Record-setting win for CVCC’s Thomas, Burks in JUCO World Series

The Chattahoochee Valley Community College baseball team couldn’t break through in the first five innings, but then the Pirates made up for it in the sixth and seventh.

Top-ranked CVCC (50-10) scored six in the sixth and four more in the seventh to rout Harford (Md.) 10-2 on Saturday in the first round of the JUCO World Series. The game was shortened to seven innings due to the mercy rule.

The win was record-setting for coach Adam Thomas and pitcher Chase Burks.

Thomas became CVCC’s all-time winningest coach with 631 wins, breaking the mark set by his predecessor, B.R. Johnson.

Meanwhile, Burks became the all-time winngest pitcher in CVCC history. His 13th win this season gives him 23, breaking Dalton Rentz’s record.

“It is pretty special to get it done out here in the world series,” Burks said. “But when we score 10 runs, it makes my job a lot easier.”

CVCC had five hits through the first five innings, but the only scoring threat came in the second when Frank Wager, who had reached on a fielder’s choice, tried to score from first base on a Jaylyn Smith double to right. Wager was thrown out easily at the plate.

But the bats came alive in the sixth. JT Thomas was hit by a Michael Adams pitch with one out. Wager hit a line drive off the right-field wall for a double.

Smith, who went 3-for-4, hit a single up the middle to tie the game at 1-1. After Jayson Cook drew a walk to loaded the bases, Wager scored on a wild pitch for a 2-1 lead.

Nolan Greckel singled up the middle against a drawn-in second baseman, driving in two runs and a 4-1 lead.

After Brandon Hill walked to re-load the bases, Will Campbell laced a drive to left-center that one-hopped the wall, driving in two more.

Thomas led off the seventh with a double down the left-field line. He scored on Smith’s single. After two walks loaded the bases, Hill singled in a run. Two more runs scored later on an error.

“We got some big two-out hits,” Adam Thomas said. “But that is kind of the story of our season.

“Once we got her crunk, we got rollin’.”

Burks was uncharacteristically wild, walking five. But he managed to make the big pitches when he needed to, stranding nine in his first six innings.

He got one out in the seventh before an error and infield hit spelled the end for him. Christian Vann came on and got the final two outs.

The Pirates are idle Sunday and will face Iowa Western (42-9) at 9:30 p.m. Monday.

Iowa Western beat Sante Fe (Calif.) 4-3 on Saturday, scoring three runs in the bottom of the ninth on a bunt and two throwing errors.

CVCC beat Iowa Western 14-2 in five innings in last year’s world series. Iowa Western won the world series in 2014.

Cisco 13, Darton State 11

Ryan Nelson went 4-for-5 with two home runs, a triple and six RBIs to lead Cisco (Texas) to a 13-11 win over Darton State on Saturday night.

Colton Thomas and Mikey Hugginbs had three hits apiece for Darton State, which is coached by Scot Hemmings, a former Columbus High player and Central High coach.

Darton State plays an elimination game at 4 p.m. Sunday.

This story was originally published May 28, 2016 at 5:42 PM with the headline "Record-setting win for CVCC’s Thomas, Burks in JUCO World Series."