Warriors fall in region semifinals

STERLING — For a Western Albemarle baseball team that averaged nearly seven runs per game coming into last night’s Region II semifinal game, giving up three runs in the first inning wouldn’t seem to be too big of a problem.

However, facing a Potomac Falls pitcher with a season ERA of 1.71 and a 10-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio, those three runs seemed more like 10.

Potomac Falls starting hurler Jacob Kline lived up to his daunting season line, throwing the full seven innings while allowing just one run and fanning seven in leading the Panthers to a 5-1 victory. Potomac Falls earned a berth in the Group AA tournament.

“I’ve heard [Kline] come in the dugout before and say, ‘Just get me one [run],’” said Potomac Falls coach Joe Terango. “One wouldn’t have worked tonight, but we’ll take five.”

Kline also hurt the Warriors (17-4) with his bat. A .222 hitter coming into the contest, he went 2 for 3 on the night, including a two-run single in the third to give himself a five-run cushion.

Western starter Dillon Via had trouble finding the plate in the first inning, leading to the early 3-0 hole. The top of the Potomac Falls lineup refused to bite on Via’s curveball, as the first four Panther batters reached base, three on walks. Via’s third walk scored Potomac Falls’ first run, and the Panthers sacrificed two more runners home before a groundout ended the damage.

“[Via’s] control wasn’t what it’s been,” Western coach Skip Hudgins said. “He pitched in the district championship game and gave up one run. He’s had a great year for us — tonight wasn’t his night.”

With three runs behind him, Kline then dominated for nearly the game’s entirety. With an effective fastball, cutter, breaking ball and changeup at his disposal, Kline was nearly untouchable through the first 6.2 innings, as only one runner advanced past second base in that span.

“He hits his spots pretty good,” said senior Wade Hughes, who threw three scoreless innings in relief of Via. “He’s kind of hard to deal with. You’ve gotta make some adjustments, and we didn’t do that very well.”

The Warriors made a small two-out rally at game’s end, scrapping for one run before a groundout sent them home for the spring.

Hughes was easily Western’s most productive player of the evening. At the plate, he had the most success of any Warrior against Kline, going 2 for 2 with a walk. Defensively, starting the game at third base, he gunned down a Potomac Falls baserunner at the plate on a perfectly-executed relay, keeping the deficit at three in the first inning.

Hughes then moved to the mound in place of Via to start the fourth, and held the Panthers scoreless in three innings pitched.

“Wade came in [on the mound] and gave us a chance to stay in the ballgame,” Hudgins said.

After Kline’s lights-out effort, the Warriors took a knee in right field at game’s end with disappointment on their faces. Hudgins’ final message of the season, though, was a positive one.

“The reason that we [the coaches] are sad that we lost is we don’t get to hang around with them anymore,” Hudgins said. “That’s the kind of group that they are.”