The McLean Highlanders and Oakton Cougars kept winning in high-school baseball in recent days, defeating their biggest neighborhood rivals in April 14 action to remain undefeated and in first place in district play.
McLean (9-3) topped the Langley Saxons, 12-7, to improve to 5-0 in the Liberty District, with host Oakton (10-2) outscoring the Madison Warhawks, 8-6, to move to 2-0 in the Concorde District.
The victory was the seventh in a row for McLean, which also defeated Herndon, 3-1, and Robinson, 12-3, in previous games. The win was the third straight for Oakton. The Cougars topped Westfield, 7-6, in 11 innings and West Potomac, 14-3, in its previous games.
McLean’s Ethan Ball had three hits, including a double, and five RBI against Langley, with A.J. Poole having two hits and Wyatt Johnson doubling and having two RBI. Chris Morabito added a sacrifice fly.
Aiden Carey was the winning pitcher in relief of starter Evan Fontaine, who worked one inning. Carey (3-0) fanned four in three innings.
For Langley (3-8, 0-4) Patrick Kelly had two hits, Matthew Kim had a hit and two RBI and Andrew Kang added one hit and an RBI.
McLean right-hander Griffin Stieg (4-1) threw a one-hitter with 13 strikeouts and two walks in the Highlanders’ win over Herndon in district action. He threw 98 pitches and the run was earned in his fourth straight victory.
Gavin Bartlett had a hit and an RBI for McLean. Morabito had the team’s only other hit.
Morabito and Tommy Myers each had three hits against Robinson with Johnson, Avi Fruman (four RBI) and Jakob Luu having two each. Morabito was the winning pitcher, starting and working three frames with three strikeouts.
In Oakton’s win over Madison (6-4, 1-1), the Cougars had five hits, led by two doubles and an RBI from Will Dornbusch, and took advantage of five Madison errors. Ryan Sleight was the starting and winning pitcher for Oakton, with Alex Crudder working the final hitless and scoreless three frames to earn the save. He struck out three and did not walk a batter.
Sleight also had a hit and one RBI. Noah Toole had an RBI and two steals for Oakton.
Mac Lewis had a hit and an RBI for Madison, with Bo Kuhblank adding a hit.
Oakton had 15 hits against Westfield, with Dornbusch and Robbie Lavey (four RBI) having three each and Ethan Jones, Toole and Nick Toole two each. Tanner Vislay worked three shutout innings in relief to get the win, with three strikeouts.
Jones (three RBI) and Nick Toole had two hits each against West Potomac and Noah Toole homered.
Madison defeated Centreville, 2-1, in another Concorde game last week. Jaden Kritsky had two doubles and three hits for Madison. Tanner Wharton had the game-winning, walk-off RBI bunt in the bottom of the seventh inning.
NOTE: Madison coach Mark Gjormand won his 450th career game during the Warhawks’ spring-break trip to Charleston, S.C. Madison defeated St. Frances desales, 14-6, for the coaches milestone victory. He had 452 career victories through April 14 action.