Laos Books

The celebration was everything one expected.

Screams, players jumping and gloves flung into the humid air.

It all started after J.J. Kelly’s Zack Stidham snared a Shaq Harvey liner at third and quickly fired the ball toward first to double off Lancaster’s Tiko Henderson.

In what is likely their last year in existence, the Indians are not yet done writing what is shaping up to be a storybook season. A chapter will be dedicated to Christian Kunce – a quiet junior who took all the high fives a starting pitcher could handle after his complete-game performance in Friday’s Group A, Division 2 semifinal against Lancaster.

Kunce’s arm, coupled with timely hitting from his offense and a rock-solid defense behind him, except for two gaffes in the sixth inning, led Kelly to a 5-3 win over the Red Devils.

And while Kunce finished with eight strikeouts, his pitching was only half the story.

His four pickoffs over the course of the first four innings kept at least two runs off the board and slowed the happy-feet Red Devils for the rest of the game.

“We knew they had some runners,” said head coach Chad Longworth, still smiling after a quick post-game meeting with his team. “We knew we would have to show them a good move to try to stop their running game.”

That good move turned into four outs, and though Lancaster parlayed one of those pickoffs into a first-inning run, it snuffed out any hopes the Red Devils had for big innings early.

“He was picking guys off and they didn’t have a chance,” said Kelly shortstop Aaron Clark. “It was crazy.”

Kunce aw-shucked away his mound mettle that kept the Indians’ season – and baseball program – alive.

“I just got it done today,” he said, before finally allowing his lips to curl up into a smile. “I’m pretty happy about it.”

The pickoffs came at the right times – all during a four-inning stretch that included an opening inning where both teams put single runs on the board.

Kelly got its lone run without a hit – on an Alex Couch groundout to short after two stolen bases by Nick Ascue, who worked a full-count into a walk a batter earlier.

An inning later, Kunce walked his first of five Red Devils, but quickly negated pinch runner Sam Somers with his third pickoff of the game.

Kelly wouldn’t get its first hit until the third and took a 2-1 lead in the fifth when a passed ball brought in Stidham.

In the sixth, the Indian bats came alive as Nick Sturgill ripped an RBI double to left to make it 3-1. Clark followed with an RBI single and an error on Lancaster’s Tay Betts on a routine grounder to short plated Clark two batters later.

Lancaster touched Kunce up for two runs in the top of the sixth to make it 5-3, but he got Somers – in as a pinch hitter this time – to watch strike three and fanned Alex Williams to end the threat.

“Oh, Lord,” Clark said. “[Kunce] was unbelievable.”

Kunce opened the final inning with his last strikeout before issuing a walk to Henderson that set up Stidham’s stab, double play and the first all-Southwest Virginia state title baseball game since 2001 – when John Battle beat Kelly 9-8 for the Group A crown.

It also set up a rematch of this season’s Region D, Division 2 title game between Kelly and Honaker – a 21-1 winner over Appomattox in the other semifinal. Kelly won that game in 6-4.

“It’s like family,” Clark said. “Coming together to just try to protect the legacy.”

A legacy – including a VHSL record nine state titles – that ends today with a loss or crown No. 10.

“I like winning baseball games,” Longworth said, before he walked off the field, his Indians in tow.