Kline Out-Duels Taylor; Panthers Prevail 1-0
The home plate umpire has the call, much to the dismay of Dominion catcher Anthony Bartolloti, as Chad McMichael slid home with the winning run, just underneath the tag, for the Panther victory in the bottom of the 8th inning.
Photo By Dave Bernhardt \ Gameday Magazine | VIEW GALLERY
Potomac Falls Ace Jacob Kline bears down on a Dominion batter. Kline struck out 11 Titans on the night, allowing only 5 hits in the shut-out victory.
Photo By Dave Bernhardt \ Gameday Magazine | VIEW GALLERY
Dominion Top Gun Chris Taylor has a look of determination as he is about to retire a Panther batter. Taylor was equal to Kline in the game, striking out 10, and scattering 5 hits, but took the loss in the 8th inning.
Photo By Dave Bernhardt \ Gameday Magazine | VIEW GALLERY
STERLING, VA - Tonight's Dulles District Semi-Final game between the Dominion Titans and Potomac Falls Panthers became an instant classic, with the Panthers manufacturing a run with 2 outs in the bottom of the 8th inning for the 1 - 0 victory. The Panthers will now face off against Broad Run on Thursday, at Heritage, for the District Tournament Championship.
In the Sterling rivalry, Chris Taylor of the Titans and Jacob Kline of the Panthers led their teams in a good old fashioned pitchers duel. When the night was over, Taylor had given up 1 run on 5 hits and struck out 10 Panther hitters. Conversely, Kline got the win by not giving up any runs, allowing 5 hits and striking out 11 Titans. This was as good as it gets for a high school baseball game.
Each team had few chances to score. The Titans best chance came in the 4th inning when Anthony Bartolotti led off with a double to right field. After an infield ground out moved him to third with one out, Kline struck out Matt Sherrill and then induced Steven Smucker to pop out to 2nd base to end the threat. Kline only gave up one hit after that inning. Meanwhile, the Panthers did not have a runner reach 2nd base until the 6th inning when Ben Sweger was stranded after Taylor struck out Malan.
In the bottom of the 8th, Taylor got Eric Dimsey on a line drive to 2nd to start the inning. Pinch hitter Matt Hoover then stroked a 2-2 fastball to right field for a single. Chad McMichael re-entered the game to run for Hoover. Ben Sweger then worked a full count base on balls. With runners at 1st and 2nd, Ryan Mahoney worked a full count and then fouled off 4 straight pitches before Taylor got him swinging for the 2nd out. Malan then came to the plate, hitless for the night. On the 1st pitch, Malan hit a slow roller to short that Ryan Doyle fielded cleanly, but Malan beat the throw by half a step as McMichael raced home from second. First baseman Austin Behr's throw was not in time to catch McMichael, and just like that the game was over.
For Dominion, this had to feel like deja vu as in their first meeting, the Panthers scored in the bottom of the 7th inning on a similar play to win 3-2. The Panthers now move on to face Broad Run, who defeated Loudoun County on Tuesday, in the finals on Thursday at Heritage. Since Potomac Falls already has received an automatic berth into the Regional Tournament, as a result of winning the regular season title, Broad Run will now receive the automatic bid for reaching the tournament final. But this is a baseball rivalry that matches any of its kind, and should prove to be a heated, and entertaining contest. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00pm, and will be broadcast live, worldwide, on the Gameday Radio Network, beginning at 6:45pm with the Cici's Pizza Pregame Show.
COACH HAYES' ANALYSIS:
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It was a shame to watch someone lose this game between Dominion and Potomac Falls. Both teams, and both pitchers deserved to win. Kline and Taylor provided all in attendance with one of the better duels of the spring season. For Dominion, I think it would almost feel better to have lost 10-0 than to lose 1-0 in 8 innings. Head Coach Jay Raines did a great job of preparing his team for this contest, and the Titans made Potomac Falls look mortal on Tuesday. Chris Taylor threw the ball as well as you could ask, and Dominion hit the ball well during the game. However, when facing Jacob Kline, you have to capitalize when he makes a mistake, because he simply doesn't make many mistakes.
Kline has 5 pitches, whereas most high school pitchers have two. He moved his fastball in and out, and up and down, and then placed his curveball perfectly when needed. His off-speed pitches got better and better as the night progressed, and Dominion's hitters were kept off balance. The Titans actually hit Kline harder in the early parts of the game, but as the pressure was amped up, Kline just keyed in more and more.
All good teams need a wake up call, and I'm not saying this was the game that will wake up Potomac Falls, who clearly has struggled in the past two games at the plate. However, a 1-0 extra inning game is good for what may lie down the road for the Panthers in the regional playoffs, or even the state tournament.
The older players for the Panthers have been in the post-season before, but the sophomore sensations have not. Playoff baseball is different, the pressure is more intense, and you have to know how to win close games against good pitching. The Panthers learned they could do that on Tuesday, and that will pay off later in the season in my opinion.
BEST BUY PLAYERS OF THE GAME:
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Jacob Kline - Pitcher (Potomac Falls)
Kline struck out 10 in 8 innings of work on Tuesday night. He worked Dominion's hitters backward, and then forward, throwing mainly strikes all night long. He was dominant, and never buckled under the pressure.
Chris Taylor - Pitcher (Dominion)
Taylor played his final high school game on Tuesday night, and he did so by maybe pitching his best game against top notch competition. His fastball had great movement, and his velocity was stronger and stronger as the game progressed. The radar guns were out clocking him at 87, which was a major reason why he struck out 10 in the game.
