Madonna Wins Class A Title

[zdad]

Another comeback gives Madonna the Class A title with 6 runs in the 5th and 2 in the 7th. Congrats on a great season.

[tiger77]

congrats madonna. the finishing touch on a helluva year.

[Ironmike]

Wheeling newspaper article on Madonna v. Man

Dons Win First Baseball Title
Madonna continues roll against Man

By ASHLEY NEWMAN
POSTED: June 6, 2010


CHARLESTON - Deja vu is defined as having the illusion of previously experiencing something actually being encountered for the first time.

Such was the case Saturday at Appalachian Power Park in the 2010 West Virginia Class A state baseball final, as Madonna hooked up with Man.

Not only had the two teams met in the 2009 state semifinal in a game won by Man, but the schools also butted heads in the Class A football final, won by Madonna, 27-7.

As was the case in the football matchup, Man hung with the powerful Blue Dons early before Madonna took over late to notch an 8-3 victory to bring the school its first state baseball crown.

''It feels great,'' senior Madonna catcher Lou Comis said. ''That is our first one in baseball. We got one in football. We talked all year about getting back to the state tournament in baseball and win a championship. Everybody came through as a team and pulled it off.''

Coach Jeff Baire was nearly at a loss for words as the emotion of the moment sunk in.

''Words can't even express how I feel,'' he said. ''What a fitting way for all six of these seniors to go out and a great way for Madonna to end its year. To win it in football and then win it in baseball speaks volumes about the student-athletes at Madonna High School.''

Brothers Max and Eddie Nogay shared the title, as Eddie picked up the victory by holding Man to three hits in what was a dominating performance.

''It feels amazing. We won it in football, my brother wins it in wrestling, and now we win it in baseball,'' Eddie Nogay said. ''You couldn't ask for a better ending. We are truly blessed.

''I'm so proud of my teammates and I'm proud to be here and accomplish this.''

Max concurred with his brother, noting the historical significance of winning a football and baseball state title in the same school year, while also adding a state wrestling title himself.

''It just feels great,'' he said. ''It legitimizes that this is one of the greatest years in Madonna sports and maybe one of the best years ever in the state. I couldn't be happier for my teammates and my family.''

While the contest certainly ended well for the Dons, things didn't start the way they had scripted.

Man got on the board first, as Jordan Simpson hit a double and eventually crossed the plate on an errant throw to give the Hillbillies a 1-0 lead.

Things started to get scary for the Madonna when, in the third inning, Man added two more runs to its lead, as Eddie Nogay walked across two runs. Although it had a 3-0 lead, Man had registered just one base hit.

''Eddie had his inning where it was rough,'' Baire said. ''We felt like a couple of those pitches could have gone either way. Unfortunately, they went against Eddie and they were able to get a couple of runs in.''

Nogay felt that he may have become flustered during the third, but credited his teammates for giving him sage advice.

''I started losing grip a little bit and I felt like I was throwing in the dirt,'' he noted. ''I got a little wild and a little overwhelmed for a minute. But, our catcher Lou Comis calmed me down a lot and my brother had some good advice for me.''

The score remained 3-0 through the fourth inning, but Comis had a feeling the Blue Dons offense would eventually come around.

''We were blasting the ball and we were hitting line drives right at people, a little like (Friday),'' Comis said. ''It almost made you think that maybe it isn't meant to be.''

Just as in the semifinal, the Madonna offense finally found its groove late in the game. In the top of the fifth inning, the Dons began to work Man starting pitcher Simpson.

The one-out rally started when Austin Pitchok singled, followed by a Max Nogay double to drive in the Blue Dons' first run. Logan Linder connected on an RBI single before Comis stepped to the plate and drilled a two-run shot over the left-field fence.

Suddenly, Madonna owned a 4-3 lead.

''I just focused in and put good swings on the ball,'' Comis said. ''On the one (Saturday), I was actually down in the count 1-2. He just put one over the plate and I got a good swing on it.

''I didn't really think that one was gone. I was in a dead sprint to first base when I heard the crowd cheer. So, it was awesome.''

The homer marked the second for Comis in as many days. But, the Dons' rally wasn't finished there.

After Connor Mogan reached base on an error, Eddie Nogay helped his own cause, smacking another two-run home run over the left-field wall to increase the Madonna advantage to 6-3.

