Baseball: Freedom Advances to Region II Tournament on High Note After Wild, 10-9, Win Over Briar Woodes

Matt Malacane's walkoff double to end the game for Freedom


Special to VivaLoudoun

(May 30, 2011) - The Freedom High School baseball team secured its 14th win of the season Tursday, knocking off Briar Woods in the Dulles District Tournament Consolation game 10-9. It was a battle that featured 23 total hits, 19 total runs, and six different lead changes.

Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the 1st, Freedom got busy right away. A walk to outfielder Matt Malacane (2-4, 2B, 1RBI, 2R) and consecutive singles by DH Kevin Dean (3-4, 2RBI, 2R) and outfielder Matt Murphy (2-4, 3B, 1RBI, 1R) loaded the bases. Next, first-baseman Zach Newell
(1-2, HR, 2RBI, 1R) grounded out to plate Malacane. Second-baseman Zack Shuster (2-3, 2B, 2RBI, 1R) then brought home both Dean and Murphy with a double to left to give the Eagles the lead 3-2.

Click here for a full gallery of photos from the game

The Eagles extended that lead over the next 2-innings while senior starter Brad Baker held Briar Woods in-check on the mound. In the 2nd, Freedom used singles by freshman shortstop Kyle Wrighte and Malacane, along with a fielder's choice by catcher Dylan Teal, to set the table for Dean's 2RBI single to right, making it 5-2. Then, with the bases empty in the 3rd, Newell blasted a 2-0 pitch deep over the right field wall for his 1st homer of the year, putting Freedom up 6-2.

But no lead was safe in this contest. So, after Briar Woods scored 1 in the 4th and 4 more in the 5th, the Eagles found themselves having to come from behind again in their half of the 5th - and they did just that. First, Newell and Shuster both walked. Then, an error on third-
baseman Dylan Chapman's grounder allowed pinch-runner Mark Muhlenberg to score. Another miscue by the Falcons, this one on a run-down play resulting from Wrighte's ground-out, enabled Shuster to reach home safely and give the Eagles an 8-7 lead.

Briar Woods tied it 8-8 in the top of the 6th, but Freedom answered again in the bottom half. A 2-out single and stolen-base by Dean, followed by a huge RBI triple to deep right by Murphy put the Eagles up 9-8.

Finally, with the scored tied yet again and with 2-outs in the Freedom half of the 7th, the Eagles mounted one final rally. First, center-fielder Joey Plesce (1-4, 2B, 1R), lined an 0-2 pitch just inside the line in short right for a double. Then, Malacane, Freedom's 1st-Team
All-District outfielder, belted a fastball deep off the wall in left-center to bring home Plesce and make the Eagles winners 10-9.

Andrew Lamont earned his 5th win of the season for Freedom after replacing reliever Lane Wheeler in the 7th, getting the final 3 outs on only 5 total pitches.