May 2009 News
5/22 - Vikings Lose Heartbreaker In Sweet Sixteen
Mt. Tabor ended Northwest's season with an 11-10 victory in the final 16 of the 4A West playoffs. The Vikings found themselves down 9-0 at the end of three innings. Glen Clemmons started a two out rally in the top of the fourth with a single. Phillip Dixon followed with a single, then Corey McKinney walked to load the bases. Sanders Kuxhausen smoked a ball down the third base line that was ruled an error that scored two runs. Alex Swim then singled home McKinney and Kuxhausen to cut the Spartans lead to 9-4. Stephen Mekita finished the Vikings scoring in the frame with a two run blast to cut the Mt. Tabor lead to 9-6. In the top of the fifth Northwest took a 10-9 lead on a Kuxhausen grand slam Home Run. Nathan Becker, Clemmons and Dixon scored, Becker and Dixon had hits in the inning and Clemmons walked. In the bottom of the sixth, Mat Batts hit a home run with a man aboard to put the Spartans back on top for good. Northwest had two runners reach in the seventh, but Garrett Hickman struck out the side to preserve the Mount Tabor win.
Northwest completed its year at 21-4, its second 20 win season in three years.
5/20 - Vikings Defeat West Forsyth in Playoff Thriller
Robbie McIntosh used his right arm and bat to lead the Vikings past West Forsyth 4-3 in 8 innings in the second round of the NC 4A West State Playoffs. McIntosh relieved starter Ben Saunders, who pitched four solid innings and worked out of two jams, in the fifth with a runner on base and the game tied at one. McIntosh give up a two run home run and the Titans went ahead 3-1. After that he settled down to strike out eight including a stretch of seven in a row (two in the sixth, three in the seventh, and two in the eigth) to keep the Vikings in striking distance.
Northwest left five runners on base the first three innings, but finally broke through in the fourth with a run. Tommy Houston led the inning off with a single and Nathan Becker followed with a walk. Glen Clemmons sacrificed the runners to second and third. Phillip Dixon then knocked in Houston with a single to left. The Vikings left two on in the fifth and went three up three down in the sixth. Down 3-1 in the bottom of the seventh, Corey McKinney led the inning off with a walk. Two batter later, Alex Swim was hit by a ptich to put runners on first and second. Stephen Mekita followed with a super at bat, fouling off several pitches before coaxing a walk to load the bases. West Forsyth made a pitching change to face McIntosh. It didn't matter as McIntosh delivered a two RBI single to tie the game at three. Dixon, who had three hits on the night, led off the eigth with a single. With one out, Dixon moved to second on a wild pitch and third on a passed ball on consecutive pitches. A determined Sanders Kuxhausen then fouled off several pitches before delivering a game winning sacrifice fly to score Dixon and propel Northwest into the Sweet Sixteen.
West Forsyth was set to break the game open in the second and third innings, but good Saunders pitching and stellar Viking defense kept that from happening. With the bases loaded and no outs in the second inning, Tommy Houston caught a line drive at second base and doubled off the Titan runner at first base. Saunders then got the lead off hitter to fly out to left to get out of the inning with no runs. With the bases loaded and two outs in the third, Glen Clemmons made a spectacular catch against the wall that kept West Forsyth from scoring two or maybe even three runs.
The Vikings, now 21-3, will play at Mt. Tabor in Winston Salem on Friday May 22 at 7:00pm in the third round (Sweet Sixteen)of the state playoffs.
| WF | 1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
10 |
1 |
|
| NW | 0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
11 |
0 |
Leaders
Swim 3 for 3, 2B, run
McIntosh 2 for 4, 2 RBI
Dixon 3 for 4, RBI, GW run