On May 19, McLean’s varsity baseball team hosted the Washington-Liberty Generals in the Liberty District semifinals. Coming off a 14–2 win over the Marshall Statesmen last week, the Highlanders entered the matchup as the No. 1 seed.
“Our win over the Statesmen really gave us a confidence boost going into the semifinals,” Coach Ky Parrot said. “We knew we had to carry that momentum into tonight’s game.”
Named the 2026 Liberty District Pitcher of the Year, sophomore Alex Inget started on the mound for McLean and dialed up the intensity from the very first pitch. He kept pressure on the Generals’ baserunners with several pickoff attempts, trying to keep them off balance. Washington-Liberty still managed to push across a run on two hits in the inning, while the Highlanders went down quietly in the bottom half without a hit or run, keeping the score at 1-0.
“When other teams get ahead early, the main thing we focus on is not letting it get to us,” Inget said. “We knew we just had to stay calm and keep playing hard.”
The Generals were retired quickly in the second inning as McLean’s efficient defense tore through the lineup in just a few minutes. At the plate, senior first baseman Dan Ockerman picked up McLean’s first hit of the game to reach first base. The Highlanders were unable to drive him home and remained scoreless for the inning, leaving Washington-Liberty with a slim 1-0 lead.
The third inning proved to be a turning point for McLean, sparked by a clutch fly ball catch from third baseman Caius Antolik that helped stall the Generals’ offense. The Highlanders finally broke through offensively when Antolik came around to score their first run, setting off a chain reaction that gave them total command of the game.
From there, junior designated hitter Kyle Peterson quickly followed to score the second run. McLean kept their foot on the gas, scoring three more times to end the inning with an imposing 5-1 lead.
“It felt great to get that first run across,” Antolik said. “We came out strong in that inning and it was nice to see us put up five runs and take control of the game.”
Inget fired up the Highlander dugout at the top of the fourth inning with a successful pickoff throw. This quick defensive play completely silenced Washington-Liberty’s offense and preserved McLean’s lead heading into the bottom half.
In the bottom of the inning, sophomore designated hitter Carter Jones kept the momentum going by reaching base on a well-placed single and pressuring defense. That sequence set up Peterson, who later crossed the plate for his second run of the game to extend the Highlander’s lead.
“Moments like that pickoff just help keep the intensity up,” Inget said. “We were already playing well, but it kept us sharp and engaged as the inning went on.”
The fifth inning passed quickly as both offenses went down quietly. Washington-Liberty finally broke through in the sixth, pushing a run across before Inget exited the mound after a gritty 93-pitch performance, passing the baton to senior pitcher Charlie Erlanger in relief. Erlanger kept McLean firmly in control with a 6–2 lead heading into the final stretch.
In the seventh inning, Ockerman took over on the mound for the Highlanders and ironed things out as the Generals were held scoreless. Ockerman gave up zero hits or runs alongside a strikeout and a walk to close out McLean’s 6–2 victory.
“Once we got into the final inning, it was all about staying locked in and finishing the job,” Antolik said. “Everyone trusted each other to make the plays, and we were just focused on closing it out together.”
The victory marks back-to-back wins for the Highlanders and secures their fifth consecutive appearance in the Liberty District finals, cementing a legacy of dominance in the district.
“It feels great to get a win,” Parrot said. “Our goal tonight was just to take advantage of every chance we had at the plate and keep our focus the whole game, and we did exactly that.”
