Player of the Year

Gavin Metrick, Reservoir, senior, pitcher

Before embarking on his senior campaign, Reservoir pitcher Gavin Metrick garnered some sage advice from a current major leaguer. Metrick listened carefully to the Boston Red Sox star, and then he decided to make some modifications.

The result was a final season to remember, including The Baltimore Sun’s All-Metro Player of the Year honors.

“Before the season started, I was given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend the Boston Red Sox spring training,” Metrick said. “There, I had the chance to talk to many Red Sox players, including Jarren Duran, someone who places a lot of emphasis on the mental side of the game. I asked him if he had any goals coming into the season after his stellar performance last year. He told me he didn’t believe in setting specific goals — just in giving his all every single day. His reasoning was that if he fell behind on any goal, it would create unnecessary pressure.”

Sound logic for sure, but not exactly what Metrick decided to settle on in preparation for the 2025 season.

“When I got home, I applied my own spin on his philosophy,” Metrick said. “I printed out the [Maryland State Association of Baseball Coaches] preseason All-State list — a list I wasn’t on — and taped it on my bedroom wall. It became a daily motivator to keep pushing and improving.

“Every day, I left my room looking at the list as a reminder that there was still more work to be done on my part to get better. Rather than chasing individual stats or accolades, my goal was to give everything I had every single day — for myself, my teammates, and my coaches.”

Metrick did just that as a potent dual-threat contributor on a Reservoir squad that compiled a 20-2 record, including a regional championship, that concluded with a Class 4A state semifinal loss to eventual champion Walter Johnson.

“Gavin made some goals for this season after not having a great junior year,” Gators coach Adam Leader said. “He worked out, worked on his pitching and arm strength, and it really paid off for him.”

On the mound, Metrick compiled a 5-0 record, a minuscule 0.35 ERA, and a mind-boggling 75 strikeouts in 39 2/3 innings. He pitched 6 2/3 innings of a combined no-hitter against sixth-ranked River Hill (18-5) and struck out 16 batters against Glenelg (14-5).

“Gavin has great command of his pitches,” Leader said. “He is able to read swings of players and attack any weakness he recognizes. His pitches move a lot, which kept players off-balance.”

Offensively, Metrick batted .429 with 22 RBIs, 20 runs, four doubles, two triples, a home run and 11 stolen bases. He struck out only once this past season.

“Preparation and self-belief: I made this a mental priority this year,” Metrick said. “In every situation, I was as prepared as I possibly could be. So, no matter what happened, I knew I couldn’t have done anything more. That gave me peace of mind throughout the year.”

Metrick will continue his career at Towson University, where he will major in business management.

Coach of the Year

Darrion Siler, John Carroll

Like a prophet from ancient times, John Carroll coach Darrion Siler foresaw a dramatic rise for his program when inspecting his current squad of talented seniors at their first practice some four years ago.

“Honestly, I’ve believed it since this senior class were freshmen,” said Siler, whose squad was anchored by seniors Casey Carpenter, the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference Player of the Year, catcher Dallas Brooks and ace Brooks Mueller, among others. “We’ve been building toward this for years. I’ve always felt this program was capable of breaking through to the top, and we’ve been knocking on that door for a while now.”

Add in some extra motivation from last year’s narrow playoff miss and a successful spring break trip to Alabama, and Siler had all the necessary ingredients to capture the program’s first MIAA A crown. The Patriots did so in grand fashion, sweeping all four of their postseason games.

“We were the most complete team,” said Siler, whose squad went 28-8 and 14-4 in the league, good enough for the tournament’s top seed. “We had elite starting pitching that gave us a chance to win every time out, and our bullpen was a trusted group of guys we could put in tough situations and know they would get the job done.

“Defensively, we played clean baseball. On offense, we trusted each other, stuck to our plan, and executed. It seems like every game someone else stepped up and delivered a big hit, everyone in the lineup had the moment this year. Incredible. In the playoffs, we outscored our opponents 2 to 1. That’s not luck. That’s focus. That’s trust.”

The Patriots showed that dominance throughout the final month of the season, winning their final 10 games, including a combined 8-4 sweep of fourth-seeded Mount Saint Joseph (13-11) in the semifinals and a combined 12-6 sweep of second-seeded Calvert Hall (23-11) in the championship series.

“This group climbed the mountain step by step,” Siler said. “Last year was tough. We missed the playoffs by a game, and it really stung. That was a wake-up call: Nothing in this league is given. So, the guys made a decision this offseason that they weren’t going to let that happen again. We were going to make a statement. That hunger showed up in the weight room, in practices, in how they carried themselves.

“Early in the season, we were still figuring things out, but each week we got a little better. The culture matured. The standard got raised. And by the end of the year, we were playing some really great baseball. Everyone was on the same page, whether it was the ace on the mound or the last guy off the bench, we were all rowing in the same direction.”

First team

Caden Blanck, Severn, senior, first baseman-pitcher

Blanck, a University of Richmond commit, earned MIAA B Conference Player of the Year honors by recording a 0.54 ERA with 83 strikeouts in 39 innings on the mound and a .420 batting average with 13 stolen bases at the plate.

