HS Appeals Baseball Forfeit After Pitching Violation

The Class 5 Region A baseball championship game will be played tonight, but whether Hickory or Maury will be in the dugout opposite Menchville remained a mystery heading into Wednesday night.

Hickory on Wednesday appealed its forfeit of a region semifinal game for violating the Virginia High School League's pitching rule, league spokesman Mike McCall wrote in an email. McCall indicated that a panel, led by associate director Tom Dolan, will decide the Hawks' fate today.

If the forfeit is upheld, Maury will play Menchville for the region title at 6 p.m. at War Memorial Stadium in Hampton, and Hickory's season would be over. If the forfeit is overturned, Hickory would face Menchville.

Both finalists earn Class 5 state tournament berths.

Hickory defeated Maury 7-3 in a region semifinal on Monday, but Hawks starting pitcher Jeron Snellinger threw 118 pitches - 10 more than the VHSL's single-day limit. Violation of the rule results in a forfeit and a $100 fine for the school.

Snellinger started Monday's game and was pulled in the seventh inning after a walk, an error and a single loaded the bases.

"He was at 118 (pitches)," Hawks coach Hank Kraft told The Pilot after the game. "I should have gotten him before that, but it's hard when the kid is pitching so well and there's a berth to go to the states on the line."

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