|
|||||||||||||
Printer-Friendly
Email this Story
Post a Comment (0)
Bruins stay hot in region tournament
The Lake Braddock baseball team entered Wednesday night's semifinal showdown with Oakton -- a game the Bruins won, 7-2 -- as unquestionably the hottest team still standing in the Northern Region tournament.But the Bruins' current 18-game winning streak hasn't happened by chance. Instead, Lake Braddock's hitters have found success by taking a markedly more patient approach at the plate.
“We're not hitting the pitcher's pitch ... we're hitting our pitch,” said senior Shane Halley, who slugged a grand slam during the Bruins' 20-8 quarterfinal win over Westfield Monday. “We're hitting [the pitch] where we like it, and everything else is taking care of itself.”
After Westfield's Matt Snyder hit his 15th home run of the season – a new school record – in the top of the first inning, Lake Braddock responded by sending 12 hitters to the plate and scoring nine runs in the bottom half of the frame. Five Bruins posted hits and the damage came to an apex after Halley's opposite-field shot sailed over the left-center field fence.
And the Bruins weren't done.
Drawing a total of four walks through the first two innings, Lake Braddock sent 11 hitters to the plate in the second inning, collected three hits and scored six more runs. So all of a sudden, Lake Braddock found itself with a comfortable 15-2 lead, as well as an opportunity to rest some legs and arms to avoid the rigors of tournament baseball.
“It always helps when you're playing that many games,” said Lake Braddock coach Jody Rutherford, “especially since you don't really do it all year.”
Indicative of its travails this season, Westfield didn't go quietly into the night. Behind an RBI-triple from sophomore shortstop Aaron Scoville (3-for-4, RBI, R), the Bulldogs rebounded with a five-run rally in the fifth.
“I think we dealt with a lot of adversity as the year went on, and it would've been very easy to fold our tent,” said Westfield coach Chuck Welch. “We had a bunch of younger guys step up, and all in all, we had actually a very, very good year.”
Wednesday's win for Lake Braddock creates a region final date with Chantilly Friday, as the Chargers won a 5-4 decision over West Springfield. Game time is set for 7 p.m. at Yorktown High School in Arlington.
And Oakton's take on Lake Braddock?
“They're definitely the hottest team and the best team in the tournament,” said Oakton coach Scott Rowland. “No question.”
You must be logged in to post a comment.