Cherryville baseball season ends in first round against West Columbus

CHERRYVILLE – Last year, Cherryville experienced the thrill of playoff baseball, winning four straight one-run games, coming from behind multiple times and surviving all the way through the last possible inning on their way to the 1A title.

This season, the Ironmen saw the opposite side of the emotions playoff baseball can bring – after 22 wins in the regular season, their year came to an abrupt halt with a 6-0 loss to West Columbus at Fraley Field Wednesday night.

“The game that we love to play has a way of humbling you,” said Ironmen coach Scott Heavner. “It gives and it takes – that’s the game of baseball. It’s why we love to play.”

West Columbus senior pitcher CJ Coleman threw a gem for the visiting Vikings. He limited the defending state champs to just four baserunners in an efficient complete game performance to lead his team into the second round, where the Vikings (12-12) will visit No. 5 seed West Montgomery.

West Columbus led throughout the entirety of the game Wednesday night. In the top of the first, Coleman hit a leadoff single and courtesy runner Fabian Frink came around on a two-out base hit from Dawson Elliott.

“They came in here and whipped us in all phases of the game. They were the better team tonight. It happens. I hate it happened in the first round of the state playoffs,” Heavner said.

West Columbus added another run in the second on a Tanner Hinson single, one in the fifth on a Carlton Jackson wild pitch and two in the seventh on another Hinson base hit.

That was plenty of support for Coleman. The senior attacked the Ironmen hitters early in counts and located well. He had four 1-2-3 innings, walked only one batter, and got 13 outs via groundout or pop-up.

Coleman finished with a final line of seven innings, two hits allowed, two walks and one strikeout. HIs defense played errorless baseball behind him. Eaker took the loss, pitching two-plus innings and giving up two runs, one earned.

Vikings coach Jason Jones said battling top-level competition is nothing new for Coleman. In the opening conference game of the year on March 7, a 3-0 loss at Whiteville, dozens of MLB scouts were attendance to see Wolfpack lefty MacKenzie Gore – Coleman battled toe-to-toe with the potential first round pick in next year’s MLB draft.

“CJ has been a complete anchor to our pitching staff all year long. He came out again tonight and he did what CJ does, he throws three pitches for strikes,” Jones said.

Cherryville ends its season 22-4. The 2017 campaign for the Ironmen included a 13-game win streak to begin the season and a championship in the Gaston County Baseball Tournament, but ended in disappointing fashion for the team’s eight seniors.

In the four years of high school for that senior class, the Ironmen went 96-18.

“They’re going to look back at this later and say ‘Wow, we did some really good things,’” Heavner said. “That’s a special group, and they’ll be special forever.”

Four of those players in the graduating class of 2017 will move on to play baseball at the college level. Shortstop Austin Treadway is heading to Mars Hill University. Catcher Carlton Jackson will play at UNC-Pembroke and pitchers Noah Eaker and Tyler Sanders will move onto Brunswick Community College in Bolivia, North Carolina. 

Jack Flagler: jflagler@gastongazette.com. Twitter: @jflagler