Lights out for Patriots

The Virginia High School League decided to pull the plug early on the quarterfinal game between the Albemarle and James River baseball teams in the Group AAA state tournament Tuesday night.
After a 30-minute lightning delay in the bottom of the fourth, the Patriots and Rapids resumed play for one more inning until the game was suspended in the middle of the fifth due to darkness with James River up 5-4.
“I take issue with even playing on a field that doesn’t have any lights,” said Albemarle coach Carroll Bickers. “What if this was the state championship? I mean there is a precedent for this kind of thing.”
As the officials tried to resume the game after the lightning delay, Bickers was reluctant to let his team take the field knowing the game was not going to be completed.
“I didn’t want our guys to go out there,” Bickers said. “You couldn’t see. But I was told that if we didn’t take the field, we’d forfeit the game.”
The Patriots and Rapids played one inning before the officials gathered on the mound to come to a decision on the game.
“We discussed that we’d pick the game up tomorrow,” Bickers said. “We agreed that the game was suspended. We picked 5 o’clock for the time, and agreed that James River would come to bat in the top of the fifth with the score 5-4.”
However, in spite of the discussion, the VHSL
ultimately decided to call the game after just four and a half innings of play, but not until both teams were well on their way home. In fact, nearly an hour later after the decision, Bickers still hadn’t been informed.
“I wasn’t going to leave that mound if I thought there was going to be anything but a suspension,” Bickers said. “The officials, the James River athletic
director, and myself, we agreed on picking up the game tomorrow. It’s a sad day for my kids, and it’s a sad day for baseball.”
Bickers waited until his players arrived home to tell them the news.
In the end, the Rapids defeated the Patriots 5-4.
Four of the five James River runs came with two outs, including a third inning two-run homer from senior Robert Oldham.
Trailing by one run in the top of the third, Albemarle’s Andrew Bradley put his team on top with a two-run blast to left field.
“We hit the ball well but just made a few defensive mistakes,” Bickers said.
The lead slipped in next half inning. The Patriots (18-8) gave up a pair of homeruns, and committed three errors, giving up three runs, two coming on Oldham’s two-out two-run jack.
“You take away those mistakes and we’re up 4-2,” Bickers said.  “They’re the defending state champions, but we weren’t awed.  We respect them, but we weren’t intimidated.”
Doubles from Nick Bradley and Jake Hochstetler drove in the other two runs for the Patriots.
Bradley’s fourth inning two-bagger cut the two-run James River lead to one run as Albemarle tried to mount a comeback.
“If you look at the history of this team, we’ve been down a lot and we’ve come back,” Bickers said of his squad. “This team is going to give you a battle.”
The loss brings to the Patriots season to a deflating end.
“All we wanted to do was come back and play the rest of the game,” Bickers said. “They may kick our tails, but we wanted to complete the game.”
Albemarle loses six seniors to graduation, but has eight juniors and six sophomores who will return to fill the ranks.
“Our seniors leave a lasting legacy,” Bickers said. “I’m very proud of this team. Hopefully all of this will be a launching pad.”