Spartans One Step Closer To District Crown

Broad Run out-slugs Panthers in pivotal contest

By Matt Brooks (Contact)

Thursday, May 15, 2008

It wasn't quite the pitchers' duel of the first match-up, but with the regular season Dulles District title on the line, Wednesday's contest between Potomac Falls and Broad Run featured more solid pitching and clutch hitting and resulted in another one-run thriller.

After falling on the short end of a 2-1 result in the first meeting, Cole Shain and the Spartans exacted a measure of revenge on senior night in Ashburn, banging out 10 hits against Potomac Falls ace Jake Kline and coming from behind for a 5-4 victory.

Both lineups fared much better the second time around against the opposition's top pitcher as the two teams combined for 17 hits after managing only 10 back in April. Shain and Kline both struggled early, allowing one and two runs respectively in the first inning. But while Broad Run's lefty was able to settle in after allowing three more runs in the third, Kline was touched up for 10 hits, including five singles in the Spartans' key two-run rally in the 4th, and was unable to locate his breaking ball effectively all night.



"I think both pitchers threw the ball great the first time, I think they both threw the ball pretty good today," Broad Run Coach Pat Cassidy said. "I think both teams hit the ball well and both teams stayed aggressive. I know there were a couple quick innings for both teams, but we took the lead and they took the lead right back."

The Panthers' junior still recorded nine strikeouts without walking a batter, but his counterpart was nearly as effective, tallying six strikeouts without a walk. Shain also benefited from a couple dynamite defensive plays, including a sliding grab by centerfielder Andrew Mann on a Kline liner to center to start the 7th.

"It gives you so much more confidence just to throw the ball over the plate and not walk anyone, no free bases," Shain said. "Let them put the ball in play and the defense makes plays behind you. We need to carry this into our games further games as we move on because we're going to see just as good hitting teams or even better. Our defense tonight played pretty well."

Potomac Falls got on the board in the top of the first when junior catcher Michael Spring drove in senior first baseman Aaron Sweger on a double to deep left center. But the home team answered in the bottom half of the inning. Senior catcher Tommy Meier singled back up the middle to bring home shortstop Chris Jessop who had reached on a double down the left field line. Billy Rocca – running for Meier – then stole second and advanced to third on a Kline wild pitch. Shain followed with a ground ball to the right side that skipped under the gloves of both Sweger and second baseman Jake Orpin, allowing Rocca to score on the error as the Spartans took a 2-1 advantage.

The Panthers responded with a three-run third inning, using three hits and a hit batsman to get back on top. Following junior third baseman Rob Malan's single to left, Shain brought his fastball too far inside on junior shortstop Greg Woodlief, hitting him for the first of two times on the night to put runners on first and second with one out. Sweger followed by dumping the first pitch he saw into left to score Malan. Following a sacrifice fly by Spring that scored Woodlief from third, junior designated hitter Pat Nightingale drove a double just out of Mann's reach in center to score Sweger and give Potomac Falls a 4-2 lead.

The Panthers' one-through-six hitters were responsible for all seven of their hits while Sweger, Spring and Nightingale at three-through-four accounted for all four RBIs. Meanwhile, the bottom three in the lineup went a combined 0-for-9 with four strikeouts.

"They came in and they primarily drove in most of our runs," Potomac Falls coach Joe Terango said. "They showed up tonight and so did the rest of the kids."

Again the Spartans struck back in the bottom half of the inning, closing the gap on an RBI groundout from Meier after a passed ball allowed Jessop to reach first despite striking out swinging on the pitch. In the fourth, the bats really came around for Broad Run as they strung together five singles in six at-bats to patiently work their way around the bases and regain the lead. Senior designated hitter J.P. Devlin was the first to reach on a bloop single to shallow right. Following a strikeout, pinch hitter Patrick Murphy smacked a single to right and Mann followed with a single to left to load the bases. Jessop then delivered a two-run single – the second of his three hits on the night – and the Spartans were back on top with the final 5-4 margin.

As they did in the first meeting, both pitchers went the distance for their respective teams, with Shain avenging his only loss of the season in the first meeting by edging Kline on a night when neither was quite at his best.

"He wasn't on top of his game tonight," Terango said. "However, that's due to a good-hitting ballclub. They don't hit for power, they slap the ball around, they put it in play and they made us pay for that tonight."

Jessop went 3-for-4 with two runs, three hits, two RBIs and two stolen bases and Meier also had two RBIs and a stolen base for Broad Run which continued to use their speed to manufacture runs, particularly in the early innings.

"All year we've been a pretty good hitting team, we've been great on the bases and that's a good combination," Cassidy said.

With a win Thursday night at Dominion, the Spartans will clinch the regular season district crown, while a loss would mean another meeting with Potomac Falls – most likely Friday – in a playoff to determine the champion and the top seed in Saturday's tournament.

"They still have to win another baseball game," said Terango – who expects his team to be rooting hard for the Titans on Thursday. "We don't get to determine our own fate, however if that comes about and we get to play another baseball game on Friday, then we'll be ready to go."

Notes:The quote of the night game from Shain who was took a Malan line drive off the inside of his right thigh in the top of the fifth. The senior hurler was able to make the play to first base to record the out but then crumpled to the ground in pain and lay on his back for several minutes while receiving attention from the trainer. He would stay in and finish out the final three innings of the contest but had this to say afterwards. "Oh my God, I felt that one. I'm not wearing a cup and it got me right there. So I'm going to Dick's right now to pick one up."

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