Bulldogs Set To Play Warhawks for Tourney Title
The Stone Bridge Bulldogs (16-6, 10-4) and the Langley Saxons (15-7, 10-4) met in the Liberty district semi finals at Langley tonight. This was their third meeting of the season. The Bulldogs were a 4-3 winner back in April, while the Saxons picked up a 9-5 win less than two weeks ago securing the 2 seed in the district tourney. Stone Bridge started Soph RHP Nick Fialdini on the mound, while Langley had Soph LHP Joey Zarella on the bump.
The Bulldogs were able to draw first blood. Jr 2B Collin Pearson led off with a walk. Soph LF Michael Prince took an 0-2 pitch to the right center gap for a double, moving Pearson to third. After Jr SS Mike Stancik struck out, Jr CF Jeron Gouveia came up to bat. Gouveia stroke a 1-0 Zarella offering to left center for a double, plating Pearson and Prince. Soph DH Johnny Bladel grounded out and Jr C Brian Wheaton flew out to end the inning. After Fialdini got Daniel Bergamesca to fly out to Gouveia, Tommy Tysse drove a 1-0 pitch to right center for a double. But Fialdini bore down, getting Foster Dunigan to ground out to Jr 3B Tyler Basso and then got Eddie Gonzalez out on a called third strike.
Jr RF Matt Irwin led off the second with a infield single. Basso sac bunted him to second, but Irwin was stranded there as Soph 1B Patrick Thompson flew out and Pearson flew out to end the inning. Langley was able to scratch out a run in the bottom of the frame. Ross Kelly was hit by a pitch. Kelly moved to second on a Fialdini balk. But Fialdini was able to strike out both Chaz Ayoub and Chris Sievers. With Zarella at the plate, Kelly moved to third on a wild pitch. Zarella grounded to Basso to third, but he couldn't field it cleanly as Zarella reached on an error and Kelly scored. Ricky Hanna then reached on a bunt single. But the threat ended as Bergamesca grounded to Thompson.
After Prince struck out to lead off the third, Stancik was hit by a pitch. Gouveia flew out to left. Bladel grounded to Dunigan at short, but Gonzalez couldn't handle the throw as Bladel reached on the error, Stancik was able to make it all the way to third. But Wheaton grounded to Dunigan to end the inning. Langley battled and tied the game in the third. Tysse led off with a walk. With Dunigan at the plate, he stole second. Dunigan grounded out to Stancik, but Tysse was able to move to third on the play. Gonzalez then singled up the middle, scoring Tysse and tying the game. Fialdini was able to stike out Kelly for the second out. With Ayoub at the plate, Gonzalez moved to second on a wild pitch. He was able to get to third, when Ayoub reached on an infield single. But Sievers grounded to Basso to end the inning.
In the fourth, Irwin led off with a ball in the hole towards Dunigan. Irwin beat the throw to first for a single and the throw was wild, as Irwin was able to move to second on the throwing error. Basso had a great at bat, coaxing a full count walk after being down 1-2. After Thompson popped out, Pearson came through with a clutch hit, ripping a line shot off of a stretched Gonzalez glove at first, which scored Irwin as Basso moved to third. Prince then reached on a fielder's choice, as Pearson was forced at second but Basso scored on the play. Stancik then had an apparent double down the left field line taken away by the home plate umpire. He then lined out to second to end the inning. Fialdini was sharp in the bottom of the inning. He struck out Zarella. Then Wheaton made an outstanding play as Hanna popped up behind the plate. Wheaton bounced off of the screen and caught the ball for the second out. Fialdini got Bergamesca to fly out to Gouveia to end the inning.
Gouveia ground out to second to start the fifth. Bladel just missed a home run, as he doubled off of the right field fence. Wheaton moved him over to third with a ground out. But Irwin K'd to end the frame. Fialdini was able to retire the side in order again. He struck out Tysse on a nice breaking ball, Dunigan flew out to Gouveia in deep center and Gonzalez flew out to Irwin in right.
In the sixth, Basso flew out to center. Thompson grounded to second. Pearson picked up his second hit of the night with a line single to right. But Pearson went on Zarella's first move and was picked off 1-3-6 to end the inning. The Bulldogs made a pitching change in the sixth as they brought in Jr RHP sidewinder Michael Palmer. He was able to strike out both Kelly and Ayoub. He then walked Sievers on four straight pitches. But Palmer refocused, as he was able to get PH Geremy Mahn to foul out to Irwin, ending the inning.
The Bulldogs went down in order for the first time of the evening in the seventh. Prince flew out to right, Stancik grounded to short and Gouveia flew out to left. Langley had no quit in them as they made things interesting in the bottom of the seventh. Hanna had a great 9 pitch at bat before grounding out to Pearson for the first out. Bergamesca then was hit by the first pitch he got from Palmer. Tysse flew out to Irwin for the second out. But Dunigan kept the Saxon hopes alive, slicing a single to right moving Bergamesca to third. Gonzalez, who was the difference maker in the May 8 game when he hit a grand slam, stepped to the plate as the winning run. Palmer went 2-2 on him before striking him out on a beautiful slider ending the game.
The win secures at least the 2 seed for the Northern Region tournament and insures a home game for the opening round for Stone Bridge. The Bulldogs now move on to the Liberty District finals this Monday, May 21. They will face the regular season champ and number 1 seed Madison Warhawks at Madison HS. The Bulldogs have yet to beat the Warhawks in five tries. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30PM.