Casey Carpenter, John Carroll, senior, first baseman

Carpenter earned MIAA A Conference Player of the Year honors by compiling a .401 batting average, 12 home runs — including a two-run shot in the A Conference final — 49 RBIs and 49 runs.

Joey Coudon, John Carroll, junior, infielder-outfielder

Batting from the leadoff spot, Coudon ignited John Carroll’s potent offense, batting .368 with a team-high 15 home runs and 60 runs to go along with 40 RBIs and 28 stolen bases.

Anderson Dang, River Hill, senior, catcher

Dang was a defensive stalwart behind the plate and a force in the box, batting a sizzling .563 with six home runs, 27 RBIs, 30 runs, six doubles and a pair of triples for the Hawks.

Will Haacke, Calvert Hall, senior, outfielder

This James Madison University commit batted .418 with 19 extra-base hits, including seven home runs, with 32 RBIs and 30 runs.

Eli Livingston, St. Paul’s, senior, outfielder

The Maryland commit was a force at the plate (.415 average, six doubles, six triples, five home runs, 24 RBIs, 26 runs, 16 stolen bases) and in the outfield, including a pair of assists while committing just one error.

Braeden Martin, Spalding, junior, shortstop

Martin, an All-MIAA selection, guided the Cavaliers (23-10) with a .418 batting average, .500 on-base percentage, nine doubles, two homers, 19 RBIs, 27 runs and 12 stolen bases.

Brooks Mueller, John Carroll, senior, pitcher

Mueller anchored a stingy pitching staff, leading the Patriots to the MIAA A crown by compiling a perfect 12-0 record with a 2.61 ERA, 60 strikeouts in 61 1/3 innings and a .228 batting average against.

Will Rhine, John Carroll, senior, infielder

Rhine, the Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year, batted .420 with seven home runs, 10 doubles, 32 RBIs and 35 runs. He will continue his career at the University of Alabama.

Brayden Robinson, Spalding, senior, pitcher

Robinson, an All-MIAA selection, was a dominant force on the hill for the Cavaliers, collecting a 6-2 record with 62 strikeouts and a 1.34 ERA as opponents hit a mere .186 against the talented right-hander.

Mike Swick, Broadneck, senior, outfielder

Swick, who has committed to Frostburg, paced the Bruins (21-2) with a .462 batting average, .583 on-base percentage, eight doubles, five triples, three home runs, 33 RBIs, 34 runs and 10 stolen bases.

Aidan West, Long Reach, senior, infielder

This slick fielding middle infielder, who is headed to North Carolina State, batted .538 with five home runs, 30 RBIs, 29 runs and 34 stolen bases.

Second team

Leo Antwerpen, McDonogh, junior, pitcher-first baseman

Kaden Barmer, Calvert Hall, senior, outfielder

Peter Bashore, Calvert Hall, senior, pitcher

Nick Cicale, Broadneck, senior, catcher

Aidan Ciurca, Hereford, junior, pitcher

Noah Forman, Broadneck, senior, pitcher-first baseman

Andy Lambert, McDonogh, sophomore, utility player-pitcher

Seth Rosenfeld, Long Reach, senior, infielder

Matt Russell, Reservoir, senior pitcher-shortstop

Carter Shanks, Liberty, junior, pitcher-third baseman

Nathan Wines, Spalding, senior, pitcher

Final Top 15 poll

Rank, team, record

1. John Carroll (28-8)

2. Calvert Hall (23-11)

3. Broadneck (21-2)

4. Reservoir (20-2)

5. Spalding (23-10)

6. River Hill (18-5)

7. Mount Saint Joseph (15-12)

8. Towson (16-3)

9. Liberty (15-3)

10. McDonogh (17-11)

11. Boys’ Latin (17-5)

12. Severn (17-5)

13. Chesapeake-AA (15-7)

14. Long Reach (15-5)

15. Gerstell (13-5)

Others considered: Centennial (12-5), Curley (17-13), Glenelg (14-5), Hereford (16-8), North Harford (18-5-1)

Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13.

After both teams squandered early scoring opportunities, the Hawks scratched out two runs in the bottom of the third inning, but the Rams rallied for five runs in the top of the fourth and never looked back, thanks largely to the pitching of left-hander Tanner Trudeau, to punch their ticket to Saturday’s 2A state final.

“My main goal was to just keep staying consistent,” said Trudeau, who struck out five and scattered six hits in his complete-game effort to improve to 4-1 on the season. “In my opinion, I have the greatest defense in the Bayside [Conference], and I know they can make plays. I trust them fully.”

The Rams (16-5) looked to strike first in the top of the first as the first two Parkside batters reached on an error and a single, but North Harford starter Matt Hart worked out of that early threat by throwing out the lead runner on a sacrifice bunt attempt by Garrett Jones before getting Chase Hurley to fly out to shallow right and striking out Chase Shepherd to end the inning.

