Feight’s competence powers Battlefield past Patriot 3-1
Prince William News
As Battlefield varsity baseball manager Jay Burkhart stood in front of the Bobcats’ dugout on Friday night, an ice cube trickled out from the white pants leg at his left ankle.
Three others had fallen out just a couple steps away right before his post-game interview.
Now in his third season as the Bobcats’ skipper, he noticed at about the same moment as the ice drop that his belt was broken.
Suffice it to say that the classic Gatorade bath is usually the sign of something that went right.
Indeed for Burkhart and the boys from Haymarket, their 3-1 victory at home against Patriot in the Cedar Run District tournament championship allowed the Bobcats to claim both the regular-season and post-season district titles, a first for the program.
Junior catcher Nick Feight teamed up with classmate Cameron Skaff to chase down Burkhart in leftfield after the game before former Bobcat Matt Honkus, who graduated last year, tackled the coach so he could take his first victory bath since Honkus and company drenched him in 2011.
“It’s been a while,” said a smiling Burkhart before identifying “another” ice cube by his feet.
Yet it was Feight alone during the game who delivered all the run production for Battlefield.
First, he clubbed an RBI single to right-centerfield in the bottom of the first inning against Patriot starting pitcher Connor Skeens that drove in teammate Josh Flaherty from second base after the sophomore’s earlier double.
After Flaherty reached base again with a single in the third inning, Feight cranked a two-run home run to the left of the scoreboard behind the leftfield wall.
It marked his sixth long-ball of the season, the most for any player on the team, and his second against Patriot in as many outings. The three RBIs also gave Feight a team-high 28 for the spring.
“Nick’s kind of somebody we feed off of,” said Burkhart. “It was just a big sigh of relief for us.”
Those hits made up four out of Battlefield’s five total base hits all game.
Meanwhile, junior pitcher Nick Wells nearly went the distance for the Bobcats on the mound, tossing 6.2 innings before giving way to closer Dylan Gerdts.
Coming out of the bullpen before the game started, “We knew Wellsie was pitching good,” said Burkhart, adding that he had “zip on his fastball.”
Wells and Gerdts only gave up a combined two hits all game but Gerdts had a scare with runners on the corners, two outs and one run in during the top of the seventh.
Battlefield leftfielder Matt Conway saved the day by tracking down a a first-pitch rocket launched by Patriot senior Josh Morrison.
Conway started out in the mid-leftfield and saw the ball blast over his left shoulder.
At the end of a full-out sprint toward the wall, he plucked the ball out of the air when it glided past him on his left side.
The BHS stands turned into a cheering frenzy that could be heard all throughout the high school campus as the senior’s web gem sealed the tournament title for the home team.
“I was thinking I was going to have to dive,” said Conway, who instead caught the game ender upright.
“It was kind of in the moment but I was pretty sure I used two hands” to clutch the catch, he added. “It got me pumped up, it was an amazing feeling.”
Both Battlefield and Patriot earned berths to the Northwest Regional tournament.
The benefit for Battlefield is that the Bobcats garnered a first-round bye and at least one home game while the Pioneers would have to battle on the road.
Trust launches $3.6M debate for Va battlefield
CULPEPER, Va. (AP) – The Civil War Trust has launched a $3.6 million national fundraising campaign to preserve 56 battlefield acres at Brandy Station in Culpeper County.
The so-called Fleetwood Hill property is the core battlefield of the Brandy Station battle that occurred 150 years ago in June 2013. Nearly 20,000 troopers in blue and gray engaged in the battle of Brandy Station. The battle resulted in 1,000 casualties and defeat for Union forces.
The epicenter of the battle occurred on the slopes of Fleetwood Hill.
The trust says Brandy Station is best known as the largest cavalry battle ever fought on the North American continent.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Battlefield wins 4 out of 5 large playoff games Friday
Prince William News
The varsity baseball, lacrosse, girls soccer and softball teams all won key post-season matches at home in Haymarket Friday while the boys soccer team lost in Loudoun.
First came the girls soccer team, which led off the evening with a 1-0 victory over Broad Run in the Cedar Run District tournament championship. Team co-captain Alexa Wagoner headbutted in a corner kick pass from senior midfielder Bri Toelle with 33:24 remaining in the second half for the game’s only goal.
