Aces on the Brink of Elimination in Playoffs
Team loses first game by one run against Southern Maryland
By Scott MacConomy
ALEXANDRIA, VA-The Alexandria Aces ended the 2024 regular season with a Cal Ripken League-leading 25-12 record but their drive for the postseason championship hit a speedbump last night when they lost to the Southern Maryland Senators, 4-3.
Game one of the three-game semifinal round did not go their way despite a furious 9th inning rally that brought the Aces within one run. Aces’ ace starting pitcher Ethan Houghtaling pitched well until he gave up a two-out, three run homer in the 4th inning over the Zebra sign in right field. Houghtaling tied for the league lead in strikeouts this season and was second in ERA but one bad pitch spoiled his otherwise solid start.
The Aces outhit the Senators on the night and left 15 men on base compared with only 3 for the Senators, but found themselves down 4-0 entering the 9th inning. They promptly loaded the bases with no outs. The Senators pitcher, who will remain nameless because of what happened next, balked in two runs on consecutive pitches. (A balk is when the pitcher violates one of the arcane rules that virtually no one understands about what he can’t do on the pitching mound before he throws a pitch. Every runner advances a base.) Another Ace also crossed the plate on a single by Jamie Quinn-Irons, making it 4-3.
With a new pitcher in the game and the bases again loaded, the Aces kept putting the ball in play with two fly balls and a sharp grounder, but could not bring home the tying run. Hopefully watching the Senators celebrate on Frank Mann Field will encourage the Aces to return the favor tonight when they play Game Two in Waldorf. Assuming they push a few runs across the plate with a few timely hits, Game Three will be played back at Frank Mann field Tuesday at 6:30 pm.
