Baseball: Freedom's Best Season Ever Ends in Tough Road Loss in Region II Quarterfinals

Special to VivaLoudoun

Nokesville (June 3, 2011) - Fresh off a victory in their first ever regional contest on Monday at Monticello, the Freedom Eagles looked to advance to the AA Region II semi-finals with a win at Kettle Run Tuesday night. However, despite pounding out 13 hits and 8 runs, and building leads of 3-0, 6-2, and 8-6, the Eagles inability to find the strike zone in the game's waning moments was ultimately their undoing, as they fell in heartbreaking fashion to the Cougars 9-8.


Freedom jumped out to an early lead in the top of the 1st, scoring 3 runs on 4 solid hits. A single by outfielder Matt Malacane (4-4, 3 2B, 1RBI, 3R), who had a monster game, got things started. With 1-out, after a balk moved Malacane to 2nd, DH Zach Newell (2-3, 1RBI, 1R) ripped a single to right. Senior Matt Murphy (2-4, 2RBI, 2R) followed with a single to left to score Malacane. Senior Zack Shuster (2-4, 2RBI) made it 2-0 when he smacked a single to right, scoring Newell. Later, Murphy came home on a wild-pitch to make it 3-0.

The Eagles maintained that lead into the bottom of the 3rd behind strong starting pitching from ace Andrew Lamont. However, with 2-outs and nobody on in the 3rd, the Cougars took advantage of a Freedom error and scored 2 unearned-runs, trimming the lead to 3-2.

The score stayed 3-2 until the top of the 5th, when Freedom appeared to take control. First, Malacane doubled to deep left. Catcher Dylan Teal followed with a bunt-single that scored Malacane when the throw
 got away from 1st. Next, Newell's sacrifice-bunt moved Teal into scoring position for Murphy, who came thru with an RBI single to put the Eagles up 5-2. Murphy advanced to 3rd on the play and later scored on Shuster's RBI single, giving the Eagles a 6-2 lead.

But Kettle Run wouldn't go away. In the home half of the 5th, they  got 3 runs back on a homer to right. A walk to the next hitter forced Lamont from the game before a sacrifice-fly eventually knotted it up 6-6.

With the home crowd feeling the momentum shift, the Eagles showed their resiliency by answering right back in the top of the 6th. With 1-out, outfielder Joey Plesce lined a single to center. He then  scored on a double by Malacane - his 3rd of the game. Another basehit by Newell brought Malacane home to give Freedom an 8-6 edge.

But after setting the Cougars down in order in the 6th, the Eagles' bullpen was simply unable to find the strike-zone in the bottom of the 7th, hitting 3-batters and walking 3 others to end the game.

Freedom finishes 15-10 on the season in only the 2nd-year under standout coach Jason Treon and his staff: Danny Watkins, Mark Wrighte, Robbie Bouman, and Mark St. Laurent.