VIENNA, VA—To become a championship caliber team, players have to show that they have the toughness and desire to win close games.  That is precisely what the Vienna Senators did on Wednesday night in a gritty 1-0 victory over the Fairfax Nationals at Waters Field.  The win places the Vienna alone atop the Clark Griffith League standings.  The Senators looked like a team that would do whatever they had to do to win.  They played tough defense, pitched magnificently, and scored the lone run when they got the opportunity.  The win is the fifth straight for the Senators, who seem to be coming together as a complete baseball team.

The Senators were only able to manage three hits in the ballgame, but that can be a little misleading.  Any fan that was sitting in the stands saw the Senators hit numerous line drives that found their way into the gloves of the defense.  The lone run actually came on a double play.

In the eighth inning, Wes Schirtzinger led off by drawing a walk.  Matt Lesyk followed with a bunt that was supposed to move Schirtzinger into scoring position, but the National catcher tried to force a throw to second to get Schirtzinger and ended up throwing the ball into centerfield, allowing Schirtzinger to move to third and Lesyk to reach base.  Donald Brown followed by grounding into double play, but Schirtzinger was able to score on the play, making the score 1-0.  That was the only offense on the night for the Senators, but the damage was done. 

The pitching was the real story on the night.  Joe Hughes pitched an absolute gem of a game.  He kept the Nationals hitters off balance all night and pitched six innings of shutout baseball while striking out eight.  He was able to get himself out of a couple of jams by relying on his fastball and blowing it by the National hitters.  John Adams came into the game in the seventh inning and pitched his usual shutout baseball.  Adams kept his team leading ERA at 0.00 by not allowing a run and striking out four in three innings of work. 

The play of the night came via the arm of catcher Andrew Fritz in a situation that could have cost the Senators the victory.  In the top of the eighth inning with the score 0-0, Josh Rolland and Jorge Costillo each reached base with back to back singles for the Nationals.  With one out and runners on first and second, the Nationals looked like they had an opportunity to break the scoreless tie.  John Adams was able to strike out Harris Mitchell to record the second out, but Fritz saw that Rolland had taken to many steps off of the base and fired a laser beam to second.  Rolland originally got back safely, but he slid over the bag allowing shortstop Guillermo Martinez to apply the tag and end the threat.  Fritz’s heady play may have kept the Senators at the top of the standings.

The Senators travel to Herndon tomorrow to take on the Braves at Herndon High School.  The Braves are coming off a Tuesday night victory over the Reston Hawks making their record 2-6.  The game is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.