''I came to the plate and I was a little frustrated in the fourth inning,'' Eddie Nogay said. ''I hit a double in that inning and then struck out the side. Then, I had the home run, so I think that this was all a part of God's master plan. You get a little frustrated, you focus in and realize that this is your last performance as a high-school athlete.

''We needed to get the job done and I'm grateful that it went the way it did and everything happens for a reason.''

Baire had a feeling that his offense would eventually come around.

''We left a lot of guys stranded and it started to feel like it was last year,'' he noted. ''But, we felt like if we continued to have the good approaches at the plate, swinging the bat the way we had been early, those hard-hit balls were going to find a way to drop in.

''Sure enough, they did. We just felt like we had to put pressure on them and see if they can handle playing with the pressure. Fortunately for us, we were able to keep enough pressure on them that they finally caved.''

Max Nogay has seen a trend with this Madonna team.

''We've been doing that all year,'' he said. ''We will wait around and then push on the pedal. We put the six runs up and then we just kept pouring it on from there.''

With the lead in hand, the Madonna pitching staff did the rest. Out of innings for the tournament, Baire took out Nogay in favor of Linder in the sixth inning. Linder kept the momentum going, holding Man at bay and preserving the lead.

''That speaks about the way that those two guys threw,'' Baire said. ''I sort of had a feeling the first time I talked to Eddie (Saturday) when we got up that he was pretty locked in and that he was going to have a good day. Sure enough, he did.

''Logan, for just being a sophomore, plays well beyond his years. He is going to be a special one down the road. Eddie has been doing this for three years and it is what I've grown to expect out of him.''

Madonna added two insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning, as Pitchok knocked in two runs.

Linder did the rest, recording the final out on a dribbler back to the mound which the pitcher threw to first baseman Ryan Mendenhall, sending the Madonna faithful into celebration.

Eddie Nogay was rewarded with a victory, striking out five and walking four in five innings of work.

His brother was not surprised at the dominance on the mound.

''Eddie threw a great game,'' Max said. ''He is our ace, hands down. He is going to Washington & Jefferson next year and he is going to do great. I love him and I couldn't be any more proud of him.''

Eddie discussed the accomplishments of the 2010 Madonna senior class.

''A lot of people say that guys are like their brothers, but these guys are my brothers,'' he said. ''I couldn't do anything without them. They've had my back throughout the whole four years and I hope that I have had their backs.

''They are the most tremendous athletes that I have ever competed with and I am truly honored to be a part of this team. The career that we've had at Madonna is just unfathomable. It is inexplicable the satisfaction that we've had to perform at this level for this amount of years and to go out on top in our senior year.''

Madonna finishes its championship season with a 25-7 record.

W.Va. Class A State Final

Weirton Madonna 8, Man 3

Weirton Madonna000 060 2 - 8 13 3

Man102 000 0 - 3 3 3

W - E.Nogay wp (5SO, 4W), Linder (6) (1SO, 1W) and Comis.

M - Simpson lp (2SO, 1W), Hurley (5) (2SO, 3W) and Vance.

[bbcoach]

Congratulations to Madonna High School on a fine baseball season!

[striker824]

Congrats Blue Dons!!!

[mama mia]

Congratulations to the Blue Dons!!! It was a great game and I'm happy I could be there to see the Blue Dons bring home another State Championship for Madonna High School. Good Things are Happening at Madonna and this will certainly carry over to next year. What a great year the student athletes at Madonna have had.

[secretstud96]

Congrats Blue Dons

[CCruz]

Cogratulations to Weirton Madonna. You've had a great group of upper classman during the 2009-10 sports year. I am looking forward to next year as Wheeling Central should be back in full swing. Looking forward to Central regaining our edge!

[Ironmike]

CCruz-- it should be interesting, but do not underestimate the "program" at Madonna.

How about this great quote from Shawn Rine, the sports editor of the Wheeling Intelligencer in his Sunday column:

"What a class this has been for the Blue Dons, who surely hate to see this senior group go. It was only a couple of years ago when it seemed like Wheeling Central was winning any and every title it wanted. Not any more. No, these days Madonna is the head honcho."

[Marion Page]

Congratulations to the Blue Dons players, coaches, and fans. What a great year and great group of Seniors!

[ovmom]

Congrats to Madonna on all your success this year!!! Hope to see you in the regular season again next year.