By Phil Murphy
Senior Multimedia/Content Editor
Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area
If Tom Brady plays a pivotal role in a Patriots’ victory, it is not breaking news in any area of the country.
But Brady doing so in March — and hitting in the eight spot in a game they win, 9-4 — just might turn some heads.
Patriot senior centerfielder Tom Brady was one of six different players to drive in runs for Yorktown in its 9-4 road win over Washington-Lee on a chilly Tuesday afternoon, conditions reminiscent of a New England spring.
“It’s a little old now,” said Brady (2-4, 2 RBI) of his teammates’ jokes from his coincidental etymology. “When I first got on the team, it was pretty bad. It was almost every day.”
The quarterback of these Patriots, though — both literally on the football team in the fall and figuratively, with his leadership, on the diamond — is senior pitcher and second baseman Kyle Toulouse.
On Tuesday, he pitched a complete game, allowing just two earned runs and six hits, while striking out four Generals.
Toulouse threw 100 pitches, 63 for strikes, and delivered first-pitch strikes to 17 of the 31 batters he faced.
But entering the seventh inning, he had already thrown 91 pitches and had a five-run lead. While Toulouse was three outs from a complete game, Yorktown coach Mike Allen watched his ace’s final inning with a degree of precaution.
“If anyone gets to second base [I’d pull him],” said Allen, 156-103 in just over 12 seasons as the Patriots’ skipper. “Usually if it’s a closer game, it’s smaller. I judge how he feels. A week ago when we played, I pulled him a little earlier at 70 pitches. Tonight, he was strong, he threw mostly fastballs.
“He was going to go maybe about 105, and that’s as far as he would have gone.”
Added Toulouse, who hit a first-pitch solo home run in the fourth inning to provide his own insurance: “It all depends on how I feel. I feel like if my arm is a little tired, he lets me go. Generally, though, I’m not on a pitch count. I just go until they hit me.”
Although this was the first district game of the season — and fourth overall for both teams — its importance can not be neglected.
Yorktown (3-1), the defending National District champions, won 17-straight games last season before falling in the first round of the Northern Region Tournament to Robinson.
And Washington-Lee (2-2), who was only 11-12 last year, has possibly the most-balanced line-up in the district and has the firepower trade offensive blows with any team.
With the Generals pinned as the heir apparent to the Patriots’ throne, Yorktown’s veteran coach found much gratification in his team’s decisive road win, even with the entire district schedule left to be played.
“It’s good for two reasons,” said Allen, who graduated his entire outfield from last year’s 18-4 team. “One, it’s the first win in the district and we were undefeated last year, so we have a nice little streak going and all. And, second, it’s our archrival. It’s always big.
“We could be 0-20 or 20-0, it’s going to be a big game with W-L.”
Email: pmurphy@digitalsports.com
Yorktown 300 132 0 — 9 9 2
Washington-Lee 020 110 0 — 4 6 1
Pitchers:
YK – Toulouse (W) – CG, 6H, 2 ER, 4 K, 2 BB
WL – To. Edwards (L) – 4+ IP, 4 H, 6 ER, K, 7 BB
WL – McKenna – 3 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, K, 2 BB, HBP
Pitches – Strikes:
YK – Toulouse – 100-63.
WL – To. Edwards – 89-42; McKenna – 55-32.
Groundouts – Flyouts:
YK – Toulouse – 13-3.
WL – To. Edwards – 6-4; McKenna – 3-5.
Batters Faced – First-Pitch Strikes:
YK – Toulouse – 31-17.
WL – To. Edwards – 23-12; McKenna – 18-6.
Notable Batters:
YK – Toulouse – 1-3, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB
YK – Brady – 2-4, 2 RBI
YK – Demsky – 1-4, RBI, 2 R, BB
YK – Young – 1-2, RBI, R, BB, HBP
YK – Madison – 2-4, 3 R, BB
YK – Kyser – 1-1, RBI, 3 BB
WL – Vitale – 1-3, 2B, 2 RBI
WL – To. Edwards – 0-2, RBI, K
WL – Brower – 2-3, K
Official Time
2 hours, 11 minutes
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