Bulldogs Sweep Seahawks - Win 9-3
Storyline Provided By Bulldog Baseball Gameday Insider
The Stone Bridge Bulldogs (14-6, 10-4) played their regular season finale on Thursday night in Reston against the South Lakes Seahawks (9-11, 5-9). The Bulldogs had 3rd place in the Liberty District locked up going into the game, and it appears that the Seahawks will finish 5th, so both teams were playing for pride. South Lakes was also gunning for a bit of revenge, as Stone Bridge scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh to win 3-2 earlier in the season. Jr RHP Tyler Weaver was on the mound for Stone Bridge, while Sr George Washington University signee Tommy Gately was on the hill for South Lakes.
The Bulldogs were able to get on the board first. Jr. 2B Collin Pearson led off with a 4-pitch walk. Jr. RF Matt Irwin placed a perfect bunt single down the third base line. Jr. SS Mike Stancik ripped a 2-0 pitch up the middle, but Seahawk SS Connor Zagurski made an outstanding play flipping to Bobby Clinage who was able to turn the double play. Jr. CF Jeron Gouveia came through with the clutch two out hit, singling to right to score Pearson. The Seahawks answered loud in their half of the 1st inning, when lead-off hitter, Noah Sweet took Weaver deep, sailing the 1-0 pitch over the left field fence for a home run. Zagurski then singled to right, and moved to 2nd base on a passed ball. He later advanced to 3rd on a Tommy Flynn deep flyball to center. Mike Boyle did his job, lifting a sacrifice fly to right to score Zagurski. C Scott Reed then took a 1-1 pitch way over the left field wall for another solo home run, and a 3-1 Seahawk lead. Weaver was able to strike out John Huppi to end the inning.
Stone Bridge bounced back nicely in the second. With one out, So. LF Michael Prince got the first of his four hits, singling sharply to left. So. DH Bryce Williams lined a single down the right field line, moving Prince to third. The Bulldogs added to their tally when in an apparent double-play opportunity, Clinage bobbled the flip from Zagurski, which scored Prince from 3rd. Later in the inning, with runners in scoring position, Stancik sent the first pitch he saw through the hole in left, plating Williams and So. Patrick Thompson, giving the Bulldogs the 4-3 lead.
In the Bulldog 4th, Pearson induced a lead off walk. With Irwin at the plate, Pearson stole second. Irwin then hit a grounder to 1st base, moving Pearson to third. Stancik then sliced a sacrifice fly to right plating Pearson, and adding to the score, 5-3. Weaver was able to escape a big jam in the bottom of the inning, notching a strikeout, a fly ball to right fielder Matt Irwin, and a nice pick-off of the Seahawk runner at 3rd base.
In the next stanza, Prince lined a 1 out single center. With Williams at the plate, Prince stole second. Williams then was hit by a pitch. After a Thompson strike out, South Lakes Head Coach Galvin Morris made a pitching change, bringing Mike Boyle to the mound, who right away made a great move and picked off Prince at second, to end the inning. Bulldog Head Coach Sam Plank made his own pitching change in the bottom of the frame, bringing in Jr. Mike Palmer. Palmer made a great play fielding a bounding come-backer by Sweet, but then threw the ball over Thompson's head for a two base throwing error. He then walked Zagurski on four pitches, putting himself in a jam. Flynn hit a ball up the middle that Stancik ranged to his left and forced out Zagurski at second. But his throw to first to double up Flynn was dropped by Thompson, putting runners on the corners with only one out. Then came the play of the game..... Palmer faked a pick off throw to 3rd and caught Flynn off guard at 1st base. He was picked off 1-4-3-6, without allowing Sweet to score from third. Reed then hit a comebacker to Palmer, who decided to avoid a throw and ran to first for the out, ending the inning with no runs for South Lakes.
In the 6th inning, Stone Bridge was retired in order for the first time in the game. In the bottom of the inning, Palmer drilled the 1st Seahawk batter he faced with the first pitch. With the tying run at the plate, Coach Plank decided to make another pitching change, as well as some defensive changes, bringing Stancik in to pitch. Stancik, who has only one other pitching appearance this season, got the job done. Kirchner hit the first pitch he saw right back to Stancik. He wheeled and threw to Pearson, now at shortstop, at 2nd base, getting the force out, but Pearson couldn't make the relay to 1st. On the next pitch, Gately scalded a ball to Pearson's right. He made a nice play, shooting the ball over to Jr. Tyler Basso at the 2nd base bag, who made the turn for the 6-4-3 double play.
Stone Bridge broke the game open in the seventh. Gouveia led off with an infield single. Bladel ripped a double to deep left center, scoring Gouveia all the way from first. C Brian Wheaton then had a quality plate appearance, and picked up a full count walk. Prince picked up his fourth hit of the night, a single to right scoring Bladel. The ball skidded by the South Lakes right fielder for an error and courtesy runner Pat Piccolo scored as well. Sr PH Chris Martinez came to the plate and took the first pitch he saw to deep center getting his first triple of the season and plating Prince. Boyle was able to then strikeout 3 Bulldog pinch hitters to end the inning. In the bottom of the seventh, Stancik retired the side in order, getting a groundout to Pearson and two fly outs to Gouveia.
The Bulldogs now have six days off. Their next game will be in Ashburn on Wednesday, May 16. They will host the winner of the sixth seed vs. seventh seed game of the Liberty District tournament. A win on Wednesday will give the Bulldogs a Northern Region tourney berth and send them to the district semi-finals on the 18th for a rematch with Langley. First pitch for the game on May 16th is 6:30PM.
NOTEWORTHY PERFORMANCES
Stone Bridge
Michael Prince: 4-4, 2 RBI, 2 Runs
Jeron Gouviea: 3-4, 1 RBI, ! Run
Bryce Williams: 2-2, 1 Run
South Lakes
Conor Zagurski: 2-3, 1 Run
Scott Reed: 1-3, 1 RBI, 1 Run
