Ashburn, Va. — The duality of sports was apparent on Friday, May 31 at Broad Run High School. One dugout emptied quickly in elation: the players spilling out into the crowd, gray and blue jerseys embracing gray and blue t-shirts and sweatshirts and ball caps. The other dugout stayed on the field, raking the infield dirt before huddling in near silence as their coach talked, their brown and red jerseys streaked with the dirt of a long and hard-fought game, a 6-5 win for the Stone Bridge baseball team in the VHSL Region 5C championship.
[adrotate banner=”31″]It was a game filled with twists and turns, both teams taking turns being heroes and the goats in a back-and-forth affair that only ended when the final out was recorded.
For the Bulldogs, it looked like the game would be one of intense frustration, as they left the bases loaded in the top of the first. However, they were able to score a run in the top of the fourth inning, as senior second baseman Mitchell Colombo belted a double and then was driven in by junior left fielder Michael Knipple.
In the bottom of that inning, Stone Bridge starting pitcher Jeffery Hines failed to get any of the first five batters out, giving up four runs in the frame before being lifted for junior Kyle Lewis. Lewis came in and was able to save the game, pitching four innings, giving up just one run and earning the win.
“In a game like this you don’t have a lot of wiggle room because Broad Run is a great team and you can’t give them too many freebies,” Stone Bridge head coach Mat Shannon said. “We have a deep pitching staff, and we had a lot of faith in Kyle.”
Lewis mixed his pitches well, keeping the Spartan lineup off balance, striking out three in his outing.
“It feels great to get the assignment to come out and help my team,” Lewis said. “I just got in my groove. My curveball was working well. I tried to mix up my looks and be quick to the plate.”
Even with Lewis’ spectacular outing, the Bulldogs still entered the top of the sixth inning down by three. In the prior innings, there seemed to be some visible consternation up and down the Stone Bridge lineup, as batters seemed a bit anxious as they felt their chances slipping away.
Throughout the game, they had been unable to truly put a solid rally together, as after the top of the first, they managed just three base runners against Broad Run junior pitcher Ethan Snyder. Snyder was able to mix his pitches effectively, using a devastating change-up to work through five scoreless innings with seven strikeouts.
Then came the sixth inning.
It started out innocently enough, as Stone Bridge junior first baseman Tyler Scott hit a single and moved to second after Colombo was hit by pitch. A batter later, Stone Bridge sophomore designated hitter Zachary Mazur belted a double that scored two, part of a five-run inning that forced Snyder off the mound.
“I was just looking for a pitch I could drive, put the team on the board, get us back into the game,” Mazur said. “It’s a great experience and something I’ve been dreaming of since I joined the program.”
By the middle of the sixth, a 4-1 Broad Run lead had become a 6-4 Stone Bridge lead.
However, Snyder and the Spartans nearly pulled off yet another comeback in the bottom of the seventh. After a leadoff single, Snyder was able to double home a run but was stranded there after three straight fly outs, part of a frustrating night for Broad Run, as they left seven men on base.
“We left too many people on base; we had too many opportunities early that we didn’t take advantage of,” Broad Run head coach Tommy Meier said. “In baseball, you’re going to have some opportunities, and you have to take advantage, and we just didn’t take advantage.”
Next up for the Bulldogs, a trip to the VHSL 5A State tournament and all the excitement that accompanies it.
“I’m really excited for our players and their families. They’ve bought into our philosophies and our program,” Shannon said. “They’re a very resilient bunch, and I couldn’t ask for anything more from these boys.”