Hart had a chance to do some offensive damage in the bottom of the first, but his line drive to second base turned into an inning-ending double play. The Hawks, however, were able to capitalize on a single, hit batter, wild pitch and a run-scoring groundout by Tucker Deal for a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third. Jedd Carll then added to the lead with a double down the left field line.

“We’ve struggled a little bit [in recent years], but this year, we were 18-4 coming into this game,” Hawks coach Jeffrey Burrows said. “I’m proud of this senior class, who built this program back up. The future is super bright. I’m not expecting to be back here, but I think we’ve got a good chance.

“I’m proud we’re back on the track. We were here a lot in 2012 and ’13 and ’15 and ’21, and we haven’t been back, so I’m proud of the direction of this team.”

The Rams, after being sent down in order by Hart in the third and fourth innings, struck for five runs on run-scoring singles by Shepherd and Josh Smith and a two-run double to deep right field by Trudeau as part of five straight hits to start the inning. After a sacrifice bunt moved Trudeau’s courtesy runner to third, Canaan Mapp stroked a sacrifice fly to deep right field for the final 5-2 lead.

“[It was] a lot of bloop hits and missing a little bit,” Hart said. “That’s about it. [Trudeau threw] a lot of curveballs, and [he was] hitting the spots and doing his thing.”

Speaking of Trudeau, he stranded a pair of base runners in the bottom of the fourth with a strike out of Nathaniel Burd.

Hawks relief pitcher Collin Kight did likewise in the top of the fifth, getting out of a potential jam through a 6-4-3 double play. And he did it again in the fifth, this time on an infield fly out to keep North Harford within striking distance, but Trudeau limited his opponents to just two baserunners in the final three innings.

“We’ve been a pitching-dominant team [but] today, we needed more offense,” Burrows said. “We needed the bats to pick up for the pitching staff, and we couldn’t quite get there. We were hitting the ball kind of hard, but we were hitting it in the air enough. We didn’t hit a lot of ground balls today. That one inning got us.”

Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Anthony Maluso at amaluso@baltsun.com, 567-230-6024, x.com/TonySunSports and instagram.com/TonySunSports.

In fact, no one was able to derail the Patriots in their quest for the program’s first MIAA A Conference crown, which culminated with Sunday’s 6-3 victory against the Cardinals at Joe Cannon Stadium, giving top-seeded John Carroll a perfect 4-0 record in tournament play.

“I love these boys. I trust them with my whole heart,” John Carroll coach Darrion Siler said. “They’ve worked hard. They’ve put the sweat, the tears, the blood in the bucket. They expected to have it end this way, and I couldn’t be more proud of what they’ve accomplished.

“They know they can trust each other, pass it along to the next guy. Let them do their job; I’ll do mine.”

That was never more the case than in the decisive seventh inning as a pair of pinch hitters helped John Carroll forge a 4-3 lead before veteran first baseman Casey Carpenter blasted a two-run home run to give the Patriots what turned out to be an insurmountable advantage.

In the seventh, Miguel Leon drew a walk, stole second base, then was moved to third on a well-executed sacrifice bunt by pinch hitter Nicolas Stockston. Pinch hitter Cameron Leach then lined a single down the left field line to score Leon for the go-ahead run.

“I knew before the inning that sometime during the inning [I was going to hit] but I wasn’t sure for who,” Leach said. “I was looking for a fastball early in the count; got it middle in. Put a good swing on it and put it right down the line.

“The best moment of my life. We’ve worked for this our entire high school career, and I couldn’t ask for a better way to go out.”

Two batters later, Carpenter crushed a shot over the right field fence for a three-run advantage heading into the bottom of the seventh.

“I knew he needed to get back in the dugout, so he had to give me something to hit,” Carpenter said of Calvert Hall reliever Jake Dulski. “He made a mistake, and I took advantage of it. We wanted it so bad. First time in school history.”

Calvert Hall, which has reached the championship series the past three seasons without capturing a title, loaded the bases against reliever Zach Olszewski with two outs. Jack Hudson came on in relief and got the final out, a diving catch by John Carroll shortstop Andrew Jourdan on a line drive to his right to end the contest and send the Patriots into a frenzied celebration.

“I thought we played our hearts out,” Cardinals coach Brooks Kerr said. “That’s a good team, a great lineup. [Pitcher Grayson] Ryan threw a great game. They just bunched some hits together. We got the bases loaded. Then the line drive … but that’s baseball.

“We’ll keep working and try to get back here next year. We’re pretty much tired of being that bridesmaid. We want to get that ring.”

The Patriots struck first in the top of the first on a sacrifice fly by Dallas Brooks following a walk, a hit batter and a passed ball. The Cardinals answered right back with a sacrifice fly of their own by Brayden Wolf that followed two outfield miscues, including one that led to a ground rule double by Will Haacke.

Calvert Hall looked to take its first lead in the fourth and fifth innings with three runners in scoring position, but a line drive snagged by Carpenter and a flyout to deep center spoiled both opportunities.

After being limited to a single base runner from the second through fifth innings, John Carroll took a 2-1 lead in the top of the sixth on a double by Will Rhine down the right field line that scored Carpenter, who singled to the right side against Calvert Hall’s defensive shift to the left side of the infield. Brooks followed with a run-scoring single to right center field for a 3-1 advantage.

