SLIPPERY ROCK — When Robert Goeke struck out Derek Forese to end the game Monday night, the Hickory pitcher laid down on the mound and thrust his arms in the air.

He deserved the rest.

The senior left-hander threw 128 pitches — 39 in the first inning — in a complete-game effort as the Hornets stunned Grove City, 8-6, in the District 10 Class AAA baseball championship game at Slippery Rock University's Critchfield Park.

Hickory won its first district baseball title since 1997 and denied the Eagles their third successive crown. Grove City defeated Hickory 13-4 and 17-3 during the regular season.

The Eagles had a team batting average of .413, but managed only four singles against Goeke.

"He's a small lefty who throws a lot of off-speed stuff, and we haven't seen much of that this year,"Grove City coach Pat Forese said. "We didn't handle it very well."

Neither team handled the ball very well, as nine of the 14 runs scored in the game were unearned.

Grove City scored four runs in the top of the first after Goeke walked three batters and right fielder Taylor Englebaugh dropped a lazy fly ball, allowing two runs to score instead of securing the third out.

With one out in the third, Goeke walked Forese and hit Kent Denbow with a pitch. Drew Bestwick hit a tailor-made double-play ball to shortstop, but David Leon threw wildly to second, allowing Forese to score.

Brad Ballantine's sacrifice fly gave the Eagles a 6-1 lead and Grove City had Hickory on the ropes.

"Bobby is usually a great control pitcher, and that's why we started him tonight,"Hickory coach Gary Hinkson said of Goeke. "I'm sure he had some butterflies in his stomach early.

"But he got sharper as the game went on."

Grove City managed only one hit — an infield single by Bobby Revesz after Goeke didn't cover the bag on a grounder to first — over the final four innings.

Revesz seemed to be kicking into gear himself for the Eagles. The flame-throwing southpaw struck out the first two batters to begin the Hickory fourth inning.

Then disaster struck.

Englebaugh hit a grounder to shortstop that Ryan Devine bobbled, then threw away. Evan Anzio singled and Cam Konop walked to load the bases. Leon drilled a two-run single to center and Jaymee Shephard walked.

Garen Ream tripled to deep center to tie the game and Revesz was done for the night.

"Bob didn't have his usual pop tonight,"Forese said. "That happens."

Hickory took the lead in the fifth when Brian Szabo singled, moved all the way to third on an errant pickoff attempt and scored on Englebaugh's sacrifice fly.

An infield single by Ross Voisey plated Ream with an insurance run in the sixth.

"I can't say enough about how proud I am of these kids," Hinkson said. "Even with the bad start, they never stopped believing they could win this game.

"Robert gained more confidence with each inning and did the job for us. I was worried about his pitch count all night. Every inning, we had somebody warming up in the bullpen in case he got in more trouble. But he never did.

"We came from five runs down against the best pitcher in the district and won. This is incredible,"Hinkson added.

Forese could only shake his head at the thought.

"This one's going to sting a little," he said.

Grove City 402 000 0—6 4 4Hickory 100 511 x—8 11 3Bob Revesz (6K, 3BB), Dan Keil (4, L, 1K, 3BB) and Scott Moore; Robert Goeke (W, 7Kk, 4BB) and David Schafer.

Grove City (19-2):Bob Revesz 3-1B, Ross Trinch 1BRBI, Derek Forese RBI, Brad Ballantine RBI

Hickory (15-5):David Leon 2-1B 2-RBI, Jaymee Shephard 2-R, Garen Ream 2-1B 3B2-RBI, David Schafer 1BRBI, Brian Szabo 1B, Ross Voisey 1BRBI, Taylor Englebaugh RBI, Evan Anzio 2B2-1B