by Derek ToneyWith the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning of Saturday’s Class 1A state baseball championship game, Kevin Gowe had something else on his mind other than it being the biggest at-bat of his young life.
“All I was thinking was Dave Sutton,” said Gowe, a junior first basemen for St. Michaels High. “It may sound weird, but that’s all I was thinking.”
In 2001, Sutton singled in the winning run giving St. Michaels its first state title. Now, Gowe can join him in the school’s athletic annals.
His fielder choice with two outs in the bottom of the seventh scored Michael Turner, giving the Saints a come-from-behind 4-3 victory over Harford Tech at Ripken Stadium. It was the Talbot County's school first championship since the 2001 run, and fourth overall for the small Eastern Shore school.
Trailing 3-2 in the seventh, Kyle McKelvey reached for St. Michaels, courtesy of a throwing error, and went to second base. After Mitch Green struck out, Turner lined a single to left centerfield, bringing in McKelvey with the tying run.
Jordan Gowe was hit by a pitch from Harford Tech’s Chris Peacher, then the Cobras intentionally walked Adam Parks to load the bases. Kevin Gowe hit a grounder to Harford Tech shortstop Ryan Neukum, who went to second for a forceout, but Parks beat the throw as Turner crossed the plate with title-winning run.
Turner, a senior shortstop headed to the University of Maryland-Eastern had three hits for the Saints (17-5), and Parks, a freshman, went 2-for-2 with two runs scored. On the mound, Parks pitched a complete game five-hitter and struck out four.
Parks set up the Saints’ first run with a leadoff triple in the second as courtesy runner Jake Fluharty scored off a slow roller by Cody Joseph between the first baseline and the pitcher’s mound. The Cobras responded in the ensuing at-bat with Peacher tripling in Chase Gardner, and a throwing error allowed Peacher to come across the plate, giving them a 3-1 lead.
But Harford Tech eventually fell to nearly the same fate its Harford County comrade, C. Milton Wright, less than 24 hours earlier. C. Milton Wright was two outs shy of the Class 4A crown before Sherwood tied in the bottom of the seventh, then scored a run in the eighth for the title.
“I told them I needed a hug,” said Harford Tech coach Bill Jones. “It’s disappointing, but I learned a long time to not dwell on what went wrong. We’re going to dwell on the positives.”
St. Michaels put together three straight singles in the fourth, leading to a RBI single by Andy Mitchell. Parks allowed just two Harford Tech runners on base over the final four innings, putting the Saints in position. They dedicated their season to coach Brian Femi’s father, Ted, who died nearly two weeks.
“If you don’t believe in divine intervention,” said Femi, “you didn’t see this ballgame.”
Class 1A state final
At Ripken Stadium
St. Michaels 4, Harford Tech 3Harford Tech 012 000 0-3 5 2
St. Michaels 010 100 2-4 9 3
Peacher and Reno; Parks and Gowe.
2B: Harford Tech-West.
3B: Harford Tech-Peacher; St. Michaels-Parks.
