Will the Copperheads avenge last year’s defeat in the mist at Milligan College?  Will the Tornado repeat as SCBL champions, striking out the last to claim the Jeffers Cup?

It’s all coming to you live on Teamline!  Feel free to get in the game on our Gameday Forum with questions and comments.  Stay tuned for the first pitch of tonight’s ballgame at approximately 7:30 p.m.

Thursday at Milligan College’s Anglin Field

• Game 1: (3) Morganton Aggies 9, (2) Lake Norman Copperheads 3
• Game 2: (1) Tennessee Tornado 8, (4) Carolina Stingers 4

Friday at Cardinal Park

• Game 3: (2) Lake Norman Copperheads 9, (4) Carolina Stingers 6
• Game 4: (1) Tennessee Tornado 9, (3) Morganton Aggies 6

Saturday at Cardinal Park

• Game 5: (2) Lake Norman Copperheads 5, (3) Morganton Aggies 4
• Game 6: (1) Tennessee Tornado vs. (2) Lake Norman Copperheads, 7 p.m.

Sunday at Cardinal Park (if necessary)

• Game 7: Game 6 rematch, only if same team wins Games 3, 5 and 6, 1 p.m.

It’s as if fate brings these two teams together for as many explosive contests as possible, and that’s exactly what figures in Game 5.  In Game 1, Lake Norman’s sterling reputation for starting pitching didn’t seem to faze Morganton at all, as they jumped on Kyle Teague for five runs, starting with the big bats in the middle.  Don’t discount the run production capabilities in players like Oliver Killoren, Preston Lyon and Tori Conley in the bottom of the lineup, however, and rest assured Zeke Blanton will find a way on base at least twice or three times.

From Lake Norman’s angle, look for Kevin Roberts to do something big, as the playoffs have lit a spark under him.  He’s been on base six times in the first two days with two RBIs and thre runs scored.  Also, look for unmatched versatility in the field, allowing for an equally versatile lineup.  Wesley Dozier has played both infield and outfield for the Copperheads this week, which makes up for Shane Brown’s absence and allows for easy outfield platooning, while Cody Buch got two hits as the starting second baseman yesterday and he made a handful of great plays in the field including a rally-stomping 4-3 double play.

Morganton has won the last several exchanges between these two teams, but never discount a team with its eye on redemption in the championship bracket.  This game should be the jewel in the tournament crown for fans in attendance, listeners on Teamline and, of course, the players and coaches involved.

• Game 1: (3) Morganton Aggies 9, (2) Lake Norman Copperheads 3
• Game 2: (1) Tennessee Tornado 8, (4) Carolina Stingers 4

Friday at Cardinal Park

• Game 3: (2) Lake Norman Copperheads 9, (4) Carolina Stingers 6
• Game 4: (1) Tennessee Tornado 9, (3) Morganton Aggies 6

Saturday at Cardinal Park

• Game 5: (2) Lake Norman Copperheads vs. (3) Morganton Aggies, 4 p.m.
• Game 6: (1) Tennessee Tornado vs. Winner of Game 5, 7 p.m.

Sunday at Cardinal Park (if necessary)

• Game 7: Game 6 rematch, only if same team wins Games 3, 5 and 6, 1 p.m.

In Game 1, the Copperheads took the early advantage with four runs in the first inning off Matthew Large, capped off by a Kevin Roberts RBI triple and a Brian Litwin RBI double, though Neil Hardon threw out Litwin at third base to end the rally and the inning.

Carolina rebounded with a run in the second inning as Hardon drove in Joe Mangum.  From there, Large held off Lake Norman in gutsy fashion.

No one would score again until the sixth, when the Stingers sent ten men to the plate in a five-run rally to take the lead, 6-4.  Five consecutive singles, including a two-run base hit by Michael Caddell, contributed to the lead and the departure of Lake Norman starter Ryan Overcash.  Stephen Mullis added another RBI hit off reliever Patrick Sherrill.

