The Washington Blue Lions opened the 2018 baseball season and emerged with a 4-2 win over the Lions of Fairfield High School in Leesburg.
The game was played at Washington High School.
Senior Nick Barrett started on the mound for the Blue Lions. He pitched six innings, getting the win.
Barrett allowed five hits and two runs (one earned) with no walks and three strikeouts. He hit two batters.
Senior Grant Patterson came on to pitch the seventh inning, getting the save. He walked two and struck out two.
Spears started and took the loss for Fairfield.
He pitched six innings with five hits and four runs (all earned). He walked three, struck out six and hit one batter.
Fairfield scored one run in the first, answered by the Blue Lions with two runs in the bottom of the first.
With two out in the top of the first, Barrett hit a batter and Buddlemeyer hit a double to plate the first run.
In the bottom of the first, junior George Reno led off with a single. He stole second and scored on a double to left field by junior Tyler Rood.
Rood advanced to third on a wild pitch and Barrett hit a single to give the Blue Lions a 2-1 lead.
Washington remained in the lead the remainder of the game.
In the second inning for the Blue Lions, junior Jarred Hall led off with a single and stole second. He advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt, but was left stranded.
In the bottom of the third, senior Kenny Arboleda walked and was bunted over to second by sophomore Ryan Schwartz. Arboleda was left at second.
In the fifth for Washington, Reno led off with a walk and stole second.
Senior Eli Ruth bunted Reno over to third, from where he scored on a sacrifice fly by Rood.
After Fairfield scored a run in the top of the sixth to pull to within one run, the Blue Lions got that run back in the bottom of the sixth.
Barrett led off with a double and first-year head coach Mark Schwartz sent senior Christian Grove in as a pinch-runner.
Grove went to third on a passed ball and Arboleda was hit by a pitch, giving the Blue Lions runners at the corners.
The Blue Lions attempted a squeeze play, but Grove was caught in a rundown between third and home.
Arboleda went to third on the play and then scored on a balk.
“Nick threw the ball well,” Schwartz said. “He went six innings. We were keeping him on a pitch count. He probably should have been able to pitch the seventh, but we made four errors and that cost Nick some extra pitches.
“Nick threw 14 first-pitch strikes,” Schwartz said. “Our defense looked good at times; at other times it looked shaky. We haven’t been out on the field much, so, that’s something we need to improve on.
“Grant came on in the seventh,” Schwartz said. “Grant hasn’t pitched much. He’s been injured, but he’s back healthy now. He showed some signs of rust, but he battled through it. Fairfield loaded the bases with one out but we got out of it and won the game. I’m happy with the overall team performance. We’ll take the win.”
Washington’s next game is Thursday at Jonathan Alder at 5:15 p.m.
Offensively for the Blue Lions: George Reno, 1-1, 1 bb, 1 sac bunt, 2 runs; Eli Ruth, 0-2, 1 sac bunt; Tyler Rood, 1-2, 1 2b, 2 rbi, 1 sac fly, 1 run; Austinn Fore, 0-3; Nick Barrett, 2-3, 1 2b, 1 rbi; Kenny Arboleda, 0-0, 2 bb, 1 hbp, 1 run; Ryan Schwartz, 0-2, 1 sac bunt; Jarred Hall, 1-3; Eli Lynch, 0-2; Grant Patterson, 0-0; Christian Grove 0-0.
Offensively for Fairfield: Spears, 1 hit; Buddlemeyer, 1 2b; Gragg, 1 hit; Irvin, 1 hit; Willey, 1 hit.
RHE
F 100 001 0 — 2 5 0
W 200 011 x — 4 5 4
