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A chilly Tuesday night saw No. 23 Potomac travel to No. 20 Colgan for a Cardinal District showdown of ranked teams in central Prince William County. A close game was played with Potomac ultimately winning, 6-4.

Both teams sent their most reliable arms to the mound to start the game, Colgan starting senior righty Ethan Laird (Shenandoah) and Potomac sending junior lefty Brody Mack to the mound. Laird got off to a quick start with a pair of strikeouts to open the game but then hit Mack with a pitch to put a runner on. TJ Reney then split the gap in left-center with a double, but the inning ended as Colgan centerfielder Ryley Johnson (Radford) started a relay that cut down Mack at the plate trying to score from first.

In the bottom of the first, a pair of Potomac errors put two runners on for Colgan and the Sharks got on the board when senior catcher Vinny Lampasona doubled to right center with two outs, driving in both runs and giving Colgan a 2-0 lead after the first.

Potomac answered in the top of the second, using a hit by pitch and an error to score their first run. After putting runners on the corners with one out, junior second baseman Josue Cumba hit into a fielder’s choice, driving in the tying run. Laird ended the threat their. Mack fired a perfect second and neither pitcher allowed any damage in the third as the game headed to the fourth inning tied at 2.

In the top of the fourth, a leadoff walk, a hit by pitch, and an infield single courtesy of a bad hop loaded the bases with one out for Potomac with Josue Cumba coming to the plate again. Again Cumba delivered, singling to right and driving in two runs to give Potomac the lead. Laird was able to get a big strikeout and wiggle out of the inning without any more damage, as Potomac left the bases loaded. Mack again threw a perfect inning, and after four the score was Potomac 4, Colgan 2.

Colgan brought in sophomore righty Jared Dingus to start the fifth and he got three quick groundouts in a perfect inning. In the bottom of the fifth, Isaac Quinonez worked a one-out walk and Ryley Johnson reached on a catcher’s interference to put two runners on. Potomac tried a back pick at first and the ball got away, going up the line and allowing Quinonez to score while sending Johnson to third. After a walk to Matthew Kane, Colgan executed a first and third double steal with Potomac getting Kane hung up in rundown while Johnson scored the tying run. After five, the score was again tied, this time at four.

In the top of the sixth, Adrian Touch led off the inning for Potomac with a double into the rightfield corner. Matt Celio then was initially called out at first on a bunt, but the call was overturned after appeal, putting runners on the corners with no outs for Potomac. Cumba worked a walk to load the bases and bring the top of the order up. Dingus got a grounder to third off the bat of Scrappy Cleveland and Colgan got the first out of the inning at the plate. Julian Cumba then hit a hard grounder to short and the Colgan middle infield combo of Laird and second baseman Connor Cropp was able to turn the inning-ending double play and escape the threat without Potomac scoring.

Mack threw a perfect bottom of the sixth, and the game headed to the seventh tied. Mack led the seventh off with a double to left center and an error put two on with no outs for the Panthers. A fly out put runners on the corners and sophomore Braden Mack successfully got a safety squeeze down, scoring Brody and giving Potomac the lead. Touch added an insurance run with his second hit of the game, a single to left that drove in another run and extended the Potomac lead to 6-4.

In the bottom of the seventh, a third error on the night by Potomac shortstop Cleveland allowed Colgan to get the leadoff man on, but Mack got a comebacker and started a 1-6-3 double play and then got a strikeout to end the game with a final score of Potomac 6, Colgan 4.

For Colgan, Laird went 4 IP, 4 R, 4 H, 4 HBP, 1 BB, 5 K. Dingus took the loss, going 3 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 1 BB, 1 K. Lampasona was 1-3 with a 2B and 2 RBI.

For Potomac, Brody Mack got the win going 7 IP, 4 R, 1 H, 2 BB, 7 K while also going 1-3 with a 2B and HBP at the plate. Touch was 2-3 with a 2B, RBI, HBP, and 2 R. Celio was 2-3. Josue Cumba ended the day 1-3 with 3 RBI, a BB, and 2 SB.

 

 

Scouting Notes

Potomac

-Brody Mack was 79-82 the entire game, holding his velocity. Big curveball 61-67. Change-up was 68.

-Braden Mack was 2.20-2.28 on his between-inning pops and strength at the plate

-Both Cumbas have some speed on the bases and athleticism, raw athletes

Colgan

-Johnson made some good plays in center, speed is evident, ran a 4.13 home to first and pulled up last two steps.

-Laird was 79-82, touched 83 once. Change-up was 74. Curveball was 68-71.

-Dingus was 78-81 with projection. Good feel for his slider at 69-72.

 

For full scouting notes and videos, watch for the VA/DC Scout Blog post for this game later this week.

 

 

An earlier version of this story had the Cumbas switched.

 

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