Anthony Williams trimmed that deficit to 3-2 in the bottom of the inning on a double to left field to score Clark Mileto, who singled and reached second on the play through an error in right field. Williams then scored on a bloop single to shallow left field by Ethan Frank for a 3-3 tie. Two additional runners were stranded by Patriots starter Pierce Quinn when he struck out Will Haacke with the count full.

Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Anthony Maluso at amaluso@baltsun.com, 567-230-6024, x.com/TonySunSports and instagram.com/TonySunSports.

Then came the seventh inning, and visiting Kenwood threw out that script in favor of a six-run offensive explosion en route to a 6-1 victory and a trip to the 4A state quarterfinals. It was the program’s third regional crown and first since the 2021 season.

Kenwood will play Broadneck in the state quarterfinals at a day and time to be announced.

“They just bought into everything we preach all year: hang until the last minute and fight, fight, fight,” said Bluebirds coach Erik Skarda, whose squad improved to 10-9 with the late-inning heroics. “I wasn’t surprised, but I thought we could get to him. Even though he’s their No. 1, I was confident our boys could get to him.”

Skarda was speaking about Knights ace pitcher Teddy Pineda, and the Kenwood coach was correct as his squad posted four runs and reached base safely in six straight at-bats to start the seventh inning again Pineda opened the inning in relief of Magness, who struck out six and faced the minimum three batters in five of his six innings of work.

“Teddy’s been the guy all year who has been our best pitcher by far,” said Parkville coach Joe Daddura, whose squad finished at 13-4. “The rain kind of pushed us back to where he was still eligible to pitch today, so we figured we’d use him in a big spot, but we just didn’t hit. We didn’t hit in big spots, and that put us in a bind at the end. To go with Teddy at the end, that’s our guy.”

The Bluebirds quickly loaded the bases against Pineda on two walks and a hit batter. Daniel Duvall then stroked a line drive down the left field line to chase home the first two runs of the game. Patrick Boblitz followed with a two-run single up the middle for a 4-0 lead. Dominic Zorrilla was then hit by a pitch, forcing Daddura to bring in reliever Collin Cuddy, who surrendered two runs on a bases-loaded hit batter and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Carter Pugh for the commanding 6-0 Kenwood advantage.

The Knights rallied for a run in the bottom of the seventh on a bases-loaded infield single by Nicholas Rodriguez that found space between first and second base, but a heady double play executed by Kenwood third baseman Boblitz ended the contest.

“We were up a couple of runs, but, you know, I was always, ‘We’ve got to shut it down. Don’t let them get too hyped,’ because at any point, they could have taken it back,” said Zorrilla, who closed the game on the mound. “Going into the seventh inning, we just knew we had to do something. So once [Pugh] got hit, after that we were getting loud, and we were getting in it.”

Parkville looked to push across the game’s first run in the bottom of the fifth as Jeff Samborski earned a walk, his courtesy runner moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Sam Ayd, and Matt Rose singled to center to put runners at second and third with one out. However, Rineman struck out Rodriguez and induced a groundout by Weston Brine to end the threat.

“Coming back this year and beating the brakes off them in the last inning was a different experience,” said Rineman, who struck out six and allowed a single hit in his six innings of work. “Something I’ve never experienced before.”

Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Anthony Maluso at amaluso@baltsun.com, 567-230-6024, x.com/TonySunSports and instagram.com/TonySunSports.

In doing so, the Cougars (11-7) scored in just about every conceivable way, including bases-loaded walks and hit batsmen, errors, base hits — and even a grand slam. They produced 10 runs in the pivotal fourth inning and eight more in the seventh to put the game away and book a trip to Saturday’s region quarterfinals against host and top-seeded North Harford (13-4).

The Mustangs end the season at 10-9.

“It was a stressful playoff game,” said Cougars coach Grant Morlock, whose squad will square off with the Hawks at 10 a.m. Saturday. “We fell behind twice. We were down 4-1 in the second and 7-4 in the third, and we’ve been in games like this a lot throughout the year. We played a tough out-of-conference schedule. We played some tough competition, and we’re battle tested. We’re ready for those spots.”

After opening up a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on back-to-back hits by Zach Loewe and Carter Flanagan, the Cougars quickly fell behind by three runs in the bottom half of the inning on a bases-loaded walk by Dustin Stem, a wild pitch, and a two-run ground rule double off the bat of Eric Penney (2-for-5, 3 RBIs).

Continuing that early back-and-forth play, Fallston catcher Joey Potler singled and eventually reached home on an error to trim the lead to 4-2. Garrett Kersch then crossed the plate on a well executed double steal to cut the deficit to one all in the top of the second. Reese Conley tied the contest in the third on a single to right field. That base hit came two batters after Santoro doubled to left field.

Not to be outdone, Penney followed a one-out walk with a run-scoring double to left center field to score Stem and retake the lead at 5-4 in the third. Stem broke to second on the pitch and scored from first. Three batters later, Tyler Adamo worked a bases-loaded walk and Chris Dietz scored on a wild pitch to extend that advantage to 7-4.

