Calvert Hall tops Spalding to even MIAA A Baseball Championship Series

by Derek Toney

It’s fitting that Archbishop Spalding and Calvert Hall, who’ve dominated MIAA A Conference baseball the last two decades, made the first postseason championship series. 

And it’s only fitting that it will be a winner-take-all match after the Cardinals’ 3-1 victory over the Cavaliers Sunday afternoon at Joe Cannon Stadium in Harmans. Nathan Rodriguez pitched five shutout innings for Calvert Hall.

Against Spalding ace Jake Yeager, the Cardinals (19-11 overall) used gutsy efforts from Rodriguez and Ryder Sowa, and a big momentum-establishing swing from Luke Kreiner to even the best-of-three series. The teams return to Joe Cannon, Monday afternoon at 4:30, to decide the 2024 champion.

“We know what we got to do,” said Calvert Hall coach Brooks Kerr. “Historically, we’ve done this in the past.”

“One-game season, should be fun,” said Spalding coach Joe Palumbo. “Always is when it’s Calvert Hall and Spalding.”

The Cavaliers (26-5), the two-time defending champ, were poised to close it out Sunday with Yeager, who will play for the University of Maryland next spring, on the hump. But the Cardinals got all their runs off the hard-throwing right hander Yeager in the first three innings.

“We were fired up. We were ready,” said Kreiner. “Yesterday, we had the machine cranked up on 88, 90 (miles per hour). We were ready to face a big-time kid like this today.”

Kreiner, a sophomore left fielder and one of eight starting underclassmen Sunday, sent a Yeager fastball high and deep to right field. The ball hit off the base of the fence, scoring Brayden Wolf from first and Kreiner slid into third with a triple.

Sophomore Luke Kreiner drove in two runs and junior Nathan Rodriguez pitched five shutout innings as Calvert Hall defeated Spalding, 3-1, in game two of the MIAA A Conference baseball championship series at Joe Cannon Stadium in Anne Arundel County.

With the bases loaded in the third, Kreiner stayed off a high 3-2 fastball from Yeager (7 innings, 2 earned runs, 5 hits, 3 hit batters) for a walk, scoring Michael Copenspire, giving Calvert Hall a 3-0 lead. 

Copenspire, the lone senior in the Cardinals’ starting nine Sunday, singled home Will Haacke with Calvert Hall’s second run. 

Kerr said Kreiner worked his way into a starting role this spring after a senior got injured.

“That was a big hit and he has a good swing,” said Kerr. “He’s finally settled in.”

Rodriguez wasn’t as steady as Kreiner, but the junior righty worked through five innings, allowing four hits and two walks. Spalding got the first two runners on base in three of those innings.

“I love the pressure,” said Rodriguez, who only retired the side in the fourth. 

In the first, Rodriguez escaped a second and third with one out situation with junior shortstop Travis Peltz capturing Spalding’s Theo Loughlin’s liner and cleanly fielding a grounder by Drew Emrich. Rodriguez struck out two of the final three batters in the fourth after starting the frame with a walk and a single by Emrich.

After misplaying a throw covering first to start the fifth, Rodriguez allowed an opposite field single to Sam Houchens. With runners at second and third with one out, Rodriguez struck out Brennan Inscoe on three pitches and Loughlin looking on a full count, to cap his effort.

“I was a bit drained. Hot day,” Rodriguez admitted.

Sowa, a freshman, pitched the final two innings, allowing a run and a hit. He struck out the final two batters, sending the Cardinals to Monday.

With its season on the line Sunday, Kerr was confident in Rodriguez and Sowa, playing for the first time in a couple of weeks.

“Nathan gave us some innings today,” said Kerr. “He didn’t have his best stuff, but he gave us five innings and I gave it to Ryder and let him close it out.”

Spalding loaded the bases with one out against Sowa in the sixth. Houchens’ fly out plated Emrich with the Cavaliers’ first run, but Braeden Martin struck out to end the frame.

Spalding went 1-2-3 in the seventh. The Cavaliers won the series opener Friday, 3-0, on a Carver Salazer’s three-run second inning home run and three pitchers combining on a three-hitter.

Sunday was a different story for Spalding coach Joe Palumbo, whose team committed two errors and left nine runners on base.

“We didn’t come to play today, which is mind-boggling to me. Didn’t compete in the box, didn’t make plays in the field,” said Palumbo.  “Championships are not given to you, you have to earn it and we did not do that. Credit to them (Calvert Hall) for taking advantage of our mishaps and their pitcher was really good.”

Kerr said senior Peter Bashore will take the ball for Calvert Hall in Monday’s championship series finale. Spalding defeated the Cardinals in the finals of last year’s double-elimination tournament. 

The Cavaliers look to win their seventh title since 2011 while Calvert Hall seeks a MIAA A-leading 13 championship (first since 2019). 

“I’m proud of what they’ve done…we’re not finished,” said Kerr. “We’re not just happy to be here, we’re here to win this thing.”