By Matt Brooks
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
With one out in the bottom of the 7th inning and the tying run at second base in Monday's Liberty District matchup with Langley, Stone Bridge closer Mike Palmer checked the sign from catcher Brian Wheaton. After allowing two hits to start the inning, a sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third and Palmer had little room for error.
So the senior calmly set himself and unleashed a nasty breaking ball with his patented side-arm delivery. The pitch was too much for Langley shortstop Jack Mclindon to handle and he swung over top of the ball for strike three. On the next pitch, Geremy Monh smacked a fastball high into left field but Johnny Bladel chased it down and made the catch to secure a 6-4 win and the Bulldogs' first AAA Liberty District title.
“For some reason, he's got like four saves on this field,” Stone Bridge coach Sam Plank said of his closer. “All four times I've said, 'Palmer, we believe in you.' And I told him that right before the last batter. He's just been huge for us. I feel at ease when he's out there. He's a big part of this team.”
Stone Bridge senior starter Tyler Weaver pitched five innings, overcoming two home runs, to pick up the win and the Bulldogs used a four-run third to build a lead they would never relinquish.
After Eddie Gonzalez gave Langley a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second with a 375-foot blast over the wall in dead center, the Bulldogs' bats came around in the third. Senior center fielder Matt Irwin led-off with a double and Wheaton drove in the tying run with a double of his own three pitches later. Following a strikeout, junior left-fielder Johnny Bladel fisted a Jody Davis offering into the outfield to bring in Wheaton and senior shortstop Mike Stancik followed by a double to the base of the wall in left field.
With first base open, Langley coach Jeff Ferrell opted to intentionally walk Patrick Thompson to bring up Stone Bridge's lone freshman, J.J. White. But Davis walked White on six pitches, plating Bladel. Thompson then scored on a throwing error by the catcher and the Bulldogs led 4-1.
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The Saxons trimmed the lead to 4-3 in the bottom half of the inning when junior catcher Geremy Manh unloaded on a Weaver fastball and drove it over the wall in left center for a two-run homer. Just before the long ball, Langley had runners at second and third with one out but Weaver picked off Barrett Hunter at third, saving a crucial run.
“When it happens you've just got to work through it,” Weaver said of the home runs. “It's going to happen every once in a while. You've got to give yourself confidence and just push through things.”
The Bulldogs (17-2, 12-1 AAA Liberty) got some insurance in the fifth when Ferrell again opted to issue an intentional free pass. This time the Saxons walked White to put runners on first and second with two outs. Again the decision proved costly as senior second baseman Collin Pearson smacked the first pitch he saw into deep left center for a two-run double, giving Stone Bridge a 6-3 lead.
Weaver allowed four runs - three earned - on six hits in five innings, walking one and striking out four to improve to 7-0 on the year and Palmer struck out three in two scoreless innings to record his fifth save.
The Bulldogs entered the night with a two-game lead on McLean in the district standings and needed just one victory in their final two games to lock up the regular season championship. With a spot in the Virginia AAA Northern Region tournament already assured, they took care of business on Monday to reduce the stress level heading into Friday's rivalry game at Madison to close out the regular season.
“I'm so proud of these guys because they've believed all year,” Plank said. “We've had our backs up against the wall a few times and they never give up. I'm excited for these players because they've worked so hard. We've been close the last two years, and coming from double-A, it's nice to get that championship.”
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