Facenda, McGuires Power Warhawks In Win
Crafty southpaw Eli Facenda got the starting nod for the Warhawks and did not disappoint. After a 1st inning two run homer let up to Cam Walter, Facenda did not allow another score the rest of his performance...
Photo By: Albert Jacquez / Madison High School | VIEW GALLERY
Hurler Connor Bach did everything he could to help the Wildcats advance in the Northern Region Tournament. Although Bach let up four runs in the game, only one run was earned...
Photo By: Albert Jacquez / Madison High School | VIEW GALLERY
Shortstop Andy McGuire was spectacular on defense against the Wildcats. On one particularly impressive play McGuire swooped in from shortstop, gloved the ball on the opposite side of the bag, stepped back to touch the base and rocketed a throw to first to complete a spectacular twin killing...
Photo By: Albert Jacquez / Madison High School | VIEW GALLERY
STORY BY: DAVE GRAHAM / MADISON HIGH SCHOOL
VIENNA, VA - On a hot, humid Memorial Day in Vienna, the Centreville Wildcats and the Madison Warhawks traded first inning home runs putting a total of five runs on the board and then the pitchers for both teams pretty much took over the rest of the game. Madison added an insurance run in the fifth as for the third time in four playoff wins, they emerged with a 4 -2 victory despite being outhit by their opponents. The triumph moves them into the Northern Region semifinals against West Springfield.
Mark "Pudge" Gjormand later noted, "Any time you are still playing in June you know it's been a good year. We'll have our hands full with the Spartans on Wednesday though; hopefully Matt Moore will be ready to pitch for us."
Crafty southpaw Eli Facenda got the starting nod for Madison. After retiring the lead-off hitter on a comebacker, he walked David Delorimier on four pitches. On a pick-off throw to first, Delorimier broke for second on Facenda's movement and easily beat the throw for a stolen base. After a fly out to left, Concorde District Player of the Year Cam Walter launched a monstrous blast well over the batting cages in left field for a two run homer. Chris Campbell was hit with a pitch but Facenda retired the side on a ground out.
Lanky lefty Connor Bach took the hill for Centreville in the bottom of the first. After a ground out, the shortstop backed up to field Jonny Graham's hot grounder on the second bounce. When it rolled up his arm a bit he rushed his throw to first and it was wild to put Graham aboard. On an 0-2 pitch to lefty Teddy Turner, Bach's breaking ball ticked the right sleeve of Turner's jersey. Initially the plate umpire ruled it a ball but after huddling with the base umpires reversed his decision and awarded Turner first base. It would turn out to be a pivotal call. A check swing grounder to second moved the runners to second and third. With two outs, Ryan McGuire sent a 1-0 fastball soaring over the All Star Movers sign in center. The titanic three run tater probably exceeded 400 feet as it cleared the fence atop the embankment behind the fence. It was a resounding response to Walter's dinger and gave the Warhawks an enduring lead. The inning ended on a ground out.
Leo Montoya drew a walk to start the Wildcat second. After a pair of bunt attempts, Kevin LaChance battled fouling off a pair of two strike pitches before bouncing one over Facenda's head. Andy McGuire swooped in from shortstop, gloved the ball on the opposite side of the bag, stepped back to touch the base and rocketed a throw to first to complete a spectacular twin killing. The inning ended with Scott Bernier making a fine play on a sharply hit grounder to third.
With one out in the Warhawk second, Nate Favero fouled off three two strike offerings before smacking a liner past the shortstop for a single to left. Bach picked Favero off first with Walter making the relay to shortstop Campbell who applied the tag. It became a bigger out when Andy McGuire scorched a grounder up the middle for another single. The inning ended on a grounder to third.
Shortstop McGuire captured a lead-off looper in short left for the first out in the Centreville third. Delorimier reached when he swung at strike three but the ball eluded the catcher. Facenda promptly picked him off first for an out that loomed large when Bach roped a single to right on the next pitch to bring up the dangerous Walter. Bernier made a nice play on his grounder to third and turned it into an inning ending force out at second.
Bach mowed down Madison in order in the bottom of the third getting out of a couple of 3-2 situations with a ground out and a called strike three.
