Bulldogs champs of the 4A South

By James A. McCray III
Prince George's County, Content Manager

Bowie Bulldogs senior pitcher Tony Cerverizzo is a cool customer from the mound.

In Saturday's 4A South championship game at home against the High Point Eagles, he showed exactly why.

After allowing four runs to cross the plate in the top half of the opening inning, the senior showed no emotion or no worries, and proceeded to retire 15 consecutive batters afterward allowing his offense to claw back and earn a 13-5 victory.

"In the first inning, I didn't feel warm enough," Cerverizzo admitted as he arrived to the game a few minutes late. "I just had to find my spot, and find my arm motion."

Eight of the 15 outs were by strike out, including striking out the side in the fourth inning, much to the joy of head coach Bob Estes.

"Tony, after the first inning, retired 15 guys in a row," Estes said. " ... After that first inning, they were not hurting us."

Cerverizzo knocked in the first run for Bowie in the bottom of the first to cut the deficit to 4-1, and another run would cut it to 4-2 to end the inning.

After tying it at 4 in the second inning on a bases-loaded walk, an additional bases-loaded walk in the fourth allowed Bowie to take the lead for good at 5-4.

An error and a bunt single both plating runs, coupled with a Dylan Thompson sacrifice-fly RBI, gave the Bulldogs a comfortable 8-4 lead en route to its win.

"You may not know it from them because they are a quiet group," Estes said of his team, "but they have been shooting for this all year. ... We have not been region champs since '05."

High Point jumped out to a 2-0 lead thanks to a 2-RBI single from senior catcher Jeff Polanco.

Teammate Leandro Guzman followed with a RBI-single and a stolen base allowed for the Eagles to jump out to its 4-0 lead.

However, head coach Brian Rau and the Eagles would score only one additional run, that coming in the sixth inning.

"The hitting wasn't there today, but I credit that to the pitching," Rau said. "That is the best pitching we have seen all year. ... I think maybe he wasn't completely warmed up yet, because after the first inning he settled in and threw a really good game."

However, many of the Eagles are underclassmen which should bode well for the foreseeable future of the High Point program.

Bowie now advances to the state tournament and will face Severna Park in the state semifinal on Tuesday, May 19, at the University of Maryland's Shipley Field. Game time is scheduled for 4 p.m.

And for two of the Bulldogs' emotional leaders, junior first baseman Jon Smock and junior shortstop Charlie Garner, the Bulldogs are looking forward to the challenge.

"It's very, very high," Smock said of the confidence level heading into the state semifinal.

"Play baseball," Garner said. "Stay on the game that we have been playing after the first inning [against High Point]"

E-mail: James A. McCray III

Bowie 13, High Point 5
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