CLASS 4A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP: BEL AIR 8, QUINCE ORCHARD 1
Article: Bel Air uses monster sixth inning to seize 4A state crown over Quince Orchard
CLASS 1A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP: BRUNSWICK 4, PATTERSON MILL 0
ABERDEEN — The Brunswick Railroaders (19-7) captured their second straight Class 1A state championship on Monday afternoon behind a complete game shutout gem from pitcher Andrew Wanger. Brunswick defeated Patterson Mill, 4-0.
“That was our goal when we left here last year,” Dawson said. “We knew were getting (Andrew) Wanger back. We had to put some defense around him and develop a few guys.”
Last year, the Railroaders steamrolled through their schedule en route to their first state crown since 1996 behind Wanger’s complete game shutout in which he struck out 13.
Wanger knew the video-game-like performance put on a year ago to claim the Railroaders’ first state title in 19 years would not be something to expect again.
“I tried not to think about last year’s state championship game,” Wanger said. “Don’t try to match last year’s type of game. All I worried about was throwing strikes.”
Wanger hurled a full seven innings, making 14 innings of shutout baseball at Cal Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen during his high school baseball career. Experiences like the dominate outing a year ago in the Class 1A state championship, set the table for reasonable expectations during his senior year. It also soothed pregame jitters.
Before every game last year, Andrew Wanger’s stomach would be so churned in knots that he often times wouldn’t eat.
“I wouldn’t touch my pregame sub,” he said. “I knew what to expect. Last year I was so nervous, I wouldn’t eat before games. This year, I had no butterflies or anything.”
Wanger located his pitches effectively, locking down the outside of the plate in his six strikeouts and jamming batters to induce timely groundouts. His first four innings ended in a 1-2-3 result and his only two baserunners he allowed during that span he picked off.
Conor McCormick sent a sac fly RBI into left field to give Brunswick a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Leading off the top of the fifth inning, Tyler Babyak launched a solo homerun over the left field fence to give Brunswick a 2-0 lead. Two batters later, Connor Kean jacked a solo homerun of his own to push the Roaders’ lead to 3-0. Tyler Ebberts would get the the fourth run across on an RBI single.
The Roaders’ second consecutive title was earned through grit and tireless work as they had to play eight Class 3A teams during the regular season. They also faced matchups with Boonsboro and Smithsburg in the playoffs; two games they lost during the regular season.
“Our schedule coupled with experience had a lot to do with us doing what we did today,” Dawson said.
Entering the playoffs with a 13-7 record, this year’s Brunswick team described their latest feat as even more satisfying than a year ago.
“We’ve all been playing with each other since Little League,” Babyak said who finished two for three at the plate with a double and a home run. “It means a lot finishing together on a good note.”
WP: Andrew Wanger (7-3) 7 IP, 0 ER, 3 hits, 2 BB’s, 6 K’s
LP: Austin Koehn (11-1) 5+ IP, 4 ER, 6 hits, 3 BB’s, 3 K’s
2B: Brunswick — Babyak 1 | Patterson Mill — none
3B: Brunswick — none | Patterson Mill — none
HR: Brunswick — Babyak 1, Kean 1 | Patterson Mill — none
RBI’s: Brunswick — Babyak 1, Ebberts 1, Kean 1, McCormick 1 | Patterson Mill — none
Stolen bases: Brunswick — Heffner 2, Walls 2 | Patterson Mill — none
CLASS 2A BASEBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP: LA PLATA 4, WILLIAMSPORT 1
ABERDEEN — The La Plata Warriors (22-2) captured the Class 2A baseball state championship on Monday afternoon, defeating Williamsport, 4-1.
The Warriors got on the board in the top of the first inning when pitcher Scott Logue knocked in an RBI infield single. Logue would toss a complete seven innings, striking out three while scattering six hits and four walks. He also finished two for three at the plate; both hits being singles.
In the third inning, La Plata plated three runs on three hits, including a two RBI single from infielder Jake Hanks.
Williamsport (19-5) scored their only run on a fielder’s choice RBI from Robert Carr in the fifth inning.
Wildcats starting pitcher Matt Honch pitched five innings, surrendering four earned runs, two walks and six hits, while punching out five batters.
WP: Scott Logue (7-0) 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 6 hits, 4 BB’s, 3 K’s
LP: Matt Harsh (7-2) 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 6 hits, 2 BB’s, 5 K’s
2B: La Plata — none | Williamsport — none
3B: La Plata — none | Williamsport — none
HR: La Plata — none | Williamsport — none
RBI’s: La Plata — Hanks 2, Cook 1, Logue 1 | Williamsport — Carr 1
Stolen bases: La Plata — none | Williamsport — none
CLASS 3A BASEBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP: HUNTINGTOWN 4, CHESAPEAKE-AA 3
ABERDEEN — The Huntingtown Hurricanes (21-4) completed a comeback for the ages on Monday evening, plating four runs in the top of the seventh inning to upend Chesapeake-AA in the Class 3A state championship, 4-3.
Trailing the entire game, the Hurricanes entered the top of the seventh inning staring at a two run deficit. Andrew Powlowski and Danny Goucher drew back-to-back walks to open up the top half of the inning. Brandyn Vogtsberger’s ensuing attempt at a sacrifice bunt to send both runners into scoring position turned into a Chesapeake E1, sending Powlowski around from second to score.
With one out, Jack Morales lined an RBI single to right field to tie the game at 2-2. Two batters later, Eddie Harris looped an RBI single into center field to give Huntingtown their first lead of the night, 3-2. Huntingtown would get their fourth run on a botched rundown as Devaughn Reid came from third base to beat the throw at home.
Chesapeake scored their first two runs in the second inning on a passed ball and an RBI single from Pat Goralski. Hungtingtown starter, Tyler Livingston, only pitched two innings, giving up two earned runs on two hits and one walk. He also struck out two.
Brandyn Vogtsberger relieved Livingston in the third inning and would slam the door on the Cougars, pitching a scoreless third, fourth, fifth and sixth inning to setup the hearty comeback.
In the bottom of the seventh, Chesapeake had runners on the corners with zero outs, but an ensuing double-play would erase the attempted rally, and only send the runner from third into score.
Chesapeake starter Joe Seidler surrenderd four earned runs and a whopping seven walks in seven innings.
WP: Brandyn Vogtsberger (8-0) 4.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 hits, 1 BB, 4 K’s
LP: Joe Seidler (11-1) 7.0 IP, 4 ER, 5 hits, 7 BB’s, 4 K’s
2B: Chesapeake-AA — none | Huntingtown — none
3B: Chesapeake-AA — none | Huntingtown — none
HR: Chesapeake-AA — none | Huntingtown — none
RBI’s: Chesapeake-AA — Cheatwood, 1 Goralski 1 | Hungtingtown — Harris 1, Morales 1, Vogtsberger 1
Stolen bases: Chesapeake-AA — Oxyer 1 | Huntingtown — none
