Twelve days ago, Woodbridge's baseball team beat Potomac in an Eddie Hope Invitational tournament game with strong starting pitching, great defense and a few clutch hits at the plate to earn a 7-1 win.

Friday afternoon at Potomac, the Panthers used that exact formula to exact some revenge on the Vikings.

Potomac starter Mike Tiller overcame some early struggles on the mound, Tony Blackwell and Jake Cinnamon homered and, most importantly to head coach Mike Covington, Potomac played much better defensively and this time found itself on the positive side of a 7-1 final.

``It was a nice turnaround from the last game for us," Covington said. ``We cashed in some opportunities, [Tiller] settled down after the first inning and we played better in the field. Last time we struggled defensively, made eight or nine errors. Today we made one."

After beating Stonewall Jackson on the road Tuesday, 9-5, Woodbridge (3-4) has now lost two straight. The team dropped a 5-4 decision against Stafford on Thursday. Potomac (5-1) has won four in a row since that loss to the Vikings on March 25, including a win over Hylton earlier this week, and is feeling confident heading into Cedar Run District play.

``We've been practicing our defense a lot and it's starting to help us out," Blackwell said. ``We're fielding the ball better, catching it and throwing it better. We feel like we're getting in a groove before districts."

Woodbridge jumped on Tiller early, scoring a run in the first inning, and had a runner on base every inning there after. But time and again, the crafty senior would stop the rally before it started.

With nobody out in the second inning, Viking Steve Rodriguez was caught stealing by catcher Mark Salyers at second. Woodbridge had runners at first and second in the fourth when Tiller picked off Sean Shanahan at second and struck out Ryan McCauley. In the sixth, Tiller grabbed a comebacker from Shanahan and started a nice 1-6-3 double play that erased Justin Carter, who led off with a single.

Tiller went the distance, allowed nine hits and one run and struck out nine.

``[Tiller] didn't have his good stuff today, we knew that from the beginning," Covington said. ``But he showed what he's about. He battled and he competed like he's been doing for four years."

Potomac's offense got things started almost immediately against Woodbridge starter Todd Coder. The Panthers' first three batters got hits, including a double from Brad Dillard that scored Brian Greaux (two stolen bases) and an RBI single by Tiller. Blackwell (1-for-3, three RBI) then brought Tiller (2-for-2, two runs scored) in with a sacrifice fly to make it 3-1.

Potomac added a run in the second when Cinnamon (1-for-3, RBI) lofted a home run down the line in right. An inning later, Blackwell crushed a Coder offering over the fence in center and well into the trees beyond for his second booming shot of the week. The senior also homered against Hylton. The two-run blast made it 6-1.

``[Coder] just left it up and out over the plate," said Blackwell, who hit three homers all of last season. ``I tried to hit it hard and it got in the air and pretty much carried."

Potomac added run number seven on a fielder's choice groundout from Matt Rainbolt in the sixth.

While last week it was Covington fretting about his defense afterwards, this time Woodbridge coach Frank Chimento was left to ponder how to fix his team's shaky fielding. The Vikings made five errors on the afternoon.

``It's a little disappointing," Chimento said. ``Hopefully we can turn it around. We definitely can turn it around and we have to because you can't play like this [defensively] and expect to be successful."