Mustangs advance to region semis with a Raiders rematch looming

ROBBY FLETCHER Sports Editor

It takes a certain level of composure and attention to details for a baseball team to maintain a winning streak for as long as the Mechanicsville Mustangs have this season.

Closing the regular season with 13 consecutive victories, the Mustangs haven’t suffered defeat since April 5, with wins of all varieties being featured down the final stretch of the season.

Whether it be a close defensive battle, a run-heavy shootout, or a complete display of dominance, the Mustangs have seen it all this season. Head coach Tyler Johnson says the team’s focus has been on consistent effort and continuing to buy into what’s working on both sides of the field.

“We don’t talk about it too much, if at all, but I think the kids have really bonded and bought into what we’re trying to do,” Johnson said of the win streak. “It’s really been a team effort. It’s not just one or two guys that have contributed.”

The Mustangs entered the Class 4, Region B with a bye entering the quarterfinals against the Monacan Chiefs, who never gained momentum against the razor-sharp Mustangs in a 7-0 final on May 26.

Mechanicsville was lethal offensively in the first inning, exploding for six runs and having bases loaded on two occasions. After a two-run RBI double from senior Grayson Moore made it 3-0 with two outs, the Mustangs continued the onslaught with Grayson James’ line drive single scoring in two more teammates to help propel the Mustangs to a commanding 6-0 lead.

The firepower on display made things easy for the defense led by pitcher Hayden Ways, who contributed to the shutout by pitching all the way into the seventh inning. Ways, who tossed six strikeouts and allowed just three hits, says the performance of the offense made things easier for him on the mound.

“I think we give 100% all the time,” Ways said. “We jump out of the gate in games early, which is really good for our pitching staff. It’s very helpful when you come out and you’re already up after just the first inning.”

Ways says with the big lead, he noticed Monacan’s batters were aggressive at the plate, tending to chase a lot of pitches. He capitalized on that aggression and knew his teammates around him would step up when needed.

“I didn’t necessarily have to be in the zone at all and as long as I kept it around the zone, I knew I’d get some swings,” Ways said. “I never had any doubt that any ground balls or pop flies weren’t going to be caught.”

The Chiefs never gained traction defensively, though their own pitching stepped up to keep the

Mustangs scoreless until the bottom of the sixth.

In the sixth, senior Aaron Maxie made the last contributions to the lead, connecting on a ground ball to right field that led to a Cam Lamb run. The game was Mechanicsville’s third shutout of the season and first since a 2-0 win over Atlee on May 10.

Coincidentally, the Raiders are next up on the schedule in a regional semifinals showdown that decides whose season continues with a Class 4 State Tournament qualification. It’ll be the third meeting between the two district rivals, with the Mustangs winning the first two games.

Those two wins couldn’t have been any more different outcomes though, with the first matchup seeing Ways and Kaleb Smith combine for a low-scoring shutout with the two runs coming on a RBI double from Gavin Smith in the bottom of the fifth inning.

The second matchup was the regular season finale and ended up being on the complete opposite side of the outcome spectrum, with the two teams embarking on a riveting shootout that ended with Mechanicsville storming back from a late 11-8 deficit to score four runs in the seventh inning to win the game.

Johnson says the familiarity of two previous matchups and the rivalry’s bad blood will make the trilogy-completing matchup one of Mechanicsville’s toughest tests of the season.

“The old adage is it’s tough to beat a good team three times, and there’s no secrets when we play, we know them and they know us,” Johnson said. “We expect it to be a dogfight. Anytime you play Atlee it’s a rivalry game and it’s huge, but put on what’s at stake and it’s going to make it even more huge.”

With a state tournament spot on the line, the Mustangs will trust that their consistency and effort up until this point will pay off in another high-stages matchup.

“It’s been a complete and total team effort, and if we continue to do it the right way I think we’ll be fine,” Johnson said.