Meanwhile, those same two schools fought to a different outcome up in Ashburn during the Cedar Run District tournament championship boys soccer game, with the Spartans prevailing 4-1. Both the Battlefield boys and girls teams advance to the Northwest Regional tournament, however, though the girls will have home-field advantage and a first-round bye while the boys will be on the road. The opposite goes for Broad Run.
Battlefield swept the other three playoff games it hosted on the evening of May 17.
Over on the softball field, sophomore Teresa Wagner pitched a complete-game shutout against Patriot in the Cedar Run District tournament consolation game for third place, helping lead the Bobcats to a 4-0 win against cross-county rival Patriot. The do-or-die match means that Battlefield will continue on to the Northwest Regional tournament while the season is over for the Pioneers.
Patriot also fell to Battlefield on the baseball field 3-1 minutes for the Cedar Run District tournament championship after the softball game ended.
It took a long hustle and acrobatic catch over the left shoulder from BHS left-fielder Matt Conway in the top of the seven inning with two outs and two on to secure the win for starting pitcher Nick Wells (6.2 IP) and the save for closer Dylan Gerdts. Junior catcher Nick Feight produced all three of the Bobcats’ runs, driving in Josh Flaherty in the first inning and Flaherty and himself in on a home run in the third inning.
Closing out the night, the Battlefield boys lacrosse team picked up the biggest win of them all by topping North Stafford 12-5 in the Northwest Region quarterfinals. Senior Ryan Swingle netted four goals while teammate Anthony Fraga added a hat-trick of his own. Cameron Maples added two goals and an assist while also winning 15 faceoffs for the home team. Aaron Turner, Michael Hanlon and Zach Windsor each claimed a goal of their own, though Windsor also picked up three assists.
Battlefield’s victory puts the undefeated Bobcats one win away from claiming an automatic berth to the Group AAA state playoffs for the third year in a row. They are scheduled to play Osbourn Park right after the Battlefield girls host their own quarterfinals match on May 21. Both of the boys teams are 17-0, having won their district regular season and post-season titles. Osbourn Park and Battlefield also both won the regular and post-season girls lacrosse district championships.
By the numbers, the spring sports season may be one for the record books at Battlefield. Both lacrosse teams, the girls soccer team, and the baseball team all claimed both the regular season and post-season district titles while both the boys soccer and softball teams advanced to regional play as well.
Check back online this week and in the print edition of the Gainesville Times on Wednesday for full recaps of each of the home games played Friday night.
Soldier who survived misfortune terrain injuries awarded MBE
L/Bdr Parkinson was also one of a group of injured veterans who took part in a
gruelling trek in Norway earlier this year.
The expedition, organised by the charity Pilgrim Bandits, retraced the
footsteps of the Second World War heroes of Telemark to mark the 70th
anniversary of the mission.
Along with other amputees and severely injured servicemen, L/Bdr Parkinson
travelled 65 miles across the Hardangervidda in winds of up to 80mph and
temperatures of minus 30C.
Speaking of the trek, which he completed on a custom-made sled, the soldier
joked: “Have you seen the adverts for beer with Jean-Claude Van Damme?
It was colder than that – Damme cold.”
Also recognised for bravery today was Royal Navy pilot Lieutenant Commander
Craig Sweeney, who received the Air Force Cross for leading the rescue of a
climber in Argyll in blizzard conditions, plummeting temperatures and pitch
darkness.
He said the mission to rescue Gareth Bradley on the 3,074ft Beinn Sgulaird
near Oban was one the most challenging he has ever undertaken.
“We didn’t have any time to reflect on what we were doing at the time. I
was completely in focus, just concentrating on the job in hand,” he
said. “I find this more nerve-wracking.”
The crew from HMS Gannet in Prestwick, Ayrshire, flew their Sea King
helicopter to the aid of Mr Bradley who had a broken ankle and might not
have survived the elements were it not for their rescue mission on December
18 2011.
Lt Cmdr Sweeney, 38, joined HMS Gannet in December 2010 and lives close to the
unit in Alloway with his wife and three children.
