Loss Snaps Post 180's Nine-Game Streak

Though they had a first-place berth into the District 17 American Legion Baseball Tournament already locked, Vienna Post 180 still had a nine-game win streak to protect in the last game of the regular season Tuesday against Fairfax Post 177 at Providence Park.

But a dominant pitching performance from Post 177's Jared Knoll, a Flint Hill School graduate, kept the Post 180 offense to just four hits in eight innings on the mound to lead his squad to a 2-1 upset over Post 180.

"His fastball was on. He was mixing his pitches up, keeping us off-balance," Post 180 head coach Frank Werman said. "He just pitched a great game."

After Post 177 scored its two runs in the first and third innings, Post 180 took advantage of a scoring opportunity in the fifth on an RBI groundout from Mason Hauser to score Brandon Chandler who doubled to lead off the inning. The run would be the game's last to put the final score at 2-1.

Gavin Gibbons started on the mound for Post 180, pitching four strikeouts and giving up eight hits over five innings. Mark Gunst relieved Gibbons at the start of the sixth inning, tallying two strikeouts and one hit.

Though 10 runners got on base for Post 180, the team known for its small-ball approach found it difficult to move them around the base path.

"I always think you gotta make things happen," Werman said. "We tried some delayed steals and things that just didn't end up working out tonight, but we did successfuly lay down a couple bunts. We had a chance, and then it was up to us to execute. We just didn't tonight."

Despite the loss, Werman felt good about how his team handled game. 

"I don't feel bad we lost. I thought we played very competitive. We had an opportunity, so I'm OK with that," he said. "I don't like to lose, but I'm OK with that. It wasn't a sloppy game."

Vienna Post 180 ends the regular season with 21-6 record in District 17 competition, and will face whichever team wins the play-in game — teams to be determined — Saturday. 

Post 180 will play a nondistrict game against the Vienna Riverdogs, of the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League, 7 p.m. Thursday at Waters Field in Vienna. The Riverdogs have six former Post 180 players: Eli Facenda, Jay Kenyon, TJ Ehrsam, David Fathalikhani, Casey Turner and Bret Williams.

This article has been corrected to show Jay Kenyon and Bret Williams are of six former Post 180 players who play for the Riverdogs.