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Lake Braddock, Oakton travel different roads to region semifinals
Oakton and Lake Braddock advanced to the semifinals of the Northern Region baseball tournament with a pair of wins on Memorial Day, although each team took a different route to get there.
Lake Braddock, who extended its winning streak to 17 games, pounded out 18 hits en rout to a 20-8 blowout victory over Westfield (14-9). The Bruins' starting 3-4-5 hitters went a combined 7-for-12 with five RBIs and six runs scored, while left fielder Shannon Mark (the team's No. 3 hitter) led the way with his 3-for-4, two-RBI effort.
Senior Shane Halley, who pitched the first two innings and struck out five, hit a grand slam in a nine-run first inning for the Bruins.
“I think our guys have had a really good approach at the plate,” said Lake Braddock coach Jody Rutherford, whose team improved to 20-3. “We don't have guys who are selfish hitters. They do the job, and they do what they need to do.”
Added Mark, “Sometimes it seems like if one side of our lineup is not hitting, the other side will hit and make up for it. Today it was just both of us. All through the lineup we were just stroking the ball.”
In the nightcap, Oakton right-hander Bart Reese nearly tossed a complete game before giving way to lefty Bret Williams with one out remaining in the seventh inning of a 7-3 win over Stone Bridge (20-4).
Oakton (19-4) will advance to the semifinal round for the eighth time in the past nine years.
Reese allowed three runs on five hits. He also struck out six, walked three -- he hit two batters -- and threw a total of 120 pitches (72 strikes).
“It's tough as a pitcher because you want to battle and close it out,” Reese said. “But we have two other great pitchers on this team and I understand it. I knew Bret [Williams] was going to close it out.”
Senior shortstop Alfredo Rodriguez finished with a 3-for-4 night at the plate, while right fielder Connor Madden had two hits and scored a run.
Oakton and Lake Braddock will play each other at South County on Wednesday at 4 p.m. to determine who'll advance to the region title game.
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