By JAKE POTTER

RALEIGH-A relentless offense and solid infield play helped the Chatham Central Bears get a 9-8 win over the West Columbus Vikings in Game 1 of the N.C. 1A baseball championship, held at Doak Field at North Carolina State University.

The game began at 5 p.m. Friday, but a thunderstorm delayed the final two innings until Saturday afternoon.

The two teams combined for 26 hits in what proved to be a battle of the bats. West Columbus scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning and had the deciding runs on base when the Bears got the final out on a controversial call at third base.

Coach Ricky Young’s Vikings struck early in the first inning when catcher Zack Andrews hit a sacrifice fly to bring in centerfielder Devon Brown, who had hit a lead-off double.

But after Chatham’s five-run second inning, the most runs either team would score in one inning, the Vikings never could regain the lead.
A Keith Josey double drove in designated hitter Jonathan Sessoms and second baseman Spencer Andrews. Third baseman Matthew Brown singled to right field, but an error on the throw allowed Josey and first baseman D.J. Dean to come in. A single by leftfielder Spencer Moody brought Brown in for the final run of the inning.
The Vikings tied up the game during the next two innings, beginning with a third-inning Andrews single which drove in shortstop Ryan McCleney to make it 5-2. Vikings third baseman Timothy Brown doubled for an RBI, and scored off a DeMichael Smith single. Devon Brown’s triple helped Smith reach to tie the score.

But the Bears responded with three runs of their own in the bottom of the fourth when catcher Aubrey Johnson’s triple with the bases loaded drove in three runs.

The teams traded home runs in the fifth inning. The Vikings’ Daniel Britt and the Bears’ Spencer Andrews sent blasts over the left centerfield wall virtually at the same point.

The Bears pulled off decisive double plays to end both the fifth and sixth innings for the Vikings.

West Columbus made a strong last stand in the seventh inning with McCleney and Britt scoring two more runs before a controversial tag-out of Brett Godwin at third base ended the game.

WP: Hudson LP: Britt