Jeter shows no jitters against Bruins

WASHINGTON (Map, News) - He was pitching so free and easy it looked at times like a scrimmage instead of an all-or-nothing Northern Region quarterfinal.

Madison junior Jesse Jeter shouldered aside the pressure and the high expectations that always seem to follow the Warhawks. Instead, he needed just 62 pitches and 82 minutes to erase all memories of last year’s painful quarterfinal loss.

Madison scored four runs in the first two innings and Jeter took care of the rest, tossing a complete-game four-hitter in a 5-0 shutout of defending region champion Lake Braddock in a quarterfinal game at Robinson Monday afternoon.

The second-ranked Warhawks (21-2) advanced to the semifinals on Wednesday, where they earn a rematch against rival Oakton, the team that knocked them out of the postseason in 2006. Madison is seeking its first region championship since 2003. Eighth-ranked Lake Braddock, which finished first in the Patriot District during the regular season, ended its season at 19-4.

“I’m a much different pitcher than I was at this time last year,” said Jeter, who pitched the first three innings in the region quarterfinal game against Oakton last spring and took the loss. “It was weird to be back on the same field in the exact same situation. But I felt like I could throw strikes when I wanted and that’s going to make anyone much tougher to hit.”

Jeter (5-1) took advantage of Lake Braddock’s aggressiveness at the plate, striking out just three batters and walking only one. He stranded a Bruins runner at second base with just one out in the first inning and induced a double play in the third.

It didn’t hurt that Jeter had a four-run lead by then. Senior Arman Moniri doubled home a run in the first. Junior Collin Flaherty, the No. 9 batter, added a two-run double in the second and senior David McIntyre followed with an RBI ground out.

And Madison will be even stronger on Wednesday. According to coach Mark Gjormand, the Warhawks will likely add senior third baseman Brian Smith, the Liberty District player of the year, to the lineup. Smith has missed three games after getting hit by a line drive during infield practice before the district championship game.

“I’ve played on good teams my whole life, but this has been unreal,” said Jeter, whose team has outscored the opposition 15-0 in two region tournament games. “We have an incredible offense and that makes my life a lot easier.”

Oakton’s late surge tops Loudoun Valley

In the second Northern Region quarterfinal at Robinson on Monday, Oakton scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning to earn a 6-3 victory over Loudoun Valley.

Senior right fielder Brandon Padula had a bases-loaded single for the No. 9 Cougars (21-3) to score the go-ahead in that frame and senior center fielder Mark Stier followed with a two-run base hit to put the game out of reach. Oakton now plays at rival Madison in Wednesday’s 7 p.m. region semifinal. The winner of that game advances to the region final and earns a berth in the Group AAA state tournament.

Junior Bret Williams pitched 6 2/3 innings for the Cougars, allowing seven hits and three runs. Loudoun Valley (21-4), the National District champion, tied the game at 3-3 with two runs in the bottom of the sixth on consecutive singles by Carson Parker and Wes Walker. Junior reliever Bart Reese, who recorded the final four outs for Oakton, escaped that jam and was credited with the win.

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