Kline Gets Panthers Win Over Park View

By Matt Brooks (Contact)

Friday, April 11, 2008

When Jake Kline stepped into the batters box Thursday night to pinch hit for Potomac Falls starter Mike Detaranto in the bottom of the fourth, the Panthers were knotted up with visiting Park View, 2-2. Coach Joe Terango knew he could rely on Kline to keep the Patriots' hitters in check the rest of the way, but he also knew the junior pitcher could swing the bat.

With two on and two out, Kline came through in a six-pitch battle with Park View starter Jimmy Kerby, slapping a two-run single to left field to give the home team a 4-2 lead it would never relinquish. Having knocked in the winning run, Kline cruised through the final three innings on the mound and the Panthers secured a 5-2 victory.

After Kline's single, Terango sent out a courtesy runner to allow his pitcher to get warmed up. But since Kline had yet to take the mound as a defensive player, Park View coach Mickey Leap contested that he should not be allowed a courtesy runner (which are afforded to pitchers and catchers). The umpires conversed and elected to allow Michael Fahey to take Kline's place at first.

“The only reason I didn't want him coming off the bases is because I knew he wasn't loose yet and they had to get him down in the bullpen to get him ready,” Leap quipped after the game. “He's a fine pitcher, and I knew if he came in we were behind the eight ball, down two runs with him coming up on the hill. We scrapped around a little bit, we didn't get any runs off of him, but it's baseball.”

Kline struck out six of the 10 batters he faced, including the first three in order, to preserve the victory for Detaranto and pick up the save.

“When he came in it was lights out,” Terango said. “Both of them throw strikes, both of them keep the ball down and work ahead. So I think anytime you can combine those three things you're going to have an opportunity to be successful.”

The Patriots -- who had not played a game or practiced since a 12-6 loss to Heritage on April 1 due to soggy field conditions -- tagged Detaranto with three hits in the second to take an early 2-0 lead. Catcher Dylan Smith crushed a ball off the base of the wall in left-center, Zach Anderegg moved him to third with a single and then Smith scored on a balk by Detaranto. Two batters later, Drew Mason drove in Anderegg with a single.

“I just told the kids, we have not come out ready to play baseball hardly any game this year, and tonight they came out, they were focused and we jumped on them early,” Leap said. “I want to say that we've been leading in every game we've played this year. We've taken the lead in the first couple innings and then we've given it up. But they came out ready to play today. I was pleased with that.”

Kerby gave the Patriots (4-4, 1-2 AA Dulles) three solid innings on the mound but the senior righty seemed to tire in the fourth, and that's when Potomac Falls took advantage.

Patrick Nightingale drove in Chad McMichael for the Panthers' first run of the game and an error by shortstop Billy Bradley allowed Mike Spring to cross home plate to tie the score at 2-2. Kline was next up, delivering his two-out, two-run single to break open the game.

“He pitched a real nice baseball game,” Terango said of Kerby. “He kept everything down, kept us off balance, mixed it up real well, so hat's off to him. He came out here ready to win a ballgame and it took us one or two times through the lineup before we could make an adjustment.”

Kerby lasted 4 1/3 innings, giving up five runs (only three earned) on seven hits while striking out three and walking none.

The Patriots got a chance to add to their lead in the third when Detaranto walked back-to-back hitters to load the bases with two outs, but Anderegg flew out to deep center to end the threat and Park View managed only one base-runner the rest of the way.

Kline's two RBIs led the Panthers (5-1, 4-0) while Nightingale finished with two hits and McMichael scored two runs.

The Panthers have Friday off while Park View visits Broad Run, who dropped a shocker to previously winless Loudoun County, 2-1, on Wednesday night.

“It was a shocker,” Leap said. “But I can tell you what, they will be focused and they won't be looking over us tomorrow night, I can guarantee you that. But we come to play. If we can be a little more aggressive at the plate and get the job done, you never know. That's why you play the game. We could be the second team to knock them off in the district.”

Extra Points

By Paul Tenorio and Matt Brooks