He said: “This is completely overwhelming. It’s very humbling, really. I
didn’t expect to receive it and there were three other crew members
involved, I hasten to add.
“Prince Charles said he was astounded by the bravery we’d shown and he
said he was going to ask his eldest son if he knew about the rescue but said
he hadn’t managed to yet.”
Also being honoured at the ceremony at Buckingham Palace will be former world
number one golfer Luke Donald who will be made an MBE for services to the
sport.
He will join other sports stars including Paralympians – double gold medal
winning wheelchair racer Hannah Cockroft and cycling gold medal winner Mark
Colbourne – who will also both be made an MBE.
Eventing legend Sir Mark Todd, who won a team bronze at the London Olympics 28
years after his first medal at the games, will be honoured for services to
equestrian sport.
The New Zealander will receive his knighthood as will Sir Kenneth Grange, who
as one of the UK’s leading designers is responsible for some of the most
recognisable products including Britain’s first parking meter and the London
taxi.
EA not building anything for Wii U
Electronic Arts is distancing itself from the struggling Wii U, the Battlefield and FIFA publisher has confirmed with Kotaku.
“We have no games in development for the Wii U currently,” company spokesperson Jeff Brown said, noting that this could change in the future.
As Kotaku points out, during Nintendo’s 2011 Electronic Entertainment Expo media briefing, Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata welcomed then-EA CEO John Riccitiello to speak, where he talked up the console.
“What Nintendo’s new console delivers speaks directly to the players of EA Sports and EA Games,” Riccitiello said at the time. “Nintendo’s new console will produce brilliant high-definition graphics and new gameplay opportunities. We look forward to seeing great EA content on this new platform.”
EA launched several titles for the Wii U early during the platform’s life cycle, including Mass Effect 3, Need for Speed Most Wanted, and new installments in the Madden and FIFA franchises. Brown told Kotaku that these offerings were indicative of EA making good on its E3 2011 partnership.
The original Wii saw steady support from EA, as the publisher launched 78 total titles for the platform, according to the company’s website. EA has released just four games for the Wii U.
The Wii U has officially sold 3.45 million units worldwide as of March 31. Nintendo has attributed the platform’s slow adoption rate to a lack of major titles and marketing failing to communicate the novelty of the system.
Nintendo plans to spark system sales by launching key first-party titles on a more regular basis moving forward, beginning with Pikmin 3 in August. The company also aims to reduce manufacturing costs to make the Wii U profitable.
Battlefield 3, Battlelog server outages caused by outmost attack
DICE’s Battlefield 3 and Battlelog servers suffered outages today following an external attack.
While the Battlefield 3 status site says console and PC servers for the game and Battlelog are currently up and running, this has yet to be confirmed on EA’s social media channels, where the problems were acknowledged just a few hours ago.
The current BF3 and Battelog outages are a result of activity that appears to be aimed at overwhelming our game servers.— Battlefield (@Battlefield) May 8, 2013
We will provide up to date information on our official channels, including the Battlefield Twitter account. Thanks for your patience!— Battlefield (@Battlefield) May 8, 2013
EA said last night that Battlefield 3′s Premium service, which grants members access to DLC expansions, has topped 3.5 million subscribers.
While it has yet to be officially announced, the Battlefield 4 release date is expected to be October 29.
For more on the upcoming shooter, check out this Battlefield 4 preview.
Battlefield 3, Battlelog server outages caused by outmost attack
DICE’s Battlefield 3 and Battlelog servers suffered outages today following an external attack.
While the Battlefield 3 status site says console and PC servers for the game and Battlelog are currently up and running, this has yet to be confirmed on EA’s social media channels, where the problems were acknowledged just a few hours ago.
The current BF3 and Battelog outages are a result of activity that appears to be aimed at overwhelming our game servers.— Battlefield (@Battlefield) May 8, 2013
We will provide up to date information on our official channels, including the Battlefield Twitter account. Thanks for your patience!— Battlefield (@Battlefield) May 8, 2013
EA said last night that Battlefield 3′s Premium service, which grants members access to DLC expansions, has topped 3.5 million subscribers.
While it has yet to be officially announced, the Battlefield 4 release date is expected to be October 29.
For more on the upcoming shooter, check out this Battlefield 4 preview.
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