With one out in the top of the fourth, Chris Mandell's liner to center fell in and hustling all the way he ended up with a double when the Warhawks were somewhat lackadaisical getting the ball back in. Danny Cate caught a high pop up to first on the outfield grass but he dropped the ball on the transfer. Centreville appealed the call but it stood as a key second out. The inning ended on a ground out.
Bach again mowed the side down in order in the bottom of the frame beginning and ending the inning with strike outs giving him four for the game and three in four batters.
Facenda began the fifth with a strike out, his only one of the day. Mark McCormick almost took Facenda's leg off with a hot smash up the middle for a single. Delorimier laid a great bunt down the third base line and Bernier made a brilliant play to charge and make a running throw to first for the out on a close play. Bernier's charge left third uncovered and McCormick alertly advanced an extra base on the sacrifice. The inning ended on Bach's hard grounder to first with Cate making a good stop and winning the race to the base for the out. Facenda was finished for the day having thrown four fewer pitches in five innings than Bach had thrown in four. He had scattered four hits, walked a pair and hit one.
With his pitch count nearing seventy, the heat and humidity probably were beginning to take a toll on Bach in the fifth. Favero laced a 2-2 pitch up the middle. The centerfielder attempted to make a headlong diving catch but the ball got by him and Favero galloped into third with a stand up triple. Andy McGuire jumped on a 1-0 pitch and belted one in the gap in left center for an RBI double. That finished Bach's stint on the mound as he was moved out to right field. He pitched well and deserved a better fate as only one of the four runs he gave up was earned.
The Wildcats pulled Bach in favor of Concorde District Co-Pitcher of the Year Ryan Ashooh. He had pitched a no-hitter against South County in the opening round of the tournament three days earlier. Centreville had been hoping to bring him back to pitch the next game if they won this one but they could ill afford to let the Warhawks widen their lead.
The flamethrower's first pitch was bunted to the left side by Ehrsam. Ashooh came hard off the mound and in a tough play for a lefty gloved it, whirled and threw a blur to first that nipped Ehrsam in a bang bang play with McGuire taking third. With one out the Wildcats moved the infield in. Graham's grounder to second might have scored McGuire but he held third as the out was recorded at first. Turner hit a bouncer to third and when the throw was off line Walter made a good play at first to come off the bag and tag the batter to end the inning.
Cate, a rangy right hander who closed Madison's three previous District and Region victories, came in to pitch the top of the sixth. Ryan McGuire, who started the game at DH, took over for Cate at first. He quickly got ahead of Walter 1-2 before retiring him on a routine fly to left. Campbell grounded a single up the middle and Mandell drilled a liner to right center to put runners at the corners. On an 0-1 pitch Mandell stole second with the second baseman attempting to cut the throw off in front of the bag. The throw sailed high but shortstop Andy McGuire was backing up and leaped to spear the ball with Campbell holding third. On the ensuing 0-2 pitch, Cate broke off a nasty curve for a swinging strike three. The inning ended on a slow chopper to short with Andy McGuire charging the ball and making a quick but high throw to first that Ryan McGuire managed to pull in while staying on the bag to end the threat.
After a lead-off strike out, Ashooh walked Ryan McGuire on four pitches and Austin Mellor entered as a pinch runner. He moved to second on a comebacker. Cate lined a ball to shallow right but Bach was playing him perfectly and made the running catch to extinguish the threat.
With a two run deficit, ninth hitter Mark Behne surprisingly swung at the first pitch in the seventh and slapped a single through the right side. With the top of the order coming up, Cate bore down and got the first out on a four pitch K. Two pitches later, he induced a room service grounder to second for what looked to be a game ending double play. Favero charged and made a good feed to Andy McGuire at second for the force out but the relay to first was wild allowing the batter to advance to second. McGuire atoned for the miscue on the next pitch backhanding a hard hit ball and rifling a perfect throw to first from deep short to end the game.
Once again Madison had not played a flawless game but they came up with enough big plays on the mound, in the field and at the plate to come out on top. It didn't hurt that the location of the game had been predetermined to be the friendly confines of JMHS.
Coach Gjormand summed it up noting, "Eli was outstanding and Danny was Danny. I think our toughness showed through today; I'm real proud of our guys."