“We stayed in it and didn’t give up,” said Santoro, who collected three hits, four RBIs and four runs out of the No. 3 spot in Fallston’s lineup. “We kept putting bats on balls and finding holes.”

That was never more the case than in the top of the fourth as the Cougars exploded for 10 runs on the strength of a pair of two-run singles by Santoro, a run-scoring single by Conley, two bases-loaded walks, a bases-loaded hit batsman, a bases-loaded infield single by Kersch, and a wild pitch for a commanding 14-7 lead.

“I was very hyped this game,” Santoro said. “They gave me a lot of good pitches to hit, and I got the bat on the ball.”

The Mustangs pushed a run across the plate in the fourth on an error but a baserunning mistake that led to an unconventional double play limited the rally. Kersch, however, erased that run with a single up the middle to score Potler’s courtesy runner.

Stem and Diez continued the wild scoring affair with run scoring singles for the Mustangs in the fifth to trim the deficit to 16-10, but eight runs by Fallston in the top of the seventh, highlighted by Aiden Stromberger’s grand slam over the left field fence and two RBIs by Loewe put the contest out of reach.

“Seemed like Fallston hit a couple on the screws and when maybe they didn’t necessarily tear the cover off the ball, the ball seemed to find the spot, and we seemed to have trouble throwing strikes and made some mental mistakes,” C. Milton Wright coach Rich DeNardi, whose squad issued 12 walks in the contest. “It kind of snowballed. I still thought when we were down six, 16-10, I said, `All we have to do is get some guys on, somebody hits a double, somebody walks, and they kick the ball,’ but that didn’t happen.

“We were a young team. We graduate four seniors. We’ll have a lot of competition for spots. We have our Nos. 1 and 2 (pitchers) coming back next year.”

Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Anthony Maluso at amaluso@baltsun.com, 567-230-6024, x.com/TonySunSports and instagram.com/TonySunSports.

After nine straight MIAA B Conference wins to open the season, Severn entered Friday’s contest with a split of its past two games, including a recent 10-0 setback to Black Division leader Gerstell. McDonogh, meanwhile, arrived on a two-game losing streak in which the Eagles surrendered a combined 28 runs.

After a thrilling, back-and-forth, eight-inning game, No. 7 Severn pulled out a 10-8 road victory to significantly brighten its season, including securing the top seed in the league’s Red Division.

“Some ups and down to the season, but this is definitely an up,” said Admirals left fielder Caden Blanck, who went 4-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. “This win locks up the one seed for us going into the playoffs. It’s an absolutely huge come-from-behind win for us as a team. Mentally, from Wednesday [a 6-4 loss to St. Paul’s], we were pretty down.”

The No. 15 Eagles (13-10, 9-5 MIAA B) looked to compound Severn’s misery with four runs in the bottom of the first on a single up the middle by Andy Lambert, a two-run single also up the middle by starting pitcher Leo Antwerpen and a squeeze bunt by Chase Ginsberg.

The Admirals, however, chipped away with a run in the fifth, two in the sixth and then four in the seventh to take a 7-5 lead. McDonogh pushed two runs across the plate in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings, but three more runs in the top of the eighth and three straight outs with a runner on third base engineered by reliever Brendan Szydlik gave Severn (16-3, 12-2 MIAA B) the much-needed victory.

“[We were] scuffling a little bit,” said Szydlik, who knocked in two runs in the pivotal seventh inning. “We were talking about it before the game. We know the team that we can be before going into the playoffs. We knew this game was huge, clinching the one seed for this program. It’s amazing. I just love this feeling right now. I couldn’t be more happy.”

The same could be said for the McDonogh faithful for much of this game as that early 4-0 lead grew to as much as five runs in the bottom of the second inning. That’s when team captain Chase Borz worked a walk, reached second on a passed ball, third on a wild pitch and then home on a groundout by Michael Gorsky for the 5-0 advantage.

McDonogh’s offense, however, would be largely dormant until the seventh inning, supplying Severn with the chance to claw back into the contest.

“The reality is we can’t stall out on offense,” said Eagles coach Zach Rowe, whose squad has locked up a playoff berth as the No. 2 or 3 seed depending on Monday’s season finale against St. Paul’s. “We have to continue to keep putting runs up against a good team that’s in the one spot and capable of coming back. I’m confident in our guys. I think we’re in good shape.”

While the McDonogh offense grew dim, Severn worked its first run of the game in the fifth inning as Fletcher Warner scored on a groundout to shortstop by Max Barney. Warner singled and reached third on a wild pitch.

The Admirals struck for another two runs in the sixth on a bases-loaded wild pitch by reliever Brett McChesney and a run-scoring hit to left field off the bat of Dominic Medile to cut the deficit to 5-3. McChesney was able to strand two more runners, including one at third, on a fly ball out to right field.

Will Moore and Ginsburg singled to start the McDonogh half of the inning, but both were tagged out on rundowns on the same play with Warner stepping off the mound as Moore broke for third.

