Varsity Baseball
Mason Defeats Madison County 3-2;
Heads to District Final Today
By Jared Allan; Paul Mene (May 26, 2006)
Behind the seven-hit pitching of John Schwengel,
the Mustangs beat the Madison County Rams 3-2 at home Wednesday to advance
to the district championship game for the second year in a row. The Mustangs
will host the championship this afternoon against Strasburg.
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Schwengel
only allowed two earned runs and struck out four. In the field
strong defensive efforts were put in by sophomore second baseman
Alex Prewitt, right fielder Brandon Ting and third baseman Byron
Mendenhall, who later came in as a relief pitcher in the sixth
inning.
The game was dictated by each team’s
defense; both teams coming up with several key plays from Brandon
Ting’s diving catch in right field to end the fifth inning to
Byron Mendenhall’s key double play in the third. Returning from
the disabled list, Eddie Huber played left field and did not allow
a ball to get by him. Derek Blodgett scooped up every ball hat
came to him to contribute to the Mason victory.
At the plate the Mustangs struggled
for the first three innings until Ting’s triple in the fourth
inning. With Ting on third, designated hitter Matt Dorr drove
in the run to tie the score at one run a piece. The Mustangs then
batted Dorr home to take the lead, 2-1. The Mountaineers came
back in their next at bat to tie the game and eventually the game
went into extra innings. |
| Senior
Catcher Matt Foley connects with Madison’s pitchers’ fastball
to lead off the inning in the game that the Mustangs won 3-2
in the eighth inning. (Photo by Jared Allan) |
Mendenhall relieved Schwengel in the sixth inning to
shut out the Mountaineers, setting up the opportunity for the Mustangs
to win. In the bottom of the eighth John Root took a lead off walk to
get on first base, and Eddie Huber was sent to pinch run for Root. After
a costly balk by the pitcher, Eddie Huber was in scoring position at second
base. At the plate John Schwengel hit a grounder in between second base
and first base to score Eddie Huber, finalizing the Mason victory.
If the ‘Stangs win today against Strasburg, they will
advance to the regional tournament.
