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Calvert Hall's Joe Robak (above) was 4-for-4 with a double and two RBI in the Cardinals' 11-1 win over St. Paul's.
It's been a crazy spring of baseball in the MIAA A Conference. There was more parity than expected and many wild finishes, as an air of unpredictability has settled over nearly every game. But, as the league's championship tournament has now moved through two rounds, an air of normalcy seems to have been restored.
The area's top two teams - Calvert Hall and Archbishop Spalding, the consensus preseason favorites - have each reached the winners' bracket final and will battle on Friday, at Calvert Hall, for the first spot in the tournament final, set for next Tuesday at Ripken Stadium.
Calvert Hall (24-7), the three time defending champion, opened its title defense with a dominate, 11-1, five-inning win over St.Pauls, yesterday at Carlo Crispino Stadium, as senior Mike Dillon tossed a two-hitter. Spalding (27-5) also got an outstanding effort on the mound as ace Jason Patten pitched a complete-game five-hitter, at Cavalier Field, to lead Spalding past surging Mount St. Joseph, 4-3, in eight innings.
Left-fielder Joe Robak paced a 15 hit Calvert Hall attack,going 4-for-4
with a double and two RBI. Shortstop Pat Balir had a triple, double and a
single, and scored two runs, while third-baseman Kevin Lingerman had two
doubles. First-baseman Justin Anderson also had a big game, as homered and doubled for coach Lou
Eckerl.
"This was a huge first step for us,"s aid Robak. "We worked hard to finish
first, because it gives us the home field advantage in the playoffs."
St. Paul's (17-11), which had rallied for a 4-3, 10-inning win over Loyola, one day earlier, got off to an encouraging start, as catcher Colby Roane walked to start the game, moved to third on a single by Hunter Kitchens and scored the first run of the game on Jack Carey's sacrifce fly. Unfortunately for the Crusaders, that would be the only damage they would inflict on Dillon all day.
"He threw well today," said Roane of Dillon. "He's a real battler."
Seven of the Cards 15 hits were for extra bases.
In Anne Arundel County, the second-seeded Cavaliers got an eighth inning single from catcher Eddie Palmer that plated Adam Summerfeldt to send sixth-seeded St. Joe (15-13) into the elimination bracket. Patten fanned 11 Gaels, as he picked up his sixth win of the year for coach Steve Miller.
"St. Joe is on a roll," said Patten. "I had to work hard not to miss a spot today."
Summerfeldt had to hits, Kevin Moran was 2-for-3 with a double and Jeff Kamp blasted a solo homer for the Cavs.
Hot hitting Craig Howser hit a two-run homer for the Gaels and Ricky Laidler had two hits and an RBI for coach Dave Norton.
"I was just trying to put the ball in play," said the clutch hitting Palmer. "Ryan (Kemp) pitched a great game for them."
In yesterday's first elimination game of the tournament, third-seeded Archbishop Curley rallied from a 4-2 to deficit, entering the bottom of seventh inning, to defeat Loyola 5-4. This means the Friars (21-7) will host St. Joe this afternoon in another elimination game. The Gaels won at Curley, 9-3, in the tournament opener on Tuesday. The winner of today's game will play St. Paul's tomorrow. If it is Curley, the Friars will host, while St. Joe would go to Brooklandville, should it prevail.
Loyola concluded an excellent season at 21-11.
A Conference Tournament Bracket
Calvert Hall 11, St. Paul's 1
SP 100 00 - 1 2 1
CH 232 31 - 11 15 0
Kitchens, Delveccio (3), Doyle (4) and Roane; Dillon and Sawyer
2B: CH-Blair, Sawyer, Lingerman (2), Anderson.
3B: Blair.
HR: Anderson.
WP-Dillon LP-Kitchens
Archbishop Spalding 4, Mount St. Joseph 3, 8 innings
MSJ 002 100 00 - 3 5 0
AS 111 000 01 - 4 7 1
2B: AS-Moran.
HR: MSJ-Howser; AS-J.Kemp.
WP-Patten LP-R. Kemp
St. Paul's (17-11), which had rallied for a 4-3, 10-inning win over Loyola, one day earlier, got off to an encouraging start, as catcher Colby Roane walked to start the game, moved to third on a single by Hunter Kitchens and scored the first run of the game on Jack Carey's sacrifce fly. Unfortunately for the Crusaders, that would be the only damage they would inflict on Dillon all day.
"He threw well today," said Roane of Dillon. "He's a real battler."
Seven of the Cards 15 hits were for extra bases.
In Anne Arundel County, the second-seeded Cavaliers got an eighth inning single from catcher Eddie Palmer that plated Adam Summerfeldt to send sixth-seeded St. Joe (15-13) into the elimination bracket. Patten fanned 11 Gaels, as he picked up his sixth win of the year for coach Steve Miller.
"St. Joe is on a roll," said Patten. "I had to work hard not to miss a spot today."
Summerfeldt had to hits, Kevin Moran was 2-for-3 with a double and Jeff Kamp blasted a solo homer for the Cavs.
Hot hitting Craig Howser hit a two-run homer for the Gaels and Ricky Laidler had two hits and an RBI for coach Dave Norton.
"I was just trying to put the ball in play," said the clutch hitting Palmer. "Ryan (Kemp) pitched a great game for them."
In yesterday's first elimination game of the tournament, third-seeded Archbishop Curley rallied from a 4-2 to deficit, entering the bottom of seventh inning, to defeat Loyola 5-4. This means the Friars (21-7) will host St. Joe this afternoon in another elimination game. The Gaels won at Curley, 9-3, in the tournament opener on Tuesday. The winner of today's game will play St. Paul's tomorrow. If it is Curley, the Friars will host, while St. Joe would go to Brooklandville, should it prevail.
Loyola concluded an excellent season at 21-11.
A Conference Tournament Bracket
Calvert Hall 11, St. Paul's 1
SP 100 00 - 1 2 1
CH 232 31 - 11 15 0
Kitchens, Delveccio (3), Doyle (4) and Roane; Dillon and Sawyer
2B: CH-Blair, Sawyer, Lingerman (2), Anderson.
3B: Blair.
HR: Anderson.
WP-Dillon LP-Kitchens
Archbishop Spalding 4, Mount St. Joseph 3, 8 innings
MSJ 002 100 00 - 3 5 0
AS 111 000 01 - 4 7 1
2B: AS-Moran.
HR: MSJ-Howser; AS-J.Kemp.
WP-Patten LP-R. Kemp
