Follow @PBRVirginiaDC 
Facebook + Periscope + Instagram

Liam Best's sacrifice fly to center field in the bottom of the seventh inning gave the Potomac Falls Panthers a 1-0 victory over the John Champe Knights on Tuesday night.

It was a pitchers duel throughout, with Potomac Falls ace and No. 1 ranked player in the PBR VA/DC 2020 rankings Nate Savino going against Robert Zschoche for Champe matching each other pitch for pitch.

Savino kept the Champe lineup at bay all day, scattering only three base runners (1BB, 1H, 1HBP) in his five innings of work. The lefty has a dominant fastball in his arsenal that is made that much more effective with one of the best breaking balls in the state. Savino was able to tally 12 strikeouts in those five innings in under 65 pitches.

Zschoche was just as effective for Champe, keeping the Panther hitters quiet as the righty gave up only two hits on the day with three walks and two strikeouts as the junior went the distance for the Knights.

The game got interesting in the seventh inning, as to start off the top half of the inning Champe was able to get two runners on after back-to-back errors. A walk would load the bases when Panthers reliever Matt Weber got a big strikeout to get the first out of the inning. Next hitter was a line-drive to second base that turned into a double play getting the runner at third who had moved a bit too much off the bag. The threat ended, Potomac Falls would take that momentum with them into the next frame.

Savino led the Panthers inning off with a double to right field, his second and the only two hits for Potomac Falls in the game. A walk then created the force play for Champe defensively with runners at first and second. A flyball to center allowed Savino to tag from second base and put runners at first and third. Champe would walk the next hitter to load the bases and again make a force play at any base. Best then sent a fly ball to somewhat shallow centerfield on a 2-2 count. Savino tagged up on the play and just got under the tag at the plate on a good throw giving the Panthers the victory.