CHANTILLY, Va. (WUSA) -- Patience at the plate and some spectacular defense keyed Lake Braddock's 7-4 win over the Hylton Bulldogs. The win pushed the Bruins record to an eye-opening 25-3 on the season and just one victory away from a state title.
Although Hylton pitcher Andre Scrubb boasts some of the nastiest pitches in the state, the bottom of Lake Braddock's order recognized the pitcher's tendencies to get a little wild. Scrubb walked three straight batters in the bottom of the second, which produced two Bruin runs.
"None of our coaches or our players ever really saw him pitch. We didn't really know what to expect," said Bruins head coach Jody Rutherford. "We came up with some big hits. We found some holes.
In the fifth inning, with a slim 3-2 lead, the heart of the Bruins order decided it was time to bust the game wide open. Two singles from Alex Lewis and Alex Gransback, followed by a deep double to center field by Matt Spruill gave the Bruins an insurmountable 6-2 cushion.
"This is the first time Lake Braddock [has won] in 15 years. To do this my senior year ... it's the best feeling in the world," said Spruill, who also indicated he was waiting on a low fastball when he mashed the double in the fifth.
Hylton had quite the successful day in a loss -- out-hitting the Bruins 10-8, and striking out 11 Lake Braddock batters -- but tough breaks were aplenty for the Bulldogs. Two double plays in the fifth and sixth inning killed rallies and Lake Braddock was able to advance runners late in the game due to wild pitches and passed balls. Hylton committed a total of three errors.
It's strange to think a program as dominant as Lake Braddock baseball has been, has never won a state title. The Bruins will try to change that tomorrow at 3 p.m. against the winner of Kellam and James River.
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