May 16, 2018
FORT GAY, W. VA. — Tolsia Baseball finished up the season late last week in Region 4 Section 2 postseason play. The Rebels went 2-2 with both losses coming to the #1 and #2 seeds in the Sectional tournament and finished the season with a 16-17 record.
Tolsia racked up 16 wins this year and by all accounts is the most wins in a single season in school history.
This senior class of Jared Switzer, Ray Perkins, Trey Smith, Blake Conn, Kyler Speer and Jacob Copley won 40 games the last three years after not winning a game their freshman year.
Tolsia 10 Tug Valley 2 ( Monday )
In the opening round of postseason play the #3 seeded Rebels scored 7 times in the first inning and cruised to the win over rival #6 seed Tug Valley.
Eric Williams hit his 4th home run of the year and finished with 4 RBIs, Jared Switzer smacked two doubles.
Billy Perry was outstanding on the mound as he went the first five innings to get the win. Williams pitched the sixth and Austin Bailey finished it off in the seventh.
Sherman 16 Tolsia 6 (Tuesday)
#2 Sherman came from behind to put the Rebels into the elimination bracket. Tolsia led early but couldn’t hold the lead against the Tide on the road.
Tolsia 11 Van 10 ( Wednesday )
The Rebels led 9-0 before #5 Van took a 10-9 lead going to the bottom of the seventh before Eric Williams singled in Ray Perkins and Austin Bailey to set off a wild celebration at Rebel Field.
Williams hit is fifth home run of the year a line drive to left center field.
Buffalo 11 Tolsia 1 (Thursday)
Tolsia traveled to #1 Buffalo and watched the Bison score 9 runs in the first inning as the Rebel pitchers had trouble finding the strike zone. The Tolsia offense never could get going and the season ended for the Rebels.
Tolsia Head Coach Jeff Wallace
COACH’S COMMENTS
“… The game against Tug Valley we came out early firing on all cylinders and jumped up 7-0 in the first inning. Billy Perry threw 5 innings of two run baseball. Billy has pitched well in every outing except one this season. He really had his good stuff this time. Eric Williams led the hitting barrage and was crisp on the mound.”
“… The season was like a roller coaster ride. We started 6-3 and were playing well. Then we get snowed out and lose a couple games and then go several days without going outside, then all of sudden we are 7-11. We right the ship and go on a run to get to 13-11 only to finish 16-17.”
“… In the post season we won 10-2 against rival Tug Valley only to turn around the next night and get caught in a pitching dilemma I elected to pull Austin Bailey in a tie game in the bottom of the third because of his pitch count. Then we give up 8 runs in the same inning and go on to lose 16-6. The next night we go up 9-0 only to surrender 10 in the top of the 6th and then we scored 2 in a walk off fashion victory. Eric Williams who pitched the first five inning flawlessly and then got the big hit in the end.”
“… Then we go to Buffalo and struggle throwing strikes get behind 8-0 in the bottom of the first and we couldn’t recover. In summary we could play with most if not all the teams we played against good or bad teams but we sometimes don’t feel we deserve to win and that held us back.”
“… The seniors I had could have folded up after losing 8 of 9 after starting 6-3 but they didn’t and I think that’s why we came back and won 6 in a row.”