Severn completed the comeback by tying the game on a two-run single to left field by Szydlik with the bases loaded and one down and then took its first lead at 6-5 on a wild pitch. That lead grew to 7-5 on a run-scoring double to center field by Lawrence Jacobs.

Undaunted by that Severn rally, the Eagles knotted the score at 7 on a single by Jake Maass and sacrifice fly by Ginsberg.

The back-and-forth contest continued with the Admirals rallying for three runs on a single by Warner, a groundout by Barney, and a sacrifice fly by Blanck for a 10-7 lead.

An error on a strikeout with the international rules runner scoring on a poor throw to first, quickly trimmed that deficit to two, but Szydlik sandwiched two strikeouts around a flyout by Max Rose to end the contest.

“It was a great team effort,” Szydlik said. “I love this team. I love what we’re doing. Obviously, the emotions got high, but man, I was on the mound, and I wanted to win so bad. Things didn’t go my way the inning before, so I had to shut it down for my team. I just love to pull out the win for my team.”

Have a news tip? Contact Anthony Maluso at amaluso@baltsun.com, 567-230-6024, x.com/TonySunSports and instagram.com/TonySunSports.

Facing the tough pitching tandem of Ryan Walsh and Jonathan Bloom, the Gladiators reached base 17 total times and loaded the bases on four separate occasions, including in the top of the seventh inning. However,  a couple of baserunning miscues and the lack of some timely hits doomed Glenelg as River Hill held on for the one-run win.

“I felt like we had more traffic on the bases all day,” Glenelg coach AJ Rosenthal said. “We couldn’t get the big hit. A wide turn around third [that resulted in an out], a sac fly that they said we left early. I don’t think we did … but in a tight baseball game, those are the differences, those little mistakes. Today, it was just a little too much to overcome.”

Conversely, River Hill (14-2) converted a couple of quality scoring opportunities off Glenelg ace Nick Bilotto, including a two-run double by catcher Anderson Dang (2-for-2, three RBIs) in the fifth inning to supply the winning runs. The Hawks also turned three double plays, including a couple of unconventional ones.

“We did all the little things today,” River Hill coach Craig Estrin said. “I think there were two or three double plays. The awareness of the kids when the runner left early at third, it was a good day for us. That pitcher is terrific. I’m tired of seeing him. He’s that good. It was a playoff-like atmosphere.”

Walsh, who started on the mound for the Hawks, helped his own cause by opening the bottom of the first with a double to right field. Two batters later, he scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Dang. River Hill went on to load the bases with two outs in the inning on a single and two walks before Bilotto (eight strikeouts) struck out Avi Fields to end the scoring threat.

The Gladiators (10-4) looked to tie the score in the top of the third inning on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Mason Melhuish, but Dane Stamper was deemed to have left base too early, leading to what was essentially an inning-ending double play.

Glenelg loaded the bases again in the fourth, but was able to scratch out a tying run this time on a ground ball to shortstop. However, the play resulted in an unconventional double play as Bilotto’s courtesy runner was forced out at second on the ground ball and Aidan Baker was thrown out at third after rounding too far off the base to quell a potential rally.

The Hawks answered with two runs in the fifth on a two-run double to left center field by Dang for a 3-1 advantage. Glenelg left fielder Melhuish laid out for the screaming line drive but came up just short on the attempt.

“I was always sitting fastball, and that’s what I got first pitch, so I tried to attack it,” Dang said. “We saw [Bilotto] last week. He was throwing the same stuff. I’ve had four or five at-bats against him. I just took advantage of what he threw me.”

On a double to right center field by Baker, Glenelg trimmed the lead to 3-2 in the sixth, but Bloom, who took the mound in the top of the fifth inning, limited the damage via a ground out and fly out with runners on the corners.

Things got really interesting in the top of the seventh as the Gladiators once again loaded the bases — this time with two out — but a ground ball, force out to third base ended the contest.

“It’s definitely stressful, but you kind of have to get into your own head and find the zone to get rid of all of the distractions,” Bloom said. “Just zone everything out and dial in. I’ve kind of been in a lot of these situations before. You can’t say you’re good at it, but you at least get better at handling the stress.”

Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Anthony Maluso at amaluso@baltsun.com, 567-230-6024, x.com/TonySunSports and instagram.com/TonySunSports.

Facing crafty left-handed reliever Peter Weber in the bottom of the seventh with two out and the bases loaded, Acra missed badly on both a fastball and off-speed pitch to start the at-bat. However, after working to even the county, the Mustangs second baseman stroked a line drive up the middle to score Ryan Stem from third base and give C. Milton Wright a much-needed 8-7 victory.

“Those first two pitches, they really got me,” said Acra, whose timely hit ended a four-game losing streak for the Mustangs (8-7). “Those swings, very bad swings. I saw a ball high; I was ready for it. Another ball low. I was sitting on a fastball and he gave it to me, and I hit it up the middle.”

