Danny Lee singled sharply to center, driving home the game-winning run in the sixth inning, and the Walt Whitman Vikings opened the season with a convincing 4-3 victory over Blake behind the five-hit pitching of Ethan Thompson.

Played with temperatures in the 40s, the game was mostly a pitcher's duel between senior Thompson and Blake's Tommy Cuningham, who was named to the pre-season all-state team by Maryland coaches. Despite the cold conditions, both pitchers exhibited strong command on the mound, effectively mixing pitches and allowing only 10 hits on the day. The score was tied at zero through the first three frames.

Whitman jumped on top in the fourth inning when freshman Michael Flack delivered a key, 2-run single. Senior Daniel Novak led off the inning with a single the other way, to left field. Danny Williams reached on an infield single, and the runners advanced to second and third on a throwing error. Flack drove home both runners with a single to right-center and scored later in the inning on a wild pitch.

Thompson, mixing a curve ball and change-up, faced only one more than the maximum hitters through four innings. He was helped by some strong defensive play. Catcher Danny Lee threw out two runners trying to steal second. And the left side of the infield, with Williams at third and Jesse Mates at short, played a nearly flawless game.

Blake strung together three hits in the fifth inning to tie the score. The Bengals were helped by a Viking overthrow and a controversial call on a runner at first. When the dust settled, the score was tied at 3.

But the Vikings, who had beaten Blake in the second round of the state playoffs last year, came right back in the top of the sixth inning. Williams walked and went to second on a wild pitch, setting the stage for Lee, who stung his hands singling to center.

Thompson settled down in the fifth inning, retiring the side with relative ease. But the first Blake batter singled down the third-base line to open the seventh. He was on second with one out when Thompson saw him trying to steal third, stepped off the mound, and gunned him down at third. The final out was recorded on a come-backer to the mound.

Blake actually out-hit Whitman 5-to-4. But the Vikings made all their hits count for runs. Thompson gave up only five hits, struck out four, and didn't walk a batter to record the victory.