SMLCA one win away from VACA state championship

The Smith Mountain Lake Christian Academy (SMLCA) baseball team is now one win away from its first ever VACA state championship in program history after a dominate 21-0 victory Monday over Faith Christian Academy (FCA) in Hurt, Virginia.

The Ospreys have outscored their opponents in the playoffs with a combined score of 42-2. SMLCA star pitcher Noah Conley also threw a no-hitter and was one walk away from pitching a perfect game. 

After a quiet first inning, the Ospreys came to bat in the second inning and had a great early opportunity with the bases loaded and one out. Their first two runs of the evening came around to score thanks to a two-RBI single by Greg Ghoorahoo to give the Ospreys an early 2-0 lead. The next three runs for the Ospreys came by way of errors that were committed by FCA. The next RBI for the Ospreys came from Hunter Saben, who ripped a double to left field that scored both Carson Wagner and Conner Heaton. The Ospreys ended the second inning with a 7-0 lead. 

After adding two runs in the third inning thanks to a sharply hit groundball by Rowan Ingraham that brought in both Ryan Canipe and Ghoorahoo thanks to another error committed by FCA, the Ospreys were one run away from having the opportunity to end the game via mercy rule. 

They got that and much more in the fourth inning, where the Ospreys put up a whopping 12 runs to completely blow the game open.

Once Conley worked through his first walk of the evening in the fourth inning, the Ospreys continued to be relentless at the plate, which got started on another Saben double. He came around to score the 10th run of the evening thanks to a groundout by Parker Nichols.

The Ospreys again loaded the bases and were looking to add more insurance runs, which they achieved as Cayden Montgomery knocked a single passed third base to bring in Canipe from third base. Ingraham then grounded out but was able to bring in Robert Roberson to increase the lead at 12-0. The Ospreys then scored their next nine runs with two outs in the inning, which was started from a two-RBI single by Eli Phillips that brought in both Ghoorahoo and Stacey Beverly. 

The next batter, Saben, then hit a single to center field, scoring Wagner and Phillips to increase the lead to 16-0. Nathan Karnes then knocked a groundball that was misplayed by FCA again, which also allowed Saben to score to give the Ospreys a 17-0 lead. The onslaught continued with Ghoorahoo, who singled to right field, bringing in Ben Roberson for an 18-0 advantage. Montgomery then followed through with a single of his own, bringing in Karnes to make it 19-0. The last two runs of the evening for SMLCA came from an RBI-single from Ingraham and a bases loaded walk by Wagner. 

Conley then went for the fifth inning with a more than comfortable lead and set FCA down in order to put the Ospreys one win away from the programs first state championship.

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