The dramatic finish ended a contest that saw the Huskies (8-5) take an early 4-0 lead, only to see the Mustangs rally for a 6-4 advantage before Patterson Mill stormed back for a 7-6 lead in the top of fifth.

“No lead is safe in our league,” Patterson Mill coach Matt Roseland said. “Hats off to them for coming back down 4-0. Hats off to us coming back, making it 7-6. We fought; we gave ourselves a chance. We didn’t make enough plays to win.”

Trailing by a run in the bottom of the sixth, Tyler Adamo (3-for-4, three RBIs, run) belted a run-scoring double to right-center field that just eluded the dive of Huskies center fielder Mason Hemelt to score Dustin Stem with two out to help set up the dramatic finish.

“It was a fastball middle-middle, and I was just looking for something to put in the outfield and get the job done,” Adamo said. “The ball fell, and I got the job done — tied game. We’ve lost a lot of games in a row. We knew coming out here it was going to be a tough game against [Patterson Mill], but we did the job.”

Continuing its productive offensive ways from the day before, a 13-3 win against Bohemia Manor, Patterson Mill opened up a 3-0 lead in the top of the second inning on a run-scoring single up the middle by Brycen Hunter with runners on the corners, then a bases-loaded single by Logan Scheeler that scored two, one on an error in the outfield.

Back-to-back doubles to left field by Tre McInnes and Hemelt pushed the Huskies’ advantage to 4-0 in the top of the third. Hemelt made a bid to score on a passed ball in the inning, but was thrown out at the plate.

Fueled by that play, the Mustangs rallied for a game-tying four runs in the bottom of the third on a two-run double to deep left center field by Adamo, who then scored on a double down the left field line by Kevin Emerson. Emerson later tied the score as a pickoff throw to third base by Huskies catcher McInnes hit off his cleats and rolled out of play.

Patterson Mill looked to retake the lead in the top of the fourth as Hunter and Kevin Hardisky reached on a single and error, respectively, but C. Milton Wright starting pitcher Landon Melnick struck out the next two batters looking before inducing a flyball out to left field to end the scoring threat.

Melnick started the bottom of the inning with a single and reached second base on the play with the Huskies outfield unable to field the ball cleanly. After two straight outs, Dustin Stem doubled to deep center to score Melnick and give the Mustangs a 5-4 lead.

Stem then scored on an errant pickoff throw into center field as Adamo attempted to steal second to give the Mustangs a two-run advantage.

Jayden Stabile trimmed that deficit to 6-5 in the fifth on a run-scoring single to shallow right field. A shallow popup off the bat of Hardisky tied the score and a groundball to left field by Frankie Culotta propelled the Huskies to a 7-6 lead. Hardisky attempted to score on a single to left field by Scheeler, but was thrown out at the plate to limit the damage.

“These moments are where we grow, and I think we got better,” Roseland said. “We’re right there. Even though it’s not the result of a win, our process is starting to show.”

Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Anthony Maluso at amaluso@baltsun.com, 567-230-6024, x.com/TonySunSports and instagram.com/TonySunSports.

As it turned out, the hurler he needed to worry about was Falcons left-handed starter Brody Clark, whose commanding performance against a talented Admirals lineup coupled with Gerstell’s explosive offensive display led to a 10-0 five-inning victory.

Facing the top squad in the B Conference, Clark limited the No. 7 Admirals (13-2, 9-1 MIAA B) to no runs on one hit while stranding four runners in five innings of work. He struck out two and induced eight groundball outs, including five back to the mound, against a team that was averaging about 6.5 runs per contest in league play this spring. He even picked off a runner.

“My tailing fastball was really working; that was a big help,” said Clark, who also doubled and scored a run. “And also my curveball that I had and my changeup, too, when I needed it. It was helpful to have.

“Having that run support definitely is a big factor. Having a good team that has good bats is helpful a lot.”

That timely run support began in the bottom of the first inning on run-scoring singles to center field by John Davis (2-for-3, two runs, RBI) and Craig Mescke (2-for-3), along with an error at second base to stake the Falcons to a 3-0 lead. Gerstell (9-2, 8-2 MIAA B) had four hits in the inning and sent eight hitters to the plate.

Severn threatened to scratch out some runs with two on and two out in the third, but Clark snagged a hard groundball up the middle by Caden Blanck to end the inning.

Starr then handed the ball to right-hander Colby Benz to start the third, and he was greeted rather rudely by the heart of the Gerstell lineup. Clark and Hayden Pittler hit back-to-back doubles, Brayden Gmeiner tripled and Larson Bell executed a successful suicide squeeze for a 10-0 lead.

“We strung the hits together,” said Falcons first baseman Gavin Larson, who helped spark both offensive innings with a pair of hits and an RBI to go along with two runs, a walk and a stolen base. “Brody pitched really good — throws strikes and good defense. The little things matter; we didn’t make too many mistakes.”

Pittler’s double drove in a pair of runs, Gmeinar’s shot to deep center knocked in one, as did Bell’s bunt, and Larson singled in a run to help fuel the seven-run inning. The Falcons also benefited from an error and a wild pitch in the inning to plate a pair of runs.

