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3A Semifinal Roundup

May 26, 2016

Northeast Prospect ID

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 By PBR Maryland staff

Aberdeen v Huntingtown

Hanover, MD:

While Huntingtown was trying to get going offensively, Brandyn Vogtsberger made sure his Hurricanes would have the necessary at-bats.

The senior right-hander struck out nine in a complete game 4-hitter as Huntingtown scored two runs in the top of the ninth to edge the Aberdeen Eagles, 3-1.

Huntingtown (20-4), the Southern Maryland Athletic Conference champions, have won 16 of 17 after starting the season 3-3. They will face Chesapeake Monday at Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen at 6 pm in search of its first state title. They were finalists in 2006 and 2010.

Aberdeen (15-8) was making its first appearance at the state tournament since Cal Ripken led it to its only state title in 1978. David Fulp, a crafty lefty sporting a 6-0 record and 2.02 ERA coming in, kept the Hurricanes off-balanced through the first four innings, allowing just two hits. The Eagles took a 1-0 lead in the third when Sam Smith drove Brandon Gurusko home with a two-out single.

Andrew Brndjar relieved Fulp in the fifth and kept Huntingtown off the board until the sixth. With two out and none on, Brndjar hit Vogtsberger and courtesy runner Ethan Powe stole second. An error on a Jack Morales grounder brought Powe home to even the game at one.

Both righties kept the offenses in check until Huntingtown got things going again with two outs and none on in the ninth. Eddie Harris singled and stole second, scoring on an AJ Demino single up the middle. Demino stole second himself, and scored when Tyler Livingston’s fly ball was dropped in the outfield.

Vogtsberger, who improved to 7-0, made the lead stand, retiring the side in the ninth and getting Jacob Murlock to ground back to him to end the game.

Chesapeake v Damascus

By Jerry Shank
Maryland Scouting Director

Pat Goralski’s two out single in the bottom of the eighth inning sent the Chesapeake Cougars to the 3A State Championship in a 4-3 victory over west region champ Damascus.

Damascus (15-5) was the first of the teams to strike after a silent first inning by both squads. Ethan Wentzlaff would single to lead off the second and Connor Manion doubled to put runners on second and third with one out. Damascus would get their first run across after a ground ball to third and the ball was knocked out of the glove of the catcher after a tag play at the plate. Elliott Brown would then perform a successful squeeze bunt and reach first safely to give the Hornets a second run. Aaron Mettus’ sacrifice fly to right scored the third run of the inning, making it 3-0 Damascus after one and a half.

Chesapeake (21-3) would get a run back in the bottom half after an error scored Roland Siwinski. The game would go scoreless until the bottom of the sixth when Chesapeake finally got the big hit they needed.

With two outs in the inning, Ryan Richardson reached base after his second hit on the game to right field. Two walks later, including a impressive nine-pitch at-bat from pinch hitter Jake Fitzsimmons, the bases were loaded for No. 9 hitter Eric Cheatwood. After getting behind 1-2 in the count, Cheatwood would battle back to a full count and sent a fastball to the right center gap, scoring Fitzsimmons and pinch runner Anthony Casalino to tie the game up at 3.

The game would go into extras after a quiet seventh inning from both sides. Going to the bottom of the eighth, Blake Rebstock would lead the inning off with a single. He advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Richardson, advance to third from a fly out off the bat of Connor Fletcher, and then eventually score after the big base hit from Goralski in his first at bat of the game coming off the bench.

Joe Seidler got the win for Chesapeake on the mound pitching 1.2 innings of relief for starter Dustin Gosnell. Gosnell went 6.1 innings, giving up five hits, three runs and five strikeouts. Richardson and Dillon Oxyer led Chesapeake with two hits apiece and Cheatwood had two RBI.

Wentzlaff started on the mound for Damascus and got the no-decision, going 5.2 innings allowing four hits, three runs (two earned), striking out two. Brown led Damascus with a hit and RBI.

Chesapeake advances to the 3A championship game where they will face Huntingtown.

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