Lake Norman was just as good as their appointed task, however, sending nine of their own to bat for a five-run rally in the bottom of the sixth.  Sparked by a solo home run for Tarron Robinson, Roberts singled and Cody Buch doubled, both scoring on a two-run single by Landon Adams.  Adams scored on Mike Perkins’s triple in the next at-bat.  Perkins came home to score on a passed ball to finalize the inning’s damage and put Lake Norman back on top 9-6.  All five runs in the inning were charged to Large, who left the game as Carolina’s pitcher of record against Sherrill.

Down the stretch, bad luck stemmed the Stingers’ rally tide, as a line drive caught at first base by Derek Long turned into a single-handed double play, forcing out Matthew Toth, who had singled to lead off the seventh inning.  Then in the eighth, Caddell walked with one out but leaned too early on a steal attempt and found himself picked off by Sherrill and the Copperheads infield.  Finally, in the ninth inning, Jason Borjas doubled to keep hopes alive with two outs, but he tried to take third on an errant outfield throw, and Mike Perkins collected the ball and gunned him out at third base to end the game.  Sherrill got the win for Lake Norman while Large took the loss for Carolina.

During the last few innings, Game 4 contenders Morganton and Tennessee looked on from the stands, waiting to see who they’d face if they were to lose the nightcap.  As Lake Norman won, both teams knew redemption would play into a possible Game 5 rematch — for Morganton, redemption from their win against the Copperheads on Thursday, and for Tennessee, redemption for their two wins on the way to last year’s title.

Neither team wishing to face Lake Norman, both hoping to make another night appearance on Day 3, it was Morganton that struck first, a solo home run in the second inning by Zack Pou to take an early 1-0 lead on Kyle Bolton.

Next, Tennessee took its first big cuts against Jordan Pace, retaliating in their half of the second with a Jean Carlos Diaz RBI triple, followed immediately by an Andrew Jones RBI double.  After a hit by Julian McWilliams, Fabian Harper brought out unprecedented power with a soaring two-run double into the right-field corner.  He scored on a Steve Scoby base hit to end the rally at six runs, giving Tennessee a 6-1 lead.

From there, the Aggies capitalized on Bolton’s waning control in the third inning as they watched pitch after pitch skip to the backstop, allowing both Tori Conley and Zeke Blanton, who walked consecutively to start the inning, to eventually come around and score — two runs without a single hit in the inning.

On to the sixth, Morganton tied the game in the top, batting nine and again taking advantage of a lead-off walk, as Samson Williams scored on an RBI single for Pou.  Pou scored on Brad Hook’s RBI single, and Oliver Killoren singled and scored the final run of the rally later.  Had Hook scored, the Aggies would have led the game after the half-inning, but with the bases loaded and one out, Harper played a high chopper by Zeke Blanton and fired a strike to the plate to force Hook out.

As intensity mounted, the tied game moved to the bottom of the sixth inning as starter Jordan Pace tried to control the pace of the game for Morganton.  However, the red-hot Andrew Jones, who came to the plate 2-2 after singling in his second at-bat, blasted a solo home run to right field to give the lead back to Tennessee, 7-6.

From there, the Tornado bullpen had to hold on, as Frank Newcomb became their pitcher of record and Pace, though removed in favor of Ricky Vaughn, stood to shoulder the loss.  Newcomb got through the seventh with one hit and no runs, and then Sean Albury entered the game.  The Nassau, Bahamas, native retired three in order in the eighth, allowing the Tornado another chance to add insurance.

After a leadoff walk to Jay Davis, Brandon Miller came in to pinch run, but he didn’t even have to run — he just trotted — as Andrew Jones came up two batters later and belted his second home run of the night, a two-run shot to deep left-center field, increasing Tennessee’s lead to three runs.

