Spartan's Power, Shain, Down Falcons 10-0
(Game Recap Provided by Spartans baseball Insider)
BRAMBLETON, VA - The Broad Run Spartans and the Briar Woods Falcons squared off Tuesday night in the Dulles District opener for both squads. The match up was much anticipated as the Falcons would be putting junior right hander, Ian Hickman, on the mound to face the Spartans Senior south paw, Cole Shain. In the end, the senior laden Spartan squad would ride a 1 hit performance from Shain, backed by a strong defense and timely hitting to come away with a 10 - 0 district win.
Hickman, along with solid play by Falcon 2nd baseman Zach Deaton, were able to keep the Spartan's scoreless in the first two innings even though Spartan runners were in scoring position in both innings. In the top of the 3rd inning Broad Run senior Tommy Meier reached on an error. Andrew Mann then walked with both Mann and pinch runner Billy Rocca pulling off a double steal to get into scoring position. Junior shortstop Chris Jessop then laced a single over 2nd base to score Rocca. Shain then followed with a walk and clean up hitter Trey Brocke drove in Mann on a deep sacrifice fly putting the Spartans up 2-0 with only 1 out. The Falcons were able to halt the damage, getting the next two Spartans out with runners on 2nd and 3rd.
In the top of the 6th, the Spartans Adam Luhmann reached on an error. Junior outfielder Patrick Murphy then hit a two strike single into the gap and when the Falcon center fielder was not able to pick the ball up clean, both Luhmann and Murphy advanced into scoring position. Two batters later, Meier executed a perfect sacrifice bunt scoring Luhmann. Mann was able to reach on a walk and both Murphy and Mann would score on a Falcon throwing error pushing the Spartan lead to 5-0.
The Spartans were able to get their first two batters in scoring position again in the 5th when Murphy singled and Kurt Reitzel reached on a throwing error. The Falcons stopped the scoring threat by nice plays from Deaton and SS Gavin Scherer.
With Hickman reaching a very high pitch count, the Falcons went to a young bull pen in the 7th inning. The Spartans first 4 batters reached including a triple by senior Ryan Diviney. The Spartans would plate 5 runs in the inning before retiring.
The Falcons were finally able to get a hit off of Shain with one out in the bottom of the 7th with an infield single. Shain would only surrender the 1 hit while fanning 7 and issuing 1 walk on the evening. The Spartans defense was also strong with the Falcons hitting into 6 pitcher ground outs to Shain, and several solid plays the Spartan infield made up of Diviney, Brocke, Rietzel and Jessop. The Falcons had only 1 ball leave the infield on the night, a pop up to right fielder Patrick Murphy.
Trey Brocke closed the game by forcing the final two Falcons to ground out.
The Spartans (3-1) next host the George Mason Mustangs. The Falcons (1-1) travel to Warren County in hopes to gain back to back victories over the Wildcats.
