Game MPSSAA Class 1A Baseball State of round Round 3

On May 24, the top-seed in the 1A classification, the Allegany Campers, took on the three-seed St. Michael’s Saints in the state championship at Prince George’s Stadium in Bowie. In the semi-finals, the Campers defeated the Smithsburg Leopards 6-3 while the Saints edged out a narrow 4-3 victory, taking down the Pikesville Panthers. While neither team put up a hit in the first two innings of play, St. Michael’s was working into several deep at bats in the top of the second. Pearson Greenwood led off the inning with a four pitch walk, following up the plate appearance with a stolen base. Additionally, Ethan Royer and Brock Grow both worked walks of their own to load the bases for the Saints with two outs. Blake Wheatley stepped to the plate for St. Michael’s, but struck out looking on three pitches. In the top of the third, Will Sherwood put up the first hit of the game for the Saints, singling on a line drive into left field. After three failed pick off attempts, Sherwood was gunned by Allegany catcher Justin Wakefield trying to take second. AJ Dove was walked and Ethan Royer stepped to the plate with two outs. With a runner on second, Royer hit a hard line drive into left field for a single, but Kyran Freeman threw a rope to home plate to get Dove as he tried to score the game’s first run. Allegany did not produce a run in the bottom half, and this game went to the fourth inning without a score. Brennan Dean opened the next inning with a hard ground ball into center field for St. Michael’s third hit of the contest, and pinch runner Bobby Fink stole second base. On a passed ball in the following at bat, Fink took third base, and ultimately scored on a sacrifice bunt by Brock Grow, giving the Saints a 1-0 lead. In response, Allegany’s offense hit a spark in the bottom of the fourth. Kane Williams started the inning with a walk, and Jackson Resh reached on an error by third baseman Blake Wheatley. With no outs, Landyn Ansel laid a bunt down, and pitcher Brock Grow tried to get the runner out at second. However, his throw got into center field, and Kane Williams scored the first run while the two runnres were at second and third base. With no outs, Liam Buck laced a line drive into right center field, scoring both runs and giving the Campers a 3-1 lead. With the runner at first, Justin Wakefield laid a bunt down the third base line, and Blake Wheatley threw the ball away trying to get Wakefield at first, allowing both runners to move up an additional 90 feet. The Saints tried to pick off Liam Buck at third, but hhe got home, avoiding the tag attempt by Pearson Greenwood. Cole Ricker also singled to center, driving in Allegany’s fifth and final run of the inning. Neither team produced any runs in the fifth, but St. Michael’s picked up another run in the sixth. Brandon Toadvine pinch ran for Brennan Dean. Allegany catcher Justin Wakefield tried to get Toadvine out as he stole second, but the ball got into left field, and the run scored, making it a 5-2 ballgame. In the bottom of the sixth, Allegany’s starting pitcher answered at the plate. With a runner on third and two outs,, Myles Bascelli popped a ball into shallow left center field, but the ball found a hole, dropping for a single allowing the run to score. St. Michael’s produced just one hit in the top of the seventh, giving Allegany their first state championship in 35 years as they won this game 6-2. Myles Bascelli was the winning pitcher in the game for the Campers. The senior threw 102 pitches in five innings, giving up two earned runs on three hits and eight walks. For the Saints, Brock Grow was tagged with the loss, allowing just one earned run (five additional unearned) on 92 pitches across five innings. Congratulations to both teams for reaching this momentous game.