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By John Nolan
Virginia Assistant Director and Content Manager

Fairfax-A pleasant late June morning saw Robinson Secondary School play host to the first of two 6A State semifinals, between the 6A North runners-up, Patriot, and the 6A South Champions, Frank Cox. Both teams came into the game with their top arms available after a week off. Patriot sent out First Team All-Region senior James Price (George Mason) and Cox sent out South Region Player of the Year and senior Austin Cabone (George Mason).

Cabone put his mark on the game quickly in the first inning, working a perfect top half while picking up two strikeouts. In the bottom half, Cox third baseman Andrew Teixeira (Randolph-Macon) got on with a one and single and then scored the game’s first run when Cabone doubled to deep left-center. Price got a fly out and line out to end the threat with no more damage and Cox led 1-0 after the first.

Cabone added two more strikeouts and another perfect inning in the second, and the Falcons went back to work offensively as Alex Hudgins led the inning off with a single. After he was bunted down to second base, Zach Hudgins rolled a single threw the right side, driving in the run and extending the lead to 2-0, which is where it would be when the second inning ended.

Patriot’s offense showed signs of life in the top of the third, with sophomore Andrew Casey leading the inning off with an infield single and then advancing to second on a throwing error. A walk put two on with no outs for the Pioneers. After an unsuccessful bunt attempt and a loud fly out to center, Patriot catcher Brian Rall rolled what should have been an inning-ending grounder to short, the ball hopped up and skipped away with Rall reaching on an error and Casey scoring from second to cut the deficit 2-1. Price allowed a leadoff infield single in the bottom half of the inning but a double play and a flyout got him out of the inning and through three the score was 2-1.

In the top of the fourth, Cabone calmly set the Pioneers down in order, picking up his seventh strikeout of the game. Cox’s bats finally got to Price in the bottom half of the inning. Shane Stinard led the inning off with a double over centerfield. After a flyout, Colton Harris tripled up the right-center gap, scoring Stinard. After a lengthy mound visit, Zach Hudgins dropped a perfect safety squeeze, driving in his second run of the game and reaching base safely. Price would stop the bleeding there but after four innings, Cox now led 4-1.

The Pioneers would get baserunners in the fifth and sixth innings, but could not push them past second base. Patriot brought in senior lefty Patrick Fyvie (Army) in the bottom of the fifth and he threw two scoreless innings to send the game to the seventh with the score still 4-1 Cox.

Cabone entered the top of the seventh working on a two-hitter with ten strikeouts and only the one unearned run. He finished the game in dominant fashion, striking out the side to end the game and send Cox to Saturday’s 6A State Championship game.

Cabone earned the win with 7 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 2 BB, 13 K while also going 1-3 with a 2B and an RBI at the plate. Teixeira was 2-3 with a run. Stinard went 1-2 with a 2B, BB, and a R. Harris was 1-2 with a SAC, 3B, RBI, and a run. Zach Hudgins was 2-3 with 2 RBI. Alex Hudgins was 1-3 with a run.

For the Pioneers, Price took the loss with 4 IP, 4 R, 8 H, 0 BB, 1 K. Fyvie worked 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 BB, 1 K. Casey was 1-2 with a R, BB, and a SB. Chase DeGrood (Davis & Elkins) was 1-3. 

Check the VA/DC Scout Blog later this week for scouting reports on players from this game.

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