Menchville pours it on early to beat Hanover in state AAA title game

CHANTILLY -- The first out of the state Group AAA championship baseball game came easily enough for starting pitcher Tyler Kane and the Hanover High Hawks: a sharp grounder to second base.

The second out wasn't so easy. Menchville scored five runs before reliever Justin Thorn came in and got a strikeout.

A groundout finally ended the inning, but the first-inning blitz and Monarchs pitcher Ethan Carter proved too much to overcome as Hanover settled for the runner-up trophy after a 7-1 loss to Menchville of Newsport News yesterday at Westfield High.

Hanover, seeking the Central Region's fourth consecutive title, finished 24-2. Menchville, which spent some time this season as Baseball America's top-ranked team in the country, went 26-2 and claimed its first crown.

"It just looked like when the stone started rolling, we couldn't stop it," Hanover coach Charlie Dragum said. "That's not us. We usually can stop the bleeding."

Hunter Lewis started the barrage with a home run to left field. Singles by Jeff Gray and Devorn Lake preceded a triple by Jharel Cotton. Logan Senelis-Jose walked, never stopped and took second without a throw. A hit batsman and Teddy Brewer's two-run single finished the outburst.

Lake and Cotton, the Nos. 4 and 5 hitters via way of the U.S. Virgin Islands, combined for seven hits.

"We had heard that they've been ranked in the nation all year," said Hanover second baseman Laine Denton, who had two hits. "For them to come out and pop us in the mouth like that real fast, that hurt. We knew our bats were going to wake up, but with that ace on the mound, we knew we were in for a long day."

Carter, a hard-throwing right-hander who is headed for South Carolina, played in the Area Code Games last summer with Hanover's Jake Mayers. When Mayers drilled a fastball off Carter's leg -- the ball caromed to second baseman Trey Steele for an easy out -- Carter changed his strategy to stifle a team that had been held to less than three runs just once all season.

"I knew I couldn't just go up there and throw it by them," he said. "So I mixed in a lot more changeups than I have in a long time."

Carter recorded 14 groundball outs. He didn't allow a hit until Denton singled with two outs in the fourth. He didn't allow a run until a two-out error in the seventh.

Carter threw a no-hitter with Denbigh High in the state quarterfinals two years ago, but lost 1-0 to Deep Run. "I knew if I got another shot, I wasn't going to let it go," he said.

Hanover, a sixth-year school, was getting its first shot at the state title. The Hawks featured 10 seniors and a nucleus of four-year players.

"It stinks," said Mayers, one of the seniors. "We fought our way all the way up to here. We thought we had enough to get a ring and a trophy. But they're a tough team, a good ballclub."

Said Dragum: "I wish it would have gone smoother early. We wanted to be on the bus having a party. When they look back, they'll never be satisfied, but I think they'll realize they accomplished a lot."

Menchville ------------------------- 510 100 0 -- 7 10 3
Hanover ------------------------- 000 000 1 -- 1 6 2

Carter and Gray; Kane, Thorn (1), Smith (7) and Weymouth. W: Carter. HR: Lewis (M), 1st, none on.