Oakton's Baseball Title Dreams Fall On Last Play
The Oakton Cougars Baseball Team was as hot as any team in the state heading into today's title game with Monacan. Led by coach Scott Rowland, Oakton charged into the state championship hoping to win their school's third state title this year. The football team won in the fall and the girls' lacrosse team just completed their season as the Group AAA state champion.
Unfortunately for the Cougars, their dream of finishing #1 was ended on a controversial play at the end of the game and Monacan won the state championship 9-8. Oakton had runners on first and second in the top of the seventh trailing by one run when Colin Michael hit a ground ball to Monacan's shortstop Brant Jones. Jones fielded the ball and tossed it to his second baseman Cory Minor for the first out, then Minor tried to turn two but his throw got away from the Monacan first baseman and headed toward the Cougar dugout. Cougar Carmine Cafiero rounded third on the overthrow and headed home to tie the game but it was all for not as second base umpire Mark Chambers called Cougar Kevin Wager out because he slid illegally into second base and interfered with the throw.
Oakton's season and title hopes ended in a split second on a call that in that situation probably should not have been made. Monacan won the Group AAA State baseball title 9-8, sending the Oakton faithful home with an extremely bitter taste of defeat.
