By Phil Murphy
Content Editor, DigitalSports.com
**Check below the story for video highlights to re-live Friday’s game in 9 min, 59 sec. Interviews are added.*
In the third game in as many days for both South County and host Lake Braddock, the early-inning pitchers’ duel was all but forgotten by game’s end.
The Bruins’ nine-run, 13-batter, 51-pitch third inning was countered by the Stallions six-run, three-home-run, 37-pitch fifth in Friday night’s Patriot shootout.
But, it was Lake Braddock that prevailed, 11-8, to win its eighth straight and move a game ahead of South County and West Springfield with five district games remaining.
“Really, you have three games in three days. We’re lucky that we have enough arms and we’re able to get through some games,” said Bruin coach Jody Rutherford, who boasts a Northern Region-best 77-20 record in the last four years. “We’re very confident. [The win] means something now, but in the long run you want to be playing well at the end of the year.”
Through two-and-a-half innings, starting pitchers Brenden Daley (Lake Braddock) and Brennan Miller (South County) had allowed two collective hits, while recording six strikeouts. With the Bruins nine hitter, freshman Kenny Towns, leading off the bottom of the third, that trend was expected to continue.
But 10 of the next 11 batters reached base, and Lake Braddock batted around to lead 9-0 by the time its diamond destruction was complete.
The inning was highlighted by senior Jordan Tiamson‘s two-run double and Towns’ RBI double in his second plate appearance. Every runner scored at least once in the inning except for sophomore Ryan Lindemuth (3-4, 2 RBI), who was forced out at second after an RBI single.
“It all comes down to getting your foot down early and trusting your hands,” said Lindemuth, whose Bruins have averaged 15.2 runs in the last five games. “The approach the last couple games has been to go the opposite way, and that’s been working for us.”
However, the Bruins’ near-mercy-rule win quickly devolved into a near-miracle, Stallion comeback. South County senior Jesse Beal hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning, prompting Daley to be pulled three pitches in the fifth for Lindemuth, whose older brother Steven is Lake Braddock’s starting catcher.
South County (10-5, 8-2 Patriot) gave the younger Lindemuth, Lake Braddock’s most productive hitter on Friday, a taste of his own medicine. The Stallions drew two walks in the fifth inning and had four hits – three of which were home runs.
Junior Seth Jordan made the biggest splash with a first-pitch grand slam down the left-field line that nearly reached Burke Lake Road, cutting the Bruin lead to 10-8.
“They hit the ball tremendously well,” Lake Braddock left fielder Shannon Mark said. “They’re a great hitting team. It was hard to deal with it, but we got through it, got the outs.”
Lindemuth had his hand on four of those six final outs. The sophomore right-hander locked in over the last two innings, allowing just one base runner to preserve the pivotal Patriot victory. He had four strikeouts in three innings of relief to earn the save.
“We’ve had three straight games and he was fresh,” Rutherford said. “I was confident in him. He pitched in bigger situations that this, last year as a freshman, and he was successful. He wasn’t really making bad pitches. They were just hitting.”
Added Lindemuth: “Coach Rutherford told me he had confidence in me and it just comes down to hitting spots at the end of the day.”
Lake Braddock (11-3, 9-1) looks to run its winning streak to nine games on Tuesday versus Annandale, who it beat, 10-3, on April 8. South County hopes to rebound, keeping pace with the district leaders – and run its winning streak against teams not named “Lake Braddock” to seven – at Lee.
The Stallions defeated the Lancers, 13-2, on April 8.
“Braddock is such a good baseball team, so well coached,” said South County coach Mark Luther, who has won the Patriot District championship in both seasons of the school’s existence. “They’re in the driver’s seat at this point. They have a one game lead, beating us twice. So they’re in a pretty good position, now that they’ve cleared out West Springfield and us.
“Numbers one and two in the Patriot get a bye, so now it’s a battle for second place.”
E-mail: pmurphy@digitalsports.com
R H E
South County 000 260 0 8 7 4
Lake Braddock 009 110 X 11 9 0
W- Brenden Daley
L- Brennan Miller
S- Ryan Lindemuth
HR- Beal (4th), Digby (5th), Frazier (5th), Jordan (5th)
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