The Cougars’ hope of back-to-back championships ended in their regional tournament game with Gretna on May 22, when the team fell 3-2.
A couple of errors in the first inning allowed the Hawks from Gretna to score three unearned runs. Cougar starting pitcher Tucker Swails held the Hawks scoreless for the rest of his complete game performance.
The Cougars threatened several times during the game, loading the bases in the second and putting two runners on in the third, both times without scoring. The Cougars would strand 13 runners in the game.
Noah Jessup scored the Cougars first run in the fifth inning. In the sixth, Jackson Horton blasted a solo home run over the left field fence to close the gap to just one run.
A Gavin Fain hit led off the seventh inning, followed by a Tucker Swails double. With runners on second and third, Stuart Callahan beat the throw to first on an infield hit, loading the bases. With two outs, Broc Taylor hit a line drive down the left field line. The Gretna left fielder charged in and made the catch with the ball mere inches from the ground. With that catch for the final out, the game and the Cougars season came to an end.
On the mound, Tucker Swails went the distance without allowing an earned run, giving up five hits, walking one, and striking out twelve. With those twelve strikeouts, he climbed into eighth place all-time in Virginia High School baseball history, finishing his career for Patrick County with 328 strikeouts.
At the plate, Swails went 3-4 and Stuart Callahan went 2-4 for the evening.
“What an unbelievable season,” said head coach, Tal Swails. “19-1, the best record ever in the regular season. District champs in their inaugural year in the Three Rivers District. Our guys had a hell of a year. And unfortunately, it comes down to one game sometimes, and one at bat.
“The game of baseball will humble you. It is a life lesson teaching game, and this is one of those they’re going to remember this one for a long time, unfortunately,” the coach said.
The Cougar players and coaches were understandably emotional following the tough loss, with teammates supporting and lifting each other up.
“This one’s going to sting awhile,” said Tal Swails. “We just made a couple of errors early and got behind, and we just couldn’t get a big hit. They wouldn’t fall. We just kept hitting it at them and hitting it at them, and they got the plays. The left fielder made some really nice plays out there.”
“Sonny (Assistant coach Sonny Swails) said he’d been doing it 54 years, and 53 had to end like this,” continued Tal Swails. “There’s always been a last game where there’s a loss. We were fortunate enough last year not to have to have a conversation after a loss.”
The loss did not dampen the pride Tal Swails has for his team and what they accomplished. “I’m proud of them. I’m proud of our seniors. We’re going to miss them so bad.”
While the season didn’t end as hoped for by players, coaches and Cougar fans alike, these young men and their coaches took the community on an amazing ride. This group’s greatness and their significance to the community cannot be overstated, from their championship victory last June to achieving a school best record of 19-2 this season.
“The last thing I told them was, just go be special,” said Tal Swails, “because they are special. I told them to keep being special.”
