5A North Regional Championship

Freedom-South Riding at Stone Bridge, 6:00

Freedom-South Riding pulled another upset after a long bus trip to Halifax to clinch their second state tournament berth in three years. Freedom has surged down the stretch, going 8-3 in their last eleven games to bring their record to 13-12 on the season. Senior SS Kyle Wrighte (William and Mary) has helped lead a younger Eagles team on a run that has included one run victories over Lee and at Potomac as well as Wednesday’s long trip.

Stone Bridge has only lost once this year, very early in the season to McLean, and continued their streak on Wednesday night with a win at Marshall High School. Stone Bridge has lost the use of it’s best pitcher, senior JB Bukauskus (UNC), but that did not phase the Bulldogs as they clubbed their way into the Regional Championship game and the State Tournament. Sophomore pitcher Dave Mocabee threw a gutsy complete game and the offense was paced by juniors Eric Johnson and Tanner Karafa, both of whom had three hits in the game.

Stone Bridge and Freedom-South Riding have already met this year, three times, and all since May 2. Stone Bridge has won all three meetings so far, but all the games have been close, with the last one being a one run game. Both clubs are very familiar with each other and this game will likely come down to which team executes late in the game. This figures to be an outstanding game between two well-coached teams.

5A South Regional Championship

Hickory vs. Douglas Freeman at Norfolk State University, 6:00

Hickory won a wild game Wednesday night over Kellam 11-10 to advance to the semifinals. The Hawks scored 7 runs in the first, capped off by sophomore Ryan Berglund’s first career home run. Kellam chipped away, scoring 3 runs in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings to tie the game at 9. Hickory answered by taking the lead again in the bottom of the sixth, but then Kellam tied it in the top of the seventh. Berglund came up again in the bottom of the seventh and hit a walk-off double to bookend his outstanding night and send 17-6 Hickory to the Regional Championship game and the State Tournament.

Douglas Freeman continued its dominant march through the postseason by knocking off Mills Godwin for a fourth time this season on Wednesday to clinch its berth in the Regional Championship game and its trip to Robinson for the State Tournament. Freeman was led offensively by Kyle Farkas and Ethan Payne in the win and moves their record on the season to 24-1, with their lone loss on the season being to Hanover.