Ikwild's Game Winner Helps Vikings Stay Alive
PURCELLVILLE,VA - The Loudoun Valley Vikings entered Friday's regional playoff game against the McLean Highlanders as the favorite to advance, but the contest proved to be much closer than some experts expected. The Highlanders, led by pitcher Sean Fitzgerald, kept things interesting by limiting Valley to 7 hits in the game. Fitzgerald scattered those 7 hits throughout the game and Valley couldn't muster any runs on the scoreboard through the first 4 innings. Then, with two runners on base and designated hitter T.J. Daeschner at the plate, Fitzgerald threw a 2 strike slider that Daeschner drove into right centerfield. The RBI single by Daeschner scored Scott Mayer and the Vikings took a 1-0 lead.
The game remained 1-0 until the top of the 5th inning when McLean's Quinn Pippen scorched a Jacob Mayes fastball down the right field line to the fence. Fitzgerald was on first base and with two outs, was waived home by head coach John Thomas. Valley's right fielder Carson Parker quickly chased the ball down at the fence and started what proved to be the play of the game. Parker's relay to second baseman Clyde Kessler was perfect, and Kessler then relayed to Kyle Rosell, who threw Fitzgerald out at home. Catcher Trevor Ikwild applied the tag for the exciting finish to the inning and to keep the game at 1-0 in the Vikings favor. Valley Head Coach Wayne Todd was pleased with how his kids performed on that crucial play.
"We practice those kind of situation plays every day in practice for at least 20 minutes," Todd said. "We executed perfectly in every aspect and it proved to be a big play in the game."
McLean wouldn't make things interesting again until the top of the 7th inning. With the Valley crowd on their feet and one out away from the win, McLean's Pat Tawil hit an outside fastball that appeared to be the perfect pitch to keep hope alive for the Highlanders. Tawil crushed it to right field over Parker's head, scoring the tying run from second base.
With a Highlander pinch runner in scoring position at second base, the next hitter for McLean drove a line drive single to right fielder Carson Parker who proceeded to fire the baseball to home plate perfectly. Catcher Trevor Ikwild caught the Parker throw on one hop and tagged out the Highlander running to keep the game tied at 1-1 heading into the bottom of the 7th.
Valley's Clyde Kessler led off the bottom of the 7th with a bloop single to left field, and after teammate Jacob Mayes advanced him to second, a wild pitch helped Kessler move to third with only 1 out. The Highlanders walked the next two Valley hitters intentionally to force a double play situation at the plate, and that put the game in Trevor Ikwild's hands. Ikwild, who already had hit the ball hard earlier in the game, worked the count to 3-1 against Fitzgerald. On the 3-1 pitch, Fitzgerald threw a fastball that Ikwild drilled over the centerfielder's head, scoring Kessler and extending Valley's season. Todd knew that Ikwild was the perfect guy to be in that situation for his club.
"Trevor has proven to be a clutch hitter in those situations for us all year long," Todd said. "I knew he would come through for us.
The Vikings now advance to play Oakton in the second round of the regional playoffs on Monday at Robinson high school. With the win, the Vikings improved to 21-3 on the season.
Chick-fil-A Players of the Game:
With their tremendous play on defense and at the plate, Valley's Trevor Ikwild and Carson Parker were named the Chick-fil-A players of the game. Ikwild's game winning hit helped the Vikings advance to the next round of the playoffs.