In the ninth, Albury walked Jake Loye to lead off, but then settled down and struck out both Matt Heller and Williams, cutting down the mighty cleanup hitter on a called third strike.  Pou was the last hope for the Aggies, coming to the plate 4-4 with three singles since his home run.  He laced a line drive toward the right-center field gap, but Diaz tracked it down to retire the side and win the game for Tennessee, 9-6.  Newcomb took the win for the Tornado, while Pace got the loss for Morganton.

Today, the Aggies face the Copperheads in Game 5 at 4 p.m., both teams facing the possibility of elimination.  At 7 p.m., the winner faces the Tornado for a chance to delay the tournament one more day, while Tennessee tries to repeat as SCBL champions.

Between Tennessee and Morganton, the Tornado won out in the series, 4-2, starting out the season trading doubleheader splits on respective home fields.  From there, Tennessee won a nine-inning game on each field and Morganton took the final meeting at Shuey Field.  At Cardinal Park, Tennessee has won two of three games in 2009.

Thursday at Milligan College’s Anglin Field

• Game 1: (3) Morganton Aggies 9, (2) Lake Norman Copperheads 3
• Game 2: (1) Tennessee Tornado 8, (4) Carolina Stingers 4

Friday at Cardinal Park

• Game 3: (2) Lake Norman Copperheads 9, (4) Carolina Stingers 6
• Game 4: (1) Tennessee Tornado vs. (3) Morganton Aggies, 7 p.m.

Saturday at Cardinal Park

• Game 5: (2) Lake Norman Copperheads vs. Loser of Game 4, 4 p.m.
• Game 6: Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5, 7 p.m.

Sunday at Cardinal Park (if necessary)

• Game 7: Game 6 rematch, only if same team wins Games 3, 5 and 6, 1 p.m.

During the regular season, Lake Norman won the overall series with Carolina, 3-2, splitting a double-header at each location and winning a single game in Fort Mill, S.C.

• Game 1: (3) Morganton Aggies 9, (2) Lake Norman Copperheads 3
• Game 2: (1) Tennessee Tornado 8, (4) Carolina Stingers 4

Friday at Cardinal Park

• Game 3: (2) Lake Norman Copperheads vs. (4) Carolina Stingers, 4 p.m.
• Game 4: (1) Tennessee Tornado vs. (3) Morganton Aggies, 7 p.m.

Saturday at Cardinal Park

• Game 5: Winner of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4, 4 p.m.
• Game 6: Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5, 7 p.m.

Sunday at Cardinal Park (if necessary)

• Game 7: Game 6 rematch, only if same team wins Games 3, 5 and 6, 1 p.m.

In Game 1, two of the best pitchers in the league squared off for three innings back and forth, but Morganton broke through against Kyle Teague in the fourth for five runs, capped off by a Tori Conley RBI double and a Zeke Blanton two-run single.  Meanwhile, Kevin Bratcher worked a quality start, seven innings with six strikeouts while allowing two runs on four hits.  Ricky Vaughn closed out the game, getting some offensive insurance in the ninth thanks to a Lake Norman error, a Samson Williams RBI single and a Zach Pou RBI double.  Preston Lyon and Brad Hook also drove in runs toward the win.

In the nightcap, Todd Caldwell enjoyed an early lead for the Tornado as Sam Eberle, Topher Ellis and Steve Scoby drove in runs for a 3-0 lead after two innings.  Caldwell took the lead through the fifth, when a two-run double by Jean Carlos Diaz increased it to 6-0.  In the top of the sixth, however, the Stingers got on the board and then some, tagging Caldwell for three runs.  Joe Mangum and Joaquin Valdes knocked back-to-back doubles to knock Caldwell out of the game.  A strong Tornado bullpen would prevail, however, as Frank Newcomb shut down the rally, Jake Peeling held the eighth and Jason Trivette struck out the side in the ninth.  Tennessee added insurance in the seventh on a double by Bart Roark, an RBI triple by Michael Hartley and a sacrifice fly by Ellis.

Today the tournament moves to Cardinal Park, where Game 3 features the Copperheads and Stingers at 4 p.m., followed by Game 4 between the Tornado and Aggies at 7 p.m.