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By John Nolan
Assistant Director of Scouting/Content Management 

Potomac Falls-After a wet week, the Conference 14 regular season finales have been compressed into a crazy couple of days. Monday night saw Tuscarora defeat No. 14 Briar Woods, 3-2, and Stone Bridge defeat Broad Run. Tuesday’s action saw the top four in the conference pair off again as Stone Bridge took on Briar Woods and Tuscarora traveled to take on No. 20 Potomac Falls. The first meeting between the Huskies and Panthers was a 1-0 nothing pitcher’s duel that saw Potomac Fall squeak by with the win. In tonight’s matchup, both teams turned to senior lefties, with Cole Gabriele (Mary Washington) starting for Tuscarora and Garrett Lutkins (Chesapeake CC) getting the ball for Potomac Falls.

The early portion of the game saw both pitchers take a bit to get settled in. Lutkins worked around a pair of hits in the first with a caught stealing on a first move steal attempt. Gabriele also worked around a leadoff hit in the bottom of the first and both pitchers threw perfect seconds. For velocities and scouting information on Gabriele and Lutkins, check the Virginia/DC Scout Blog later this week.

At this point in the game, Lutkins settled into cruising mode and would not allow multiple baserunners in any inning he worked after the first. Gabriele did not have it as easy, walking a tightrope throughout the evening. His first dance with disaster came in the third, when Potomac Falls loaded the bases with one out for their three and four hitters after a single, a walk, and a bobbled comebacker to Gabriele. Gabriele was able to induce a pair of grounders to senior third baseman Bryce Pearson, who cut a run down at the plate on the first one and made a good play to his left, cutting a ball off in the hole for the third out of the inning.

The Panther’s next threat would come in the fifth, when Drew Daczkowski (High Point) led the inning off with a walk and was bunted down to second with one out. The Panthers tried to squeeze the run home and got the bunt down, but it stayed on the dirt and Daczowski was tagged out by Huskie catcher Noah Lacy.

The sixth inning saw the Panther’s get a runner on after a dropped third strike with one out, and then go first to third when catcher Trent Koerner singled to right, putting runners on the corners with one out. Gabriele was able to again escape trouble, getting a popup on the infield and a groundout.

As the game continued on into extra innings in a scoreless tie, the Huskies were finally able to chase Lutkins in the top of the ninth, as Potomac Falls turned to Daczkowski with two outs in the ninth and the go-ahead run in scoring position. He was able to end the threat without allowing a run.

With only one more inning before reaching his daily limit, Gabriele took the mound in the ninth, and as he had much of the night, found himself in a jam. A one-out walk to Daczkowski was followed by single by Brian Hopkins, putting runners again on the corners with one out. One final time, Gabriele was able to walk the tightrope and escape unscathed, getting a strikeout and a groundout to send the game to the tenth.

Daczowski worked a scoreless top of the tenth inning and Joey Skov entered the game for Tuscarora, working around a single to put up his own zero and send the game to the eleventh.

Tuscarora’s offense would finally come to life in the eleventh, as sophomore Parker Bednoski led the inning off with a bunt single that was nearly caught on a diving play. Skov drew a walk to put two on with no out. When David Drummond got the bunt down to advance the runners, Daczkowski attempted to get Bednoski at third, but his throw was late and the bases were loaded with no outs. Daczkowski was able to bear down and strike out Dom Marinelli for the first out, and then got Lacy to pop out on the infield for the second out. Just as it appeared that Daczkowski was going to escape the jam, a pair of wild pitches allowed Tuscarora to pick up two runs and take a 2-0 lead.

Skov started the bottom of the eleventh off with a strikeout before allowing a one out walk and a single to put the tying runs on base. The game ended abruptly at that point as Skov got a comebacker and was able to execute the double play to end the game.

For Tuscarora, Gabriele earned a no decision, going 9 IP, 0 R, 7 H, 3 BB, 1 HBP, 5 K, while also going 1-4 at the plate. Skov got the win with 2 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 1 B, 0 K while also going 2-4 at the plate with a BB and a run. Marinelli was 2-5 with a double. The Huskies will wrap up their regular season with Stone Bridge on Friday night.

For Potomac Falls, Lutkins also earned a no decision, going 8 2/3 IP, 0 R, 7 H, 0 BB, and 7 K. Daczkowski took the loss, going 2 1/3 IP, 2 R, 1 H, 4 BB, and 2 K, while going 1-2 with 3 BB at the plate. Hopkins went 4-4 with a BB and a sacrifice. Spencer Buehler went 2-5 and Koerner also went 2-5. The Panthers wrap up their regular season as they travel to Briar Woods Wednesday night.