Dominion Squeaks By (Again)

Another Game, Another One-Run Win for Titans

By Matt Brooks (Contact)

Saturday, April 25, 2009

One-run games seem to be the theme of the season for the Dominion baseball team this spring. Of the 13 games it's played, seven have been decided by a single run.

So as the Titans watched their 6-3 lead over visiting Briar Woods evaporate in the sixth inning of Friday night's Virginia AA Dulles District contest, it was like seeing a rerun.

But as they have done multiple times this season, the Titans bounced back from a disastrous inning in which they allowed the Falcons to tie the score and gave themselves a chance to win in dramatic fashion.

With the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the seventh, Ryan Skeffington's hard grounder to third was too much for Briar Woods to handle cleanly, and Chris Taylor scored easily from third to give the Titans a 7-6 win.

"It's been the same thing all year," Taylor said. "We've been in that situation so many times that we know not to panic too much. We've still got be able to collect ourselves, go up there and hit and try to win the game."

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Dominion Pulls Out Another One-Run Win

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Briar Woods junior third baseman Austin Frattali takes infield before the Falcons' game against Dominion on Friday in Sterling. (Matt Brooks)

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The Briar Woods Falcons line up for the national anthem before their game against Dominion on Friday in Sterling. (Matt Brooks)

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Dominion sophomore Ryan Doyle gave up three runs in five innings of work as the Titans defeated Briar Woods at home, 7-6, on Friday night in Sterling. (Matt Brooks)

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The Titans greet senior Chris Taylor (15) after he crosses home plate for the winning run in a 7-6 victory over Briar Woods. (Matt Brooks)

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The Titans (7-6, 5-3) pummeled Briar Woods senior starter Ian Hickman in the home half of the first, scoring five runs on three walks and three hits.

The Falcons cut the lead to 5-3 in the top of the third on back-to-back RBI singles from Hickman and senior shortstop Chris Wade. Then the Titans widened it to 6-3 when Taylor doubled and scored on an errant pickoff throw from Hickman.

Dominion Coach Jay Raines pulled Ryan Doyle after five innings and only 59 pitches, noticing that the sophomore junk-baller didn't have his best stuff. In spite of his early struggles, however, Doyle settled in and recorded eight straight outs - five on ground balls - between the third and fifth innings. He gave up three earned runs on seven hits while striking out one and not issuing a walk.

Senior Anthony Bartolotti replaced Doyle in the sixth and was greeted with a solo home run blast over the center field wall by Wade that cut the deficit to 6-4. After Bartolotti got Clayton Sylvester to strike out for the second out of the inning, junior catcher Logan Harris doubled. Sophomore Victor Razzardi followed with a single to the pitcher, and junior Austin Frattali's triple to the wall in right beyond the reach of a diving Smucker cleared the bases to tie the score.

After a scoreless bottom of the sixth, Bartolotti retired the Falcons in order in the seventh to bring the Titans to the plate with a chance to win the game.

"The only thing I could really tell them was, 'Guys, we've been in this spot before,' " Raines said. "They were a little resilient there, and they made something happen in the last inning, and that's all you can ask for."

Nick DeMott had two RBIs to lead the offense, and Taylor went 2 for 2 with a single, a double, two intentional walks and three runs scored as the Titans won for the second time in as many days. The win moves them into third place in the district standings behind undefeated Potomac Falls and Broad Run. The Titans will get a crack at the Panthers on Monday.

"We can really go into that game with nothing to lose," Taylor said. "We're not going to be pressured. If we just go out there and play our game, we should be all right."

Extra Points

By Paul Tenorio and Matt Brooks