Armed and
dangerous, Nickum hurls Cobras
to title
World Series back
in Coors Light camp
By JODY
ZARKOS
Express Staff Writer
The Coors
Light Cobras captured the seventh annual Wood River World Series in
convincing style Saturday at Hailey’s Founders Field.
The
Cobras won the first two games in the best-of-three series against the
Waxroom Snappers by scores of 8-2 and 23-17 to claim their fourth World
Series championship.
It ended
the three-month Sun Valley Adult Baseball League season and gave the
Cobras (14-3 season) their fourth World Series title. The sweep
dethroned last year’s Sun Valley Men’s Adult Baseball League playoff
champion Snappers (10-6).
Much of
the Cobras success can be attributed directly to the right arm of
pitching ace Christian Nickum.
The
Coors Light Cobras captured the seventh annual Wood River World
Series in convincing style Aug. 24 at Hailey’s Founders Field. The
Cobras won the first two games in the best-of-three series against the
Waxroom Snappers by scores of 8-2 and 23-17. It ended the three-month
Sun Valley Adult Baseball League season and gave the Cobras (14-3
season) their fourth World Series title. Here, the victorious Cobras
pose after their World Series championship. Front, from left, Jim Jaquet,
Jesse Deckard, player/coach Dave Fox, Brian Nelson, James Nelson and
Bryan Burrell. Back, from left, Jeff Farrow, Phillip Uhrig, Anthony
Anderson, Christian Nickum, Dan Gearhart, Zach Sewell, Jeff Burrell,
Brent Anderson and Hoss Schmidt. Express photo by Jody Zarkos
"Christian
is the best pitcher in the league," Cobras player-manager Dave Fox
said. "We are a great team with him pitching and we are a very good
team with anyone else pitching."
The stats
don’t lie.
Most
Valuable Player of both the series and the SVMABL, Nickum threw 15 of 18
innings in the two-game World Series. He surrendered 18 hits (just four
in the first game, a complete-game win) and 12 runs.
Even more
telling, the Snappers .364 team batting average during the season dipped
to .287 in the series. The Cobras out-hit the Snappers 13-4 in the first
game and 20-19 in the high-scoring finale.
"Nickum
is awesome," Snappers player-manager John Rathfon said. "I
would play behind him anytime."
In a
head-to-head matchup at Founder’s Field Saturday morning, Nickum got
the best of Rathfon in a duel of tough righthanders.
In a
103-pitch performance, Nickum fanned eight, scattered four hits and didn’t
issue a walk in an 8-2 Cobras victory. Only one of the runs scored by
the Snappers was earned.
"You
just try and stick the bat out there," Snappers outfielder Chris
Zarkos half-joked.
Rathfon
pitched a complete game as well. He scattered 11 hits, but didn’t
whiff any Cobras.
And the
Cobras consistently came up with timely hits and fine defensive plays
when needed
Cobras 8,
Snappers 2
After
being hit by a pitch, Nickum scored the first run of the series on a
double by Jeff Burrell (2 hits) in the second inning.
Ageless
Jim Jaquet doubled to lead off the third and came around on a fielder’s
choice by Brian Nelson. Dave Fox’s single scored leadoff man Bryan
Burrell for a 3-0 lead.
The
Snappers made it onto the scoreboard in the fourth. Shortstop James
Cordes singled and stole second to put himself in scoring position.
An error
in the outfield scored Cordes and advanced Curtis Bacca to second for a
3-1 game, but the Cobras stifled the potential rally by turning 4-3
grounders on the next two hitters.
The
Snakes opened up their lead in the home half. Hoss Schmidt jacked a
leadoff homer and Nickum came around on another RBI hit by Jeff Burrell
for a 5-1 advantage.
In the
fifth, Rathfon smoked a single, stole second and crossed home on an RBI
by Lars Hovey, but once again, the Brian Nelson-to-Dave Fox combination
collected two outs to bail the Cobras out of the frame.
Inserted
in the fifth inning, Brent Anderson packed some punch in the bottom of
the order, roping two hits and scoring two runs to push the lead to 6-2.
Bryan Burrell also scored again for a final score of 8-2.
Cobras
23, Snappers 17
Brent
Anderson, who sports bright yellow socks only Charlie Finley could love,
was given the ball for game two. Lars Hovey started for the Snaps.
Neither was around at the end.
