Highlanders Wrap Up Regular Season
With Four Straight Wins

The Highlanders did not wait long to pounce on the young Marshall hurler, as Tyler Thompson got things going in the top of the first inning with a lead-off single up the middle.  After Sean Fitzgerald was hit by a pitch , Denis Buckley popped out to the 2^nd basemen, bringing Drew Morgan to the plate with one out.  Morgan helped his own cause by tripling down the right field line, scoring two runs.  After an Andrew Stowe strikeout, Quinn Pippin followed with a base hit, scoring Morgan and bringing the score to 3-0.  Mettrick escaped without further damage.

Morgan set the Statesmen down in order in the bottom half of the first inning.  Mettrick then settled in to the ballgame and held McLean scoreless for the next two frames.  In the bottom of the third, Marshall notched a run on a walk, a ground out, and a bloop base hit just beyond the outstretched glove of Fitzgerald, making the score 3-1.  Morgan then gathered himself and struck out the next Marshall batter to preserve the two run lead.

McLean got a run back in the top of the 4^th stretching the margin back to three runs.  In the top of the 5^th, Marshall relieved Mettrick with righthander Brian Whittington.  Whittington retired the Highlanders in order to keep the score at 4-1.

Morgan settled in nicely after the Statesmen’s run scoring third inning.  The Senior did not have his best location with him throughout the evening, but mixed his pitches well and maintained excellent velocity throughout the game.  In the bottom of the 6^th with one out, Morgan was relieved by Senior closer Andrew Stowe.  Stowe promptly induced a pop out and a strikeout of Marshall’s 3 and 4 hitters to preserve the 4-1 advantage.

McLean tacked two additional runs on the board in the top of the 7^th inning.  Sean Fitzgerald and Denis Buckley each contributed RBI base hits in the inning and Pat Tawil added a pinch hit double and scored a run.  Stowe allowed a single base hit in the bottom of the 7^th and shut the Statesmen down after that to close out the 6-1 Highlander victory.

The win was McLean’s 3^rd straight, and brought their season record to 10-9 (7-6 Liberty District).  The win also secured 4^th place for the Highlanders in the Liberty District, clinching a home tournament game and securing a bye from the tournament’s opening round.  Drew Morgan had notched his second consecutive win on the mound, going 5 1/3 innings while allowing just three hits and one run and striking out seven.  Morgan also led the way for McLean offensively, going 3-4 with 3 RBI and 2 runs scored.  Quinn Pippin added a 2-4, RBI performance, Sean Fitzgerald was 1-3 with an RBI and two runs, Tyler Thompson was 1-3 with two runs, and Erik Payne and Pat Tawil added doubles for the Highlanders.

“Another good win for us”, McLean coach John Thomas said.  “I thought that Drew did a real nice job on the mound tonight.  His location wasn’t great, but as always, he battled for us and did what it took to get the job done.  He also had a heck of a game with the bat, which was great to see.  I thought that our defense was great again, and I was very pleased with the way we approached the early part of this ballgame.  We were determined to take the game to them early on and we did a nice job of putting pressure on them.  I was impressed with how Marshall hung tough in the ballgame…..we could never really put the game away.   We’re continuing to swing the bat better and that is going to be a big factor in determining how far this team can go.  I really like the way we are playing right now and the way this team has come together the past couple of weeks.”

On Friday, May 11^th, McLean hosted WT Woodson High School on Senior Night at McLean High School.  The Highlanders honored their nine Seniors in a pre-game ceremony, with each player receiving “The Bat” given to four-year MHS baseball players.  The Highlanders also featured a starting lineup with eight seniors in it, including pitcher Andrew Stowe.  Woodson countered with Junior Greg Whitaker.  The first game between the two teams had been a thriller, with the Highlanders coming behind for a 10-8 win.

The Cavaliers struck with two runs in the top of the first inning by way of three base hits.  Whitaker proved to be sharp early on as well, as the junior held McLean scoreless through the game’s first four innings.  Stowe settled down after the two-run first and kept the ball down after that, hanging three zeros on the board for the Highlanders in the process and keeping the game at 2-0 going into the bottom half of the fourth inning.  McLean notched two runs of their own in the inning on the strength of a walk, three base hits, and two Woodson errors.  Sean Fitzgerald, Nick Vanderhye, and Pat Tawil picked up key hits for McLean in the inning.

Sean Fitzgerald relieved Stowe in the top of the 5^th, and was greeted by a double from Woodson’s outstanding junior Jacob Morely.  Fitzgerald settled in after that, but a walk, two McLean errors, and another Woodson hit enabled the Cavaliers to once again open up a two run lead on the Highlanders.  Going into the bottom of the 5^th, Woodson led 4-2.

McLean found the same formula it had used to beat Woodson in the season’s first meeting.  Tyler Thompson tripled led off the 5^th inning with a triple to right field.  Pat Tawil then coaxed a walk after falling behind the Cavalier pitcher 0-2.  After Drew Morgan struck out, Andrew Stowe came to bat and crushed a 2-2 fastball over the left center field fence and high into a tree for a 3 run home run, giving the Highlanders a 5-4 advantage.

Woodson threatened to score in the top of the 6^th, when a walk, a base hit, and an error loaded the bases with two out.  Jackson Clement, the 3^rd hitter in the Cavalier lineup, came to bat and worked the count to 3-0 against Fitzgerald.  The freshman then went to work and threw consecutive strikes to Clement, with the second one producing an inning-ending fielder’s choice to 2^nd baseman Sam Kaiser.

McLean tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the 6^th, and Fitzgerald retired the side in order in the 7^th to put the 6-4 win on ice.  The win was McLean’s fourth in a row, and enabled the Highlanders to close out the regular season with an 11-9 record (8-6 Liberty District).  Stowe (1-2, HR, 3 RBI, 2 runs, SB) led the way offensively for McLean, with Thompson (2-3, 2 SB, run), Pat Tawil (1-3, run, walk), Nick Vanderhye (1-2, walk, RBI), and Quinn Pippin (1-2, run, SB) all enjoying solid nights.  Sean Fitzgerald earned the win in relief for McLean by going three innings, giving up two hits, walking one, and striking out two.

“We’re very happy to be able to bring home our fourth win in a row on Senior Night”, Coach Thomas said.  “This year’s group of Seniors have done a really nice job for us, especially during the second half of the season.  These guys have developed really nicely as players and as leaders, and I’m thrilled that they brought home the win on a night when they got some recognition.  I’m obviously real happy for Stowe tonight.  That was a huge home run he hit to give us the lead.  I’m actually prouder of the way he hung tough on the mound and kept us in the game after Woodson jumped all over him in the first inning.  He showed a lot of guts going four innings for us tonight and shutting Woodson down after the first.  It was great to see him exhibit that kind of character on Senior Night.”

“All in all, we are excited to be going into the postseason with some momentum”, Coach Thomas continued.  “Our guys have really worked hard and demonstrated what kind of character they have by crawling back to 11-9 after really struggling for a couple of  stretches back in April.  I can’t say enough about the resolve this group has demonstrated and the resiliency that they’ve developed to overcome a ton of obstacles this year.  Now is the time when our kids really get to have some fun.  I’m very excited to bring this team into the playoffs.”