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We officially kicked off the 2020 Maryland High School baseball season yesterday with a huge Power 25 matchup featuring the #4 Archbishop Spalding Cavaliers and the visiting #3 DeMatha Stags. Fans packed both sidelines with countless college and professional scouts also on hand to catch some of the top talent in the state in action. 

Following a clean inning by Spalding starter Noah Mrotek (Maryland) in the top of the first; an infield single by Ethan McCormick (Liberty) started things off for the Cavaliers in the bottom