Fitzgerald, Russo Power McLean Over Marshall 6-2
Erik Payne and the McLean Highlanders advance to the Liberty District tournament final on Monday, after dispatching Marshall 6-2. McLean will face #2 seed Stone Bridge on Monday, at Madison high school for the championship.
Photo By Marc Gold \ Gameday Magazine | VIEW GALLERY
Liberty District Pitcher of the Year Sean Fitzgerald delivers a pitch Saturday against Marshall. Fitzgerald struggled midway through the game, but went the distance to garner the 6-2 victory.
Photo By Marc Gold \ Gameday Magazine | VIEW GALLERY
Marshall's Greg Goldsmith gets mobbed at the plate by his teammates after his 5th inning 2-run home run drew the Statesmen to with one run of McLean at that point. Marshall advanced to the Northern Region tournament with their appearance in the Liberty Semifinal game.
Photo By Marc Gold \ Gameday Magazine | VIEW GALLERY
FAIRFAX, VA - In Liberty District tournament semifinal action on Saturday afternoon, The McLean Highlanders started out slow against the Marshall Statesmen, but found their power strokes midway through the game, and cruised to a 6-2 final, placing them in the tournament final on Monday, against the Stone Bridge Bulldogs, who were 4-3 victors over Woodson in the earlier game.
Marshall starter Kevin Nutter seemed to have the McLean offense befuddled in the 1st three innings, retiring the 1st seven batters he faced, until giving up a double by junior OF Charlie Geiger, who advanced to 3rd on the misplayed ball from the outfield. But with the 1st score of the game looming just 90 feet away, Nutter induced an easy groundout to the next batter, and got out of the jam.
The Statesmen didn't fare too well, either, in their 1st four innings, as Liberty District Pitcher of the Year, Sean Fitzgerald, retired 12 of 13 batters he faced, relenting only a walk to Geiger in the 2nd inning, and fanning three.
The Highlanders started to relax in their half of the 4th, and started to figure out the sidewinding Nutter. Junior SS Chris Russo led off the inning with single up the middle, only to score moments later on Fitzgerald's double to the left-center gap. Fitzgerald scored 3 pitches later, on senior Erik Payne's single up the middle. Payne immediately stole 2nd base to put himself in scoring position. Nutter got the 1st out of the inning on a hard come-backer from Dennis Buckley, but after running the count full to senior captain Brett Bleiweis, Bleiweis looped a single down the right field line that sent Payne home with the 3rd run of the game. Nutter then coaxed the next batter into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning, but the damage was done with McLean now on top 3-0.
But the Statesmen wouldn't go down without a fight. Junior OF Jake Bennett answered the call in the top of the 5th, with a solid double to the base of the right-center field fence, breaking up Fitzgerald's no hit bid. Senior 1B Greg Goldsmith then added to the drama, as he took the 2nd pitch he saw, and delivered it over the left field fence for the 2-run home run, and cutting the lead to only one. Fitzgerald re-found his groove, however, and retired the next three Marshall batters in order.
Just when the crowd at W.T. Woodson thought they were now in for a close game, as the 1st two McLean batters were retired in order in their half of the 5th, the Highlanders put that notion to rest right away. Back-to-back-to-back doubles by Riley Beiro, Russo, and Fitzgerald off of freshman reliever Mitch MacKeith plated two more runs, and McLean regained the advantage after the inning was complete, 5-2.
McLean added an insurance run in the bottom of the 6th inning, on a monstrous home run by Buckley over the high centerfield fence to lead off the frame. But McLean wouldn't need the assurance, as Fitzgerald only allowed two more hits over the last two innings, and he would get the complete game victory, 6-2.
In spite of the loss, Marshall (11-11, 6-8), who upset Madison in the quarterfinals, will advance to the Northern Region tournament this week. McLean now runs their record to 17-4, 13-1 in the Liberty, and will now face Stone Bridge for the Liberty District title on Monday, at Madison high school, at 7:00pm. That game will be broadcast live, worldwide, on the Gameday Radio Network, beginning at 6:30 pm.
W.T. Woodson, who earlier lost to the Bulldogs 4-3, will also join those teams in Northern Region tournament play. Gamedaymagazine.com will have the complete Northern Region tournament brackets posted as soon as all four District tournaments have concluded. Log on mid-week to see who plays who, and where.
BEST BUY PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Sean Fitzgerald - Junior Pitcher, McLean Highlanders
Fitzgerald did it all for McLean on this day. He pitched a complete game victory, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits, striking out 5, and only walking 1. He was also 2-3 at the plate, with 2 doubles, and an 2 RBI's, scoring 1 run.
Greg Goldsmith - Senior 1B, Marshall Statesmen
Goldsmith gave the Marshall fans a brief moment of optimism on Saturday, belting a towering 2-run home run to pull his team to within 1 run of McLean midway through. Goldsmith was 1-2 on the day, adding a walk.
