King's Blast Helps Chargers Win Crown 5-3
CHANTILLY, VA - When Chantilly and Oakton meet in any sport, the result is usually a great game. Monday's Concorde District Championship baseball game proved that statement correct again as the two teams battled for Concorde supremacy. The first 45 minutes of the game whizzed by quickly, but that changed in the final three innings.
The Charger bats awakened, sparking five runs over two innings that spearheaded a 5-3 Concorde District finals triumph over Oakton. Brian King's go-ahead two-run homer off of All-District starting pitcher Kevin Wager proved the difference.
"He's so big, if he finally gets his arms extended, the ball really goes for him," said Chantilly manager Kevin Ford "What can you say, it was huge."
King nailed his two-out shot over Westfield High School's tall fence in right center with the score tied at three in the sixth inning.
"Before the home run we had the double play ball, and we didn't complete it," said Oakton skipper Scott Rowland. "That's been kind of a nemesis all year, and it finally bit us."
Top-seeded Oakton (13-3) experienced a bad a case of déjà vu, as it was King's go-ahead homer that defeated Oakton late in the regular season.
Wager was just one out away from escaping this start against two-seeded Chantilly (15-6) allowing six hits with five strikeouts and two earned runs under his belt. With Bart Reese-- fresh off a strong outing against Robinson in the semifinal-- warming up in the bullpen, Rowland decided to head through the sixth with his starter.
"Obviously if I'd known (King) would hit a home run I wouldn't have done it," said Rowland. "We discussed it before he hit it. We had some guys that we thought we could get out, but it was my call to make."
Through 24 outs this was a pitcher's delight. Jordan Johnson terrorized Oakton batters for the second time this month, retiring 12 batters after allowing a lead off single to UVa recruit Keith Werman.
Johnson's final line would include five innings, four strikeouts, and just two hits--both to Werman.
"I stayed with my gameplan and kept the ball low," said Johnson.
The game's home-run hero also took notice.
"His pitches aren't quite as overpowering as the other guys," said King, "but the kid is just fearless, and we love him."
Rowland saw yet more painful déjà vu in Johnson's performance, as he earned the victory in their May 5th matchup.
"We got to him in the fourth and the fifth, and they hit a two-run homer in that game too," said Rowland. "He's good, and he keeps you off balance with the breaking ball ... He never lets you get settled in on any one pitch."
Through four innings Wager was also downright masterful, as evidenced by the fact that he took a no-hitter into the fourth.
Then Keith Morrisroe, the man who had ruined Wager's perfect game with a first inning walk, decided to keep raining on Wager's parade. The catcher ended the fourth inning no-no with a searing grounder through second base.
Wager's performance would severely change afterwards. While the Villanova recruit followed the spoiling of his no-hitter with a knee-bending third strike to designated hitter Will Christopher, he then fired some chin-music to left fielder Patrick Moore. Moments later he tossed a wild pitch that advanced Morrisroe to second.
Wager would escape the inning, but-- because Rowland would keep him in the game-- the omen would remain.
After the fifth commenced with a Moore lead off single, King squeezed on by bunting down the first base line, as catcher Werman mistakenly opted to let it roll it's path until it tailed left.
An ensuing balk preceded a weak grounder that Wager picked up and fired to first. However, it caught bad luck when it ricocheted off of Chantilly's Justin Carwile as he ran through the first base pad.
Second baseman Danny Bates made the Cougars pay, doubling to deep right center and driving in two runs.
"We saw him getting roughed up a little bit," said Bates, "and he's always throwing first-pitch fastball. So I just sat on it and went the other way."
Wager was able to calm down and get ahead of the count with Chris Gentile and eventually force two fly outs, but the latter would cost Oakton.
Max Langford's one-out sacrifice fly to center would score Carwile from third base for the inning's' third run. The rough inning would end with, of all things, a Morrisroe out.
Oakton would finally break through with one out in the bottom of the fifth.
Johnson walked the first three batters shortly before Trevor Falk removed the donut with a sacrifice fly to right.
Werman would capitalize with two outs, knocking another shot to deep left center that would fall this time around, bringing in two runners to tie the score at three. Bret Williams beat a throw to home from Moore that strayed into foul territory.
Werman would commit a hasty mistake seconds later, as Morrisroe fired out the speedster at third. Despite the euphoria of a three-run rally, Chantilly's two runs in the next inning separated the teams.
"Getting thrown out at third, that was a big play," said Rowland. "He was already in scoring position, and we really didn't need to force the issue."
Of course, the opposing manager was, in turn, elated.
"We had the middle of our line up coming," said Ford, "and that was a great play by our catcher to go to third."
Reese and Chantilly's Chris Yates would close out the game with scoreless relief appearances for their respective teams.
Yates' appearance would finish with a bang-- or more a pop, of the glove-- as Bates made a fully-extended diving catch to his right on a low line drive for the final out.
Ford, minutes removed from the Concorde District trophy ceremony, said it best.
"That's a great way to end the game."
OFFICIAL BOX SCORE:
Runs:
Chantilly (D. Bates, J. Carwile, B. King, P. Moore, C. Yates), Oakton (A. Henne, B. McCormick, B. Williams)
RBI:
Chantilly (D. Bates 2, B. King 2, M. Langford), Oakton (K. Werman 2, Falk)
