By Ryan Mink
rmink@digitalsports.com
The WCAC baseball championship game was suspended entering the top of the sixth inning Monday night because of continuous rain at the Bowie Baysox Stadium in Bowie.
Bishop Ireton leads 3-2 and although the game had technically gone beyond the required innings for it to be called an official game, WCAC rules state that in playoff games the contest is played the full seven innings no matter what.
The game will be continued Wednesday at a place and time to be determined.
Making things even more difficult is that each team begins its Virginia Independent Schools League state tournament on Tuesday. Paul VI takes on Trinity Episcopal and Bishop Ireton is at home against St. Christopher’s.
Thus each team has to balance who pitches Tuesday as to not burn them for Wednesday and essentially determine how they value each tournament.
“Both teams are two innings away from winning a WCAC title as opposed to three games away from a state title,†Ireton Coach Michael Gallagher said. “So that takes precedence.â€
“It’s a very odd situation,†Paul VI Coach Billy Emerson added. “It’s extremely weird.â€
Sixth-seeded Paul VI took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first when Ireton third baseman Tommy Kiesner fielded a two-out grounder but threw wide of first.
Dan Savage and Chad Morgan came around to score on the play as first baseman and semifinals pitching star Dan Nichols lie injured on the field. Nichols had to come out of the game in a double-whammy for the Cardinals right at the start.
“I knew I had to bounce back, but I knew I could,†Kiesner said. “We just do what we do.â€
Fifth-seeded Ireton, who is 8-2 in 10 one-run games this season, continually got runners on base but couldn’t push them across. A double-play on an infield line out ended the first inning, the bases were left loaded in the second inning and runners were stranded on first and third in the third.
Finally in the second inning, Luke Rabiej started a one-out rally with a single. Brian Lewis, who replaced Nichols, beat out an infield single then Kresner drove in Rabiej with a single to center. C.K. Kraft, who earlier in the inning saved at least one run with a diving two-out catch in center field, doubled to tie the game at 2.
Bishop Ireton took the lead in the bottom of the fifth when junior shortstop Frankie Zare reached on an error and promptly stole second and third base. He came in on a fielder’s choice by Rabiej to give the Cardinals the lead.
“It’s disappointing but I think we’ll come back with the same momentum on Wednesday,†Zare said. We were on a roll. We were hitting the ball hard all game and they were finally getting through.â€
Processing your request, Please wait....
