Greater Loudoun Makes it Three Straight at U18 SE Babe Ruth Regional

Purcellville (July 26, 2009) – Nobody told the host team at the U18 Babe Ruth Southeast Regional that they weren’t suppossed to win but the Greater Loudoun Lions did just that for a third straight day as Trey Brocke earned his second win of the tournament, a gutsy complete game effort, complimented by defensive gems including game-saving catches in the outfield by Louis Huggins and Michael Goldstein in the final two innings to save a 2-1 win over Oviedo, Fla.

Goldstein, with his catch at the fence in right-center with two outs and two runners on in the sixth inning, and Huggins, with his dramatic catch deep in right to end the game with the tying run racing around the bases, not only provided the defensive flair but they combined for the go-ahead run in the top of fifth inning as Goldstein singled to the left side hole with two outs, scoring Huggins. Earlier in the inning, with Greater Loudoun down 1-0, Nick Fischer drew a one-out walk and then pinch runner Ivan Anderson moved around the bases on three wild pitches, the final sending him sliding across the plate to tie the game.

Brocke, who had thrown about 50 pitches Friday night in a win, pitched a complete-game victory Sunday, throwing about 90 pitches while allowing just four hits with two walks and a hit batter. Oviedo had runners on base but could hit just 2 for 12 against Brocke with runners on base.

It wasn’t just the two dramatic outfield catches that saved Greater Loudoun but in the sixth inning with runners on second and third with one out, a chopper was hit to GL third baseman Warner Workman and he threw to Tommy Meier at the plate who tagged the runner out. The next batter then hit a shot to the right-center gap that Goldstein tracked down at the fence.

The game was delayed by almost two hours in the third inning due to lightning and passing storm that dumped water on the field. The Fireman’s Field ground crew did a super job of getting the field back into playing condition.

Greater Loudoun now faces a rematch with the team that put them into the loser’s bracket to start the tournament, Coastal Plains of Eastern North Carolina. Costal Plains won 10-3 on Thursday.

The task before Greater Loudoun, having already played four games in four days, is almost unhuman: they most win four games in the next 24 hours to become champions of the region. If they win at 4 p.m. Monday, they then play

Mobile, Ala. at 7 p.m. A win in both ends of the doubleheader puts them into the finals Tuesday, which have been pushed up from 4 p.m. to 10 a.m. If Greater Loudoun can win both games Monday and beat undefeated Baxter, Tenn. Tuesday morning, they must then turn around and play Baxter again at 1 p.m. Tuesday to take the double elimination tournament. 

While that schedule is more than daunting, nobody expected Greater Loudoun to still be playing and as the wildcard in the tournament, who knows how far they can extened their run.