Calvert Hall and Spalding claim big wins in baseball playoff openers
McDonogh and St. Mary’s advance in the B; Park and Pallotti reach winners final bracket in the C
The MIAA A Conference baseball playoffs got underway on Monday as top-seeded Archbishop Spalding and second-seeded Calvert Hall each hosted the opening games in their respective best-of-three semifinal series.
Both games featured plenty of offense by the higher seeds as each scored 12 runs to win and move within one win of reaching the 2024 championship series in the first year of the league’s new playoff format.
In Severna Park, Spalding scored early and often in its 12-0, five-inning win over Loyola Blakefield, backing the one-hit, complete game shutout tossed by ace Jake Yeager.
Yeager fanned 11 Dons, among the 15 outs he secured, and walked three. Colby Schilling, the second batter of the game, got the only hit for Loyola with a single to left-field.
Designated hitter Carson Merritt had two hits, scored two runs and drove in three to lead the Cavaliers at the plate. Carver Salazar and Sam Houchens also had a pair of RBI for Spalding. Theo Loughlin added two hits, including a double, along with a RBI and two runs scored, and Cruz Luna double home a run and scored one.
At Calvert Hall, the host Cardinals defeated Archbishop Curley, 12-2, in six innings, but this game was a little more suspenseful until the final two frames.
The clubs entered the fifth tied 2-2, but after the Cardinals opened the bottom of the fifth with back-to-back singles Michael Copenspire launched deep blast over the left-fence for a three-run home run and a 5-2 Calvert Hall lead. The Cardinals then unloaded in the bottom of the sixth, scoring seven more runs to end the contest.
Copenspire also had a double in the game, scored three runs and drove in four. Ethan Frank added a triple and three RBI, while Nathan Rodriguez, Travis Peitz and Brayden Wolf each had two hits in the game. Rodriguez and Will Haacke each contributed doubles in the game.
Curley got a double from Derek Poole and a home run from Austin Sealing. The Friars were also hurt by the fact that starting pitcher Carson Eddy was forced from the game with an injury in the fourth inning.
Both series will continue on Tuesday with Loyola and Curley holding the home field advantage as they each attempt to pull even and force a game three on Thursday.
In the B and C Conference double-elimination tournaments also continued Monday. In the B Conference winners’ bracket, McDonogh stunned top-seeded Boys’ Latin with an 18-0 route, while St. Mary’s defeated arch-rival Severn, 3-1. The Eagles and Saints will now meet on Wednesday, at Kinder Farm Park, to determine the first team to qualify for next Sunday’s B Conference championship finals.
Boys’ Latin drops to the elimination bracket where it will host Gerstell Academy on Tuesday. Gerstell survived the tournament’s first elimination game with a 2-1 win over Annapolis Area Christian on Monday.
Severn also drops to the elimination bracket and will face the winner of the BL-Gerstell game on Wednesday.
In the C Conference, Park rolled to a 14-4 win over Concordia Prep and St. Vincent Pallotti edged Beth Tfiloh, 8-7, in the two winners’ bracket games. Pallotti will now travel to Park on Wednesday as the the Panthers and Bruins battle for the first spot in the C Conference finals.
In Monday’s first elimination bracket game, Key topped Friends School, 2-0, and will now go to Beth Tfiloh for another elimination contests on Tuesday. The winner between the Obezags and Warriors will move on to play Concordia Prep on Wednesday.