Anderson
allowed only two hits through the first three innings and carried a 7-1
lead into the fourth, thanks to some excellent team hitting and one
great defensive play.
Trailing
4-1, the Snappers had the bases loaded in the home third when Rathfon
ripped a sinking liner to right field. Going to his right, Jeff Burrell
made a spectacular diving catch that saved three runs and maybe more.
"That
was phenomenal," Nickum said. "We were fired up."
The next
inning, the Snappers erupted for 11 runs and would have gotten more,
except for a pair of outstanding catches by first baseman Anthony
Anderson.
With one
out, Hovey singled and came around after Brent Anderson issued three
consecutive walks. Anthony Naghsh singled and Cordes (5-for-6, 4 RBI)
tripled to clear the bases and tie the game 7-7.
Cobras
skipper Fox immediately handed the ball to the man with the golden gun,
Nickum. "Christian wanted the ball," Fox said. "I wasn’t
going to tell him no."
Nickum’s
arm was dead, but his desire was strong. This year the Cobras beat the
Snappers five straight times including the World Series, and Nickum
pitched 42 of the 45 frames.
The
Snappers were not done playing their version of smash hits.
Billy
Neal, Rathfon (double), Zarkos (3 hits), Hovey and Jimmy Hart all
knocked hits in the big rally as the Snappers finally got to Nickum. The
Cobras trailed 12-7 by the time the 16-batter rally ended.
"I
was honestly thinking of game three at that point," Fox said.
Brent
Anderson was not. Whatever frustration he experienced on the mound, he
didn’t bring it to the plate.
After
Bryan Burrell and Fox (3 hits) scored runs, Brent Anderson jacked a
two-run homer to cut the Waxroom’s lead to one, 12-11. The Cobras
tacked on eight more runs in the sixth, including another two-run homer
by Brent Anderson (3 hits).
"Brent
stepped up huge," Fox said. His brother Anthony Anderson added a
three-run double in the rally.
In the
home eighth, trailing 23-13, the Snappers stubbornly climbed back in the
game. Cordes led off with a single, Bacca walked, and Matt Buxton
singled in Cordes.
With a
jaw you could cut yourself on and the will to match, #5 hitter Rathfon
ripped a two-run double close the gap to 23-16.
Reliever
Tim Carter garnered his second straight 1-2-3 inning against the Cobras
in the ninth—center fielder Buxton making some fine running catches—and
the Snappers picked up their bats again.
Carter
doubled, Anthony Naghsh walked, and Cordes doubled to score Carter.
Bacca reached on a base-on-balls. Faced with bases loaded and two out,
Nickum buckled down with a whiff to clinch the game 23-17.
"I
was pretty tired at that point," Nickum said. "I was just
trying to throw strikes. Luckily our defense played great."
Fox
concurred, "Everyone hit the ball. Everyone stepped up. I think we
are the best team in the league, especially with Christian, and we
played like it."
Check
next week’s Local Life for a team photo of the winning Cobras, or
visit this week’s Web site to see it.
Season
batting averages
Cobras—Anthony
Anderson .630, Dave Fox .500, Brian Nelson .473, Dan Gearhart .392,
Brent Anderson .375, Hoss Schmidt .333, Kenny Nelson .333, Zach Sewell
.322, James Nelson .312, Jim Jaquet .285, Bryan Burrell .280, Jesse
Deckard .259, Jeff Burrell .240, Christian Nickum .193, Jeff Farrow
.117.
Snappers—John
Rathfon .585, James Cordes .512, Billy Neal .415, Cam Lloyd .412, Curtis
Bacca .404, Matt Buxton .393, Chris Zarkos .373, Kevin Mora .371, Max
Paisley .333, Jimmy Hart .318, Lars Hovey .273, Tim Mott .233, Tim
Carter .222, Anthony Naghsh .171.
World
Series averages
Cobras
(.369 team batting)—Brent
Anderson .714, Jaquet .600, Schmidt .500, Gearhart .500, Fox .444, J.
Nelson .400, J. Burrell .375, Sewell .333, B. Burrell .285, B. Nelson
.285, A. Anderson .285, Nickum .166.
Snappers
(.287 team batting)—Cordes
.666, Zarkos .500, Hart .428, Rathfon .375, Neal .333, Hovey .285,
Buxton .166, Naghsh .142, Carter .142.