By Tommy Keeler Jr. -- Daily Staff Writer

WINCHESTER — Chase Brown could barely walk — let alone run — but with his team trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the third, he pleaded with Handley coach Eddie Simmons to let him get one last at-bat.

Brown stepped up to the plate and delivered a base hit, which led to a Handley run and eventually a 5-2 win over Skyline on May 6. Brown collapsed in pain after reaching first base and was taken out of the game, but by that time, just like usual, he had done his part.

Brown, a senior, had passed a kidney stone just days before, but in a key game against Skyline, Brown went to the doctor to get a release saying he could play.

"It was tough," said Brown, who leads the Judges into the Northwestern District tournament quarterfinals today at James Wood at 7 p.m. "I had to play, that's just the way I am. I was going to play until I had to come out."

Brown also played against Millbrook on May 1 with the kidney stone. Again, he went to the doctor to get a release. Brown went 2-for-3 with a stolen base in the Judges' 2-0 loss.

"It says a lot about that young man," Simmons said. "A lot of people would've just sit and missed the time to heal."

Brown, who says New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter is his favorite player, wouldn't sit and watch.

"He's the captain," Brown said of Jeter. "He always tries to do his best and to win. He plays the game hard."

Simmons said the same can be said for Brown.

"He's the face of our program," Simmons said. "He shows a good example of how to play the game. He plays with class. He works hard. He never throws his helmet. He's a great role model for the other kids."

Brown grew up around the Judges' baseball program, as his older brother played when Handley was a district powerhouse n the late 1990s.

But as a freshman, Brown debuted at a pivotal time for a program that had lost Patrick Wingfield, Josh Verts and Jason Byrne to graduation. Brown immediately became the staff's ace.

"He had a great freshman season and he's been doing the same thing for the last three years," Simmons said.

Brown doesn't have overpowering stuff on the mound, instead he just tries to throw off-speed pitches and keep the hitters off-balance.

"I really just try to spot all three of my pitches and just throw strikes," Brown said.

Simmons said last year Brown came into the season a little stronger, and his fastball now has more pop, allowing him to get more strikeouts.

Offensively, Brown has been just as solid over his career, and after batting .314 last season, is currently hitting .370 with three stolen bases and nine runs scored.

On the mound, Brown is 3-3 with a 2.60 ERA.

"He's just one of those kids you hate to lose," Simmons said. "He's a phenomenal infielder. He's just a great kid."

The Judges struggled to a 5-8 record to start the season, and Brown, showing more of his leadership abilities, went to Simmons and asked if there was anything they could do turn things around.

Handley's struggles were linked to mental errors, such as watching a called third strike. Simmons relayed to Brown a tactic his college team used called "Rules of the Game." If a player made a mental error, he had to run during the next practice.

"It just showed there would be consequences for their actions," Simmons said. "It really wasn't about the punishment. I think it just helped them think more about what they wanted to do when they're at bat."

The Judges' fortunes have changed, as the team won five of its last seven games and finished sixth in the district.

With his high-school career winding down, Brown would love nothing more than to lead the Judges into regionals, restoring luster to a program accustomed to success.

"We just need to hit the ball and score runs," Brown said of his team's chances in the postseason. "[In the last four years] I've tried to do my best to show that Handley baseball is still around."

*Contact Tommy Keeler Jr. at tkeeler@nvdaily.com

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