GLEN ALLEN, Va. — It wasn’t always so easy for McLean. At times this season, his defense was suspect and his at-bats were frequently uncompetitive. Injuries also hampered the Highlanders. Early in the spring, they suffered a string of five straight losses, four of which were one-run losses. Three times, they thwarted a potential tying run at third base.
But they changed their luck, giving credence to their pervasive belief that a day like Saturday was possible. In the Virginia Class 6 championship game at Deep Run High, McLean posted a 15-5 victory over South Lakes to capture the first state championship in program history.
The Highlanders (19-10) were rarely threatened Saturday, but the road to this stage was not easy. It took a while for this group to become the team that would govern their classification.
“We were playing very tight, but we realized that if we had fun and played loose, we would prevail in the end,” senior Jack Nance said.
Leveraging their chemistry and drive, McLean recorded 14 wins in their last 18 games. He didn’t capture any district or region titles, but showed what it took to claim the ultimate prize, coming together when it mattered most.
So when the Highlanders faced a 2-0 deficit Saturday after South Lakes third baseman Kameron Johnson hit a two-run home run in the first inning, the Highlanders didn’t flinch. They continued working, moving from station to station. Nobody needed to play the hero.
“You could see it on people’s faces: we were frustrated after the first inning. But we had to dig deep and find a way to keep moving forward,” second baseman Ethan Ball said. “It’s kind of the story of our season.”
A bases-loaded walk in the third inning brought home McLean’s first run, and the Highlanders pulled away thereafter. They scored two runs in the fourth and fifth innings before the floodgates opened wide on a seven-run sixth that included four errors by the Seahawks (20-7).
McLean recorded 12 hits, enough to take advantage of 11 walks and six South Lakes errors.
“It’s what we’ve done this whole last month, when we’ve had so much success,” McLean coach John Dowling said. “We’re getting at-bats early and reaping the dividends later. “We’re going into bullpens, not striking out and putting the ball in play.”
Nance was assertive in relief, striking out eight and allowing just three hits in 4⅓ innings to hold off the resilient Seahawks.
McLean’s celebration had to wait after a lengthy on-field debate over whether the usual 10-run mercy rule would apply in a championship setting. Finally the decision was made to play all seven innings. When Daniel Alexander González struck out the final batter of the game, the Highlanders were finally able to stampede onto the field to celebrate.
“They had every reason to make excuses, but they didn’t. They accepted,” said Dowling, concluding his 11th season at the helm of the program. “Finally everything fell into place. Finally everything came together.”
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