Reed's 7 RBI Lead Vikings To 14-10 Win.....
PURCELLVILLE, VA - When you look at the schedules for prolific baseball programs around Northern Virginia, you typically see some fairly easy competition to begin your season. Games that allow your team to get some good game action in, and maybe some confidence, before your respective District schedule starts. So when you looked at the Loudoun Valley Vikings' schedule, seeing no games until after Spring Break, and the 1st game out of the gate is to a perennial powerhouse, you had to scratch your head and wonder..."Why?" Especially when this is reported to be a "Rebuilding" year for the Purcellville team that went undefeated in the National District in 2007, and played into the semi-finals of the Northern Region tournament.
The Vikings opened their 2008 campaign on Tuesday night, against Concorde District power Westfield, and if coach Wayne Todd was thinking that his young team (Valley graduated 10 seniors from last year's team, and only 1 starter returns in 2008) would fly under the radar, his plan failed...in a good way...after Loudoun Valley stunned the Bulldogs, at Fireman's Field, 14-10, and the Gameday Radio Network was there to capture all of the action!
Westfield came into Tuesday's game having already played 5 games, 4 of which in Florida over Spring Break, and opened the game with a 3 run 1st inning. Lead off hitter, freshman Aaron Hoover, scored the game's 1st run on a Matt Snyder single. Later, Snyder, and senior Kevin Fangio scored the 2nd and 3rd runs on a single to left field by junior Ryan Williams.
The Vikings answered, however, in their half of the 1st inning. Junior catcher Wes Walker and junior 2B Iain Mottice both scored on sophomore Alex Owens' double to the fence. Bulldog pitcher Kevin Reardon settled in at that point, and was able to strike out the next 2 Viking batters to end the Valley threat. Score after 1 full inning, Westfield 3, Loudoun Valley 2.
Westfield looked to break the game wide open in the top of the 2nd inning. Reardon led off with a bunt single, and sophomore outfielder Ryan Sweet reached on an error. Hoover followed with a bunt single to load the bases for senior Richie Brown, who drilled the 1st pitch to left field, scoring Reardon and Sweet. Snyder notched another RBI, on a sacrifice fly, scoring Hoover. Twin brother, Mike Snyder, drew a walk, and with runners on 1st and 2nd, Fangio laced a ball up the middle to score Brown. Snyder scored on a Tommy Verbanic single to end the scoring for the Bulldogs in the frame. Loudoun Valley plated 2 more runs in their half of the inning, with Walker and Mottice coming across this time on an Adam Reed double to the gap. The scoring ended with the Bulldogs now up 8-4, and it looked as though the Chantilly team would cruise from there.
But the Viking pitching staff bore down at this point, at times bending, but never breaking. 6 players came to the plate in the Bulldog 3rd, but none scored, and this was all the Viking offense needed...a small crack in the door. Aided by 3 walks and 2 fielding errors, Valley put together a scrappy 3rd inning, and brought home 5 runs, on 1 lone hit, to take the lead 9-8. Highlighted by Reed's 2 RBI double, Mottice, Owens, seniors Kyle Rosel and Thomas Moxley, and sophomore Daniel Fleming all scored for Loudoun Valley.
Westfield sent 6 more batters to the plate in the top of the 4th, and again the Vikings got out of the inning with minimal damage, giving up only 1 run, with Reardon scoring on a single by Sweet. With the score now tied at 9, and the night air getting colder by the minute, the Valley offense stayed remarkable hot! With 2 outs, and senior Austen Davis on 1st, Moxley drew a 9 pitch walk. Fleming ignited the offensive flame, clearing the bases on a double to right-center field. Walker followed with a sharp single to center. Mottice answered with a walk, and Reed cleared the bases with his 3 run triple, ending the scoring, and pushing the Vikings to a 14-9 lead.
With the heart of the Westfield batting order due up in the 5th inning, including the Twin Tower Snyder brothers to lead off, coach Todd made a bold move, entrusting the late inning lead to sophomore relief pitcher, Beattie Southerland. After getting Matt Snyder to fly out to right field, brother Mike ripped a double down the left field line. Fangio followed with a hard to handle grounder to 1st baseman Davis, and although Fangio reached on the error, Davis was able to get Snyder trying to get to 3rd, for the 2nd out of the inning. Southerland then fanned Williams to end the top of the 5th, and the threat was, again, averted.
The game seemed to play out quickly from that point, with no runs, or any real threats to score, until the top of the final inning. With the score still standing at 14-9, and Southerland seemingly starting to cruise, Hoover shattered the notion by leading off with a double to center field. Brown followed with a single, scoring Hoover. Up stepped Matt Snyder. With the Westfield faithful cheering on a hopeful comeback, Southerland calmed down, and spotted his pitches masterfully, and struck out the 6'5" power hitter. But the drama wouldn't end there. Mike Snyder showed his experience at the plate for his at bat, not going fishing for pitches away from his strike zone, and drew a 5 pitch walk. With runners now at 1st and 2nd, and only 1 out, Fangio laced a sharp grounder to 3rd, which Owens was able to snag, and step on 3rd base for out #2. Southerland put the icing on his varsity debut cake by striking out Williams to end the game, and the Vikings are now back on everyone's radar, with the 14-10 victory.
Loudoun Valley (1-0) will next host Osbourn Park on Friday, at Fireman's Field. Game time is slated for 6:00pm. Westfield (3-3) is also back on the diamond this Friday night, at Robinson Secondary School, at 6:30pm.
Chick-fil-A Player of the Game
Adam Reed - Junior Outfielder, Loudoun Valley
Reed went 3-4 for the Vikings on Tuesday night, with 2 doubles, a triple, and notching 7 RBI's
Diamond Sports Training "Diamond In The Rough"
Beattie Southerland - Sophomore Pitcher, Loudoun Valley
Southerland, in his varsity debut, entered Tuesday's game in the 5th inning, facing 12 Westfield batters, giving up 3 hits, walking 1, notching 4 strikeouts, and earning the victory for Valley
