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For Langley's new closer, 'It's just natural'
Tied at two in the bottom of the fifth inning Monday night, Langley's rain-soaked baseball team desperately needed to snap out of its four-inning offensive slumber.
Ironically, despite the fact that the Saxons pounded out 27 runs on 25 hits in wins over Jefferson and Loudoun Valley over the weekend, Langley scored a pair of much-needed runs without a single hit.
Langley's baserunning proved pivotal as coach Jeff Ferrell's team maneuvered itself to a 4-2 win over South Lakes, improving to 5-2 overall, 2-0 in the Liberty District. The Saxons will travel to Marshall Friday for a 7 p.m. affair.
“I think we're finally starting to get our groove,” said Langley coach John Ferrell. “Although it would be nice to get a little better weather.”
The fifth inning started when Langley senior Daniel Bergamesca drew a walk and classmate Foster Dunigan reached on a fielder's choice. With senior Eddie Gonzalez at the plate, South Lakes catcher Scott Reed was called for catcher's interference, which put Gonzalez on first.
Langley's Chris Sievers hit a shot back to the mound, but South Lakes pitcher Ian Hostetler surprisingly threw to third and third baseman Paul Kirchner missed the throw.
Dunigan scored from second and Gonzalez rumbled all the way to third, as Langley pulled ahead for good. Junior Geremy Mahn added a sacrifice fly for insurance.
“Was it a mental mistake? Probably,” said South Lakes coach Galvin Harris, rhetorically. “The best guy with the quickest hands is our shortstop. Get the ball to him and let him turn two.”
South Lakes dropped to 0-3 overall with the loss, 0-2 in the Liberty District. The Seahawks will host Stone Bridge Friday at 7 p.m.
It appeared from the outset that this one would never make it to late-game decisions when the Seahawks' bats started off on fire, as the first three hitters all recorded hits.
Fighting off an urge to stick with the fastball, Ferrell signaled to his catcher that he wanted a change up thrown to Reed -- the third hitter in South Lakes' lineup. Reed dropped the barrel of his bat on the outside pitch, driving a double to the opposite field. The game was only 11 pitches old, but already South Lakes led, 2-0.
Senior pitcher Jody Davis eventually settled down for the Saxons, and he retired the next 10 hitters before a fourth-inning error stopped the streak.
“We got the pitches down and we started working the off-speed,” said Ferrell, explaining why his pitcher calmed down. “I thought the second time around, when he started them off with the off-speed stuff and tied those pitchers together, obviously it helped his confidence.”
Davis tossed six innings to earn the win, allowing two earned runs on four hits. He walked two, struck out seven and threw 96 pitches -- 59 strikes.
Davis' nasty curveball began to soften in the later innings and his control began to waver, as Ferrell turned to his brand new closer -- second baseman Jack Mclindon.
Although he'd never before pitched in a high school game, Mclindon entered the game with a purpose. He struck out two of the three Seahawks that he faced, and needed only 11 pitches (9 strikes) to notch his first save.
“It's just natural,” said Mclindon, who was also the only Langley player who recorded a multi-hit game, finishing 2-for-2 with a walk, stolen base and an RBI single. “My dad was a pitcher, so I guess that kind of helps. But I don't even try to hit spots. I just throw it and it ends up in the strike zone.”
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