“They’re a good hitting team,” said Starr, whose squad suffered its first league loss of the campaign. “When we fell behind, they really hit the baseball. We’ve been on a roll, coming here on a big winning streak. We know we’re going to get a good shot from every team, and we got one. I’m excited to see how they respond.”

Severn made a bid to keep the contest going in the top of the fifth with Dominic Medile and Max Barney reaching base via a hit by a pitch and a walk, respectively, but Clark worked a flyout to center field and then a groundout to shortstop to end the contest.

“We’re proving ourselves to the entire MIAA,” said Clark, whose squad moved a half game ahead of Boys’ Latin (9-3, 7-2 MIAA B) for first place in the MIAA B Black Division with the win.

Have a news tip? Contact Anthony Maluso at amaluso@baltsun.com, 567-230-6024, x.com/TonySunSports and instagram.com/TonySunSports.

With starting pitcher Chase Taylor looking to face a tough Liberty lineup for the fourth time, Westminster coach Brad Taylor inserted reliever Brandon Barrett on the mound in the top of the seventh inning with one down and one on base in a tied ballgame.

That decision looked to be the right one as Barrett worked a groundout and then struck out Lions cleanup hitter Danny Nelson to close the top of the seventh. Unfortunately for Taylor, Barrett and the rest of the Owls, that nasty strike in the dirt got away from the catcher, allowing Nelson to reach first base. Five batters later, the visiting Lions built what turned out to be an insurmountable five-run lead that eventually resulted in a 7-3 victory Monday afternoon.

“Fourth time through the lineup, the leadoff [hitter] barrelled that ball, and we were pretty much at the top of our pitch limit and give them a different look. And to be honest, the plan worked out,” Coach Taylor said. “We executed the plan. It’s just unfortunate it didn’t go our way.”

Nelson’s dropped third strike, which came after Carter Shanks was intentionally walked, loaded the bases for the Lions (10-1) with two outs. That’s when Braeden Chubb sent a bounding ball up the middle that just eluded the outstretched glove of shortstop Paul Burgee and into center field, scoring Logan Garey and courtesy runner Justin Herbert for a 4-2 lead.

“He wasn’t finding the zone, and his curveball was hitting the dirt, and I just tried to put the ball back right where it came from or to the right side,” Chubb said. “We just needed one [run] and two scored. We had tons of opportunities at the beginning. Little things like base running and some calls didn’t go our way. For us to come out and have that inning was just huge to finally pounce on them.”

After Aidan Scherr drew a walk, Tanner Kane was hit by a pitch to force in Liberty’s fifth run of the game and third in the inning. Sean Crochunis then worked a bases-loaded walk and Brady Freiert reached on an error to fuel the final two runs of the five-run rally.

The host Owls (8-4) made things interesting in the bottom of the seventh, scoring once and loading the bases with No. 3 hitter Will Mollman at the plate. But Shanks, who went the distance on the mound, got a called third strike on an 0-2 pitch to end the contest.

“I’ve seen a lot of these guys before, especially last year, and my approach today was just pound the zone and get ahead of every batter,” said Shanks, who struck out six, including two in the seventh. “We’re playing as a team. Everybody is working together and being a team.”

Liberty opened the scoring in the second as Nelson reached on an error, took second on a sacrifice bunt, reached third in a groundout, then scored on a soft line drive single to left field by Kane.

The Owls came right back in the bottom of the second with a run of their own. Burgee doubled down the left field line, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Taylor, and then touched home on a suicide squeeze bunt by Griffin Vincent that Shanks could not field cleanly in time to cut down Burgee. Shanks did, however, throw out Vincent on the play to limit more potential damage.

The Lions looked to retake the lead in the top of the inning, loading the bases with one out. Chase Taylor worked out of it unscathed as he picked off Herbert after a mound visit from Coach Taylor before getting Chubb out on a pop-up to second base to end the threat.

“That’s something we put a lot of effort into in practice, the details of the game,” Coach Taylor said. “We saw it; we called it, and they executed it. I couldn’t more proud of my guys. We battled; it just didn’t go our way today.”

Chase Taylor was unable to work out of similar trouble in the fifth as three batters reached base en route to a 2-1 Lions lead. Garey started things by reaching first on a third-strike wild pitch. He later scored on an infield single off the bat of Nelson. Burgee made an impressive diving stop in the hole on Nelson’s groundball, but he was unable to record an out on the play.

Taylor and Vincent reached base in a single and walk, respectively, to start the bottom of the fifth, but Shanks recorded three straight outs on a bunt pop-out, a strikeout looking, and a groundball to second base to preserve the narrow Liberty lead.

One inning later, the Owls knotted the score at 2-2 on a double to right field by Burgee. His high fly ball sailed away from the Liberty right fielder Colin Martin and toward the foul line to bring home Mollman, who worked a two-out walk in the prior at-bat. Martin came up just short of snagging the ball on his diving attempt.

Have a news tip? Contact Anthony Maluso at amaluso@baltsun.com, 567-230-6024, x.com/TonySunSports and instagram.com/TonySunSports.