaliers bats.

Peyton Smith rounds third on Saturday. He scored from second on Sully Tibbs' one-out double, giving JF a 1-0 lead.

Sully Tibbs dances on second base after giving JF a 1-0 lead with a double in the sixth inning on Saturday.

Sully Tibbs smiles into the JF dugout after hitting a run-scoring double on Saturday.

Sully Tibbs celebrates after his RBI double in the sixth inning that gave JF a 1-0 lead over Orange County.

Jefferson Forest catcher Evan Mace smiles as his team walks off the field following a 2-0 win over Orange County that gave the Cavaliers an automatic state berth, their first since 2015.

Jefferson Forest's Breckin Nace high-fives a teammate following the Cavaliers 2-0 win over Orange County in the Region 4D semifinals on Saturday.

Sully Tibbs stood with both feet on the second-base bag and performed a little dance for his teammates in the dugout. Then he threw his hands in the air in celebration, let out a yell and flexed.

The Jefferson Forest shortstop had just provided the big hit coach Ryan Gilleland had been looking for all game. Now it was the bottom of the sixth and Tibbs was dancing. He'd just smacked a one-out double to left field that sent Peyton Smith streaking in from second and broke a scoreless tie against visiting Orange County.

Tibbs' hit highlighted a two-run sixth, Landon Mitchell gave JF some insurance with a sacrifice fly, and flame-thrower Luke Gouldthorpe followed by escaping a first-and-third jam in the top of the seventh as Jefferson Forest defeated Orange County 2-0 in the Region 4D semifinals at Thacker Field on Saturday. With the win, JF notched an automatic state tournament berth, its first since 2015.

After Smith doubled to right with one out, Orange County coach Adam Utz elected to intentionally walk three-hole hitter Evan Mace. Tibbs eyed a fastball down the middle from Fighting Hornets pitcher Scott Clore and belted it to left, where it sliced away from and past outfielder Ethan Turner.

Underneath his helmet, Tibbs sported a new hairstyle: a bleached-blond mullet, the sides of his heads shaved close.

"Some of the boys did, as well," Tibbs said with a smile. "It's a good-luck charm."

It certainly worked for Tibbs, who went 2 for 2 with two doubles. And the mullet worked for Gouldthorpe, who threw the final 2⅔ innings in relief of starter Breckin Nace. Gouldthorpe didn't allow a hit, fanned four and walked three.

Gouldthorpe escaped a second-and-third jam in the top of the fifth by striking out Garrick Valdes, got a lineout to Tibbs at short to end Orange County's hopes with two on in sixth, and then, with runners at the corners in the seventh, he forced Turner — who represented the go-ahead run — to ground out to Nace at first.

"Mostly just trying to work on the slider because it gets more rollovers," the tall, lanky Gouldthorpe said. His fastball can register in the 90s, but "it wasn't really there. I just had to make some adjustments."

Gouldthorpe, a righty, entered in relief of Nace, the southpaw who threw 4⅓ innings, allowed three hits and fanned four.

Orange County starter Scott Clore threw all six innings for his team. His final line: two earned runs on four hits, one walk and five strikeouts.

"He was very composed," Utz said of Clore. "He's done a great job all year And he kept them off balance early in the count, and especially early in the baseball game, he pitched from ahead. And I think that gave him a good opportunity to be successful. We were one or two plays short from being right there, and somebody's gotta win and somebody's gotta lose, and unfortunately today it wasn't our night."

Orange County (13-7) received singles from Landon Pounds, Blane Jennings and Luke Jarrell. The Fighting Hornets left seven runners stranded.

"Just couldn't capitalize. We couldn't get that big hit to take us over the hump," Utz said.

Once the game reached the late innings with a scoreless tie, Gilleland gathered his seniors. "Now's the time for you guys to step up," he said.

"Peyton gets it done and Sully gets the big hit right there," said Gilleland, who led JF to a state championship game in 2015. "The teams that we've had that have gone deep in the playoffs are when our seniors step up and get it done this time of year."

That bottom of the sixth broke open what had been a nail-biter. Pitchers had limited the damage. JF was looking for a big hit, but had lined several balls right at the Orange County defense. At the plate, the Fighting Hornets tried to bunt runners over, anything to push one past the plate. And Orange County's Turner made a eye-popping diving catch in left during the bottom of the fifth. Then the Cavs provided the sixth-inning fireworks.

"That was a great high school game," Gilleland added. "That's great playoff baseball right there. But our kids stepped up there in the sixth."

Second-seeded JF (19-4) hosts No. 5 Salem for Wednesday's region championship. Salem defeated E.C. Glass 4-1 in Saturday's other semifinal. Should JF win Wednesday, it will play a first-round state game at home and force Salem onto the road.

In Salem, the Hilltoppers' dream season came to a close a few days after upending top-seeded Western Albemarle, as the Spartans finally got to sophomore starter Cooper Campbell late in the game at Kiwanis Field.

Campbell held Salem scoreless and to just one hit through the first three innings. The Spartans (14-3) made it 1-0 in the fourth on a single to center by Trent Judd.

Glass tied the game at 1 in the top of the fifth when John Ruhl's single to center scored Max Calloway. Carter Jones singled next to load the bases, but Salem reliever Eli Bowery got a groundout to end the threat.

Salem then added a run in the sixth and two more in the seventh.

Campbell took the loss, allowing five hits and four runs (two earned) across five innings. Ruhl, Jones and Campbell had Glass' only hits.

Bowery earned the win in relief of Salem starter Trace Monroe, who gave up just two hits and one run (unearned) in 4⅔ innings.

Glass ends the season with an 11-9 record, one game shy of receiving an automatic state berth.

WP: Luke Gouldthorpe. LP: Scott Clore.

Highlights: Orange County — Landon Pounds 1-3; Blane Jennings 1-3; Luke Jarrell 1-2; Clore 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R/ER, 1 BB 5 Ks. Jefferson Forest — Sully Tibbs 2-2, 2 2B, RBI; Landon Mitchell 1-2, RBI; Peyton Smith 1-3, 2B, R; Breckin Nace 4 1/3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 Ks; Gouldthorpe 2 2/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 4 Ks.

Records: Orange County 13-7. Jefferson Forest 19-4.

Next: No. 2 seed Jefferson Forest receives an automatic state berth in Class 4 and hosts No. 5 Salem in region title game on Wednesday.

WP: Eli Bowery. LP: Cooper Campbell.

Highlights: E.C. Glass — Carter Jones 1-4 (1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB); Kevin Breimann 1-3; Cooper Campbell 1-3 (5 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 Ks); John Ruhl 1-3, RBI; Jimmy Evans 0-1, R. Salem — Trace Monroe 4 2/3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 Ks (1-4); Bowery 2 1/3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 Ks (0-3, R); Hunter King 1-3, 2B, 2 R; Hunter Bayne 2-3, RBI, R.

Records: E.C. Glass 11-9. Salem 14-3.

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