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HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL
Northwest Region baseball semifinal: C.D. Hylton at StaffordDate published: 5/28/2009 When Stafford outfielder Kyle Angelet turned on a fast ball last night and drove it over the left field fence, the message was clear. The Indians had just seen their four-run lead cut to two by visiting C.D. Hylton in the fourth inning of last night's Northwest Region semifinal contest. But Angelet and the rest of the Indians are a confident group right now, and it didn't take long for them to respond to the Bulldogs' rally. When the fifth inning had ended, Stafford had plated four more runs with four timely hits to take a commanding 9-3 lead. Closer Patrick Marshall then made the lead stand up with two shutout innings, and the Indians had secured their first trip to the region's championship game, as well as their first trip to the state playoffs. Stafford (16-6) will host Battlefield, a 6-3 winner over Halifax, at 6 p.m. tomorrow. Both teams will advance to next week's Group AAA state playoffs regardless of the outcome. "From the first day, we've told this team to play like champions and someday they might be champions," first-year Indians coach Tommy Harrison said. "I'm really proud of these guys. They come to play." That was evident yesterday just as it was on Monday, when Stafford jumped on GW-Danville with an early lead and then won 6-0. Last night's victory took much the same course, but the road was a little bumpier. Hylton (12-11), which upset top-seeded Osbourn Park on Monday, loaded the bases twice but never could break through against an opportunistic Indians team that played solid defense and got the pitching it needed. Marshall preserved the win for senior Josh Mellett, who was able to get the big outs when he needed them. "[Mellett] has been doing it all year," Harrison said. "He gets into a little trouble, but then makes the pitch he needs. He doesn't give up." The middle of the Indians lineup supplied most of the firepower. Angelet and Marshall each collected three hits and an RBI, while Devin Pernia added two hits and drove in three runs. First baseman Joey LaMonaco singled and doubled for the Bulldogs. His single in the fourth trimmed the Stafford lead to 5-3. But four straight hits, including Angelet's leadoff home run, keyed the Indians' decisive response in the bottom of the fifth. "It's a team effort," Marshall said. "If the top of the lineup isn't doing it, the middle or the bottom is. It's a great feeling."
JUSTIN BHETTI, Chris Joiner (5) and Robert Kelley. JOSH MELLETT, Patrick Marshall (6) and David Brooks. Steve Franzello: 540/374-5440
Date published: 5/28/2009
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