Forest Park senior pitcher Justin Wright has never backed down when the stakes are high for his team. That’s been the makeup from the start for the Bruins’ Virginia Tech-bound ace.
So when Forest Park needed him most Wright lived up to his advanced billing, shutting down Northern Region champion Oakton in a Virginia Group AAA state quarterfinal game on Tuesday evening.
Wright went the distance, allowing just six hits in the 5-2 victory. With the win, the fourth-ranked Bruins (23-2) advance to Friday’s state semifinals at Christopher Newport University in Newport News. Ninth-ranked Oakton concluded its season at 23-4.
Forest Park received a home run early from shortstop Jamie Blackwell. With the Bruins ahead, 3-2, in the top of the sixth inning, right fielder Alex Jabs added a run-scoring double and then scored himself on a single by teammate John Wright.
That effectively put the game out of reach. Wright, a first-team All-Northwest Region selection, had just escaped a two-on, two-out rally in the bottom of the fifth when Oakton’s Kevin Wager flew out deep to center field. Wright appeared to be tiring when Cougars shortstop Alfredo Rodriguez singled to lead off the bottom of the sixth. But Wright retired the final six batters he faced, three by strikeout, to record his 10th win of the season.
Forest Park will play the winner of last night’s quarterfinal between Central Region champion James River and Eastern Region runner-up Granby at noon on Friday.
