For the third straight game, the Streaks played nine innings of baseball, as opposed to the typical seven, and for the third straight game, they came out on top, knocking off the Millbrook Pioneers 5-4 in the Conference 21 West championship game.

After neither team was able to score in the first inning, Millbrook jumped ahead in the second, as third-baseman Gavin West scored on an errant pickoff throw to first base, putting MHS up 1-0. The scoring settled down after that, as Millbrook pitcher Nate Jaye shut the Streaks down for the first three innings. However, leading off the bottom of the fourth, Blue Streaks senior Malachi Simmons sent a curveball flying in the air to left and over the fence, knotting the game at 1.

Not to be outdone, Millbrook bounced right back in the fifth inning, as James Madison commit Conor Hartigan hit a sinking line drive to center field that fell just out of the reach of Cade Templeton, scoring a run to put Millbrook up 2-1, but Harrisonburg wasted no time to come back yet again. In the bottom of the fifth, Christian Whitelow ripped a single to the right to tie the game at 2, and two more Harrisonburg runs came in to score on a single by sophomore Jose Rocha, putting Harrisonburg ahead for the first time, 4-2.

Both teams went down easily in the sixth, putting Harrisonburg just three outs away from a conference championship, but the Pioneers wouldn’t go down easily. Shortstop Alec Rudolph worked a walk to lead off the inning, and Harrisonburg brought in Whitelow to pitch. With one out and runners on first and second, Hartigan delivered another RBI, this time with a single to right, cutting the lead to 4-3. Millbrook’s next batter, Ryan Kennedy, ripped a line drive off of Whitelow’s right thumb. The Streaks got an out on the play, but the tying run scored, and Whitelow left the game with a broken thumb. Rocha came in to replace Whitelow, and retired West to end the inning, giving the Streaks a chance to walk-off in the bottom of the seventh, but the chance disappeared quickly, as all three HHS batters struck out, sending the game to extra innings.

Rocha continued his work on the mound in the eighth inning, retiring three of the four batters he faced to send the game to the bottom of the eighth still tied, but yet again, the Streaks were unable to capitalize, as Templeton went down swinging with two runners on base.

In the top of the ninth, Millbrook threatened, putting two runners on base, but Rocha was able to weasel his way out of the jam, getting West on a groundout to end the inning. With a new pitcher in the game for the Pioneers, Kevin Navedo took advantage, taking the first pitch off of his back to put the winning run on base. After retiring Jackson Hook, Millbrook walked the next two hitters, loading the bases with one out for Rocha, who had the walk-off for Harrisonburg against Woodgrove in the semifinals. After falling behind in the count, Rocha hit a high chopper to Rudolph, who attempted to throw home for the force out. The ball sailed well over the head of the catcher, and Navedo slid in safely, commencing a rushing of the field by the Streaks players.

With the victory, Harrisonburg improves their record to 14-5, and advances to the 4A West regional tournament, where they will host at least one game.