Mann's Blast Propels Spartans To 7-4 Win....
ASHBURN, VA - A brief downpour not only delayed the Dulles District semifinal between Broad Run and Dominion, but also played a part after it cleared, as the teams committed six errors a piece. Broad Run scored six runs in a bizarre third inning that featured nine of the 12 total errors, propelling them to a 7-4 win. The regular season champion Spartans advance to the district title game while Dominion is done for the year.
"We had a golden opportunity at four to nothing, and the game was ours," said Dominion manager Jay Raines, "and we gave the game away with too many errors."
For Dulles District Coach of the Year Pat Cassidy, the balls bounced his way.
"We kind of stress putting the ball in play," said Cassidy, "You put the ball in play and put pressure on their defense, and sometimes you get lucky ... To our players' credit we put the ball in play."
All-District pitcher Chris Taylor went the distance in yet another stellar performance for Dominion, striking out five while walking two and allowing only six hits and three earned runs, but the Titans infield defense coughed up six costly errors in the momentous third inning.
"The Taylor kid threw a good ball game," said Cassidy. "He just didn't get enough help tonight."
Dominion entered the third with 1-0 lead, before a combination of a bunt, a walk, and an error loaded the bases against Spartan All-District southpaw Cole Shain. After fouling off over a half dozen Shain pitches, Anthony Bartolloti drew a walk, driving in the Titans' second run.
Shain had yet to walk three batters in a game all year, but had sent four before the fourth inning. Two more runs would score on an error and then a single to Ryan Doyle, but Shain escaped the quagmire by striking out Geoffrey McCowat.
Down 4-0, Broad Run made the bottom of the third count--with a little help from their foes. In an inning highlighted by an Andrew Mann RBI single and the pesky base running of Adam Luhmann, six errors served catalyst to a six-run explosion by the Spartan offense.
"After the first couple innings we were so discouraged as Taylor did so well against us," said Mann. "Then they started making errors and things came together and we just started getting on base."
These events left Raines quite dismayed.
"Maybe a couple times we should've not thrown the ball. We miscommunicated early in the game. We dropped the ball. We threw a ball away when we should've waited," said Raines." And our base running was horrible, with two guys picked off. (The Spartans) are a better team."
As the ragtag affair hit the fourth inning, Broad Run had tallied five hits against four errors, while Dominion had recorded three hits against six errors. Mann (2-3, two runs, two RBI) drove in the final run of the game--himself-- in the fifth with a line drive over the left field fence.
With the score at 7-4, Cassidy took out Shain as the sixth inning commenced. Shain's five inning, seven strikeout, five walk, three hit, one earned run performance would notch another case for District Player of the Year under his belt, albeit a bit late for voting or awarding purposes.
Shane Vlasic made quick work of his two-inning save opportunity, striking out three while giving up two hits and one walk.
"(Shain) just struggled early. It's a little wet condition-wise out but he worked his way through it," said Cassidy, "Later in the game his curveball was great ... In (his) last two innings he cooked."
Then he summed up what his weary team probably reflected on as they prepared the infield sand for the second part of the Dulles District double header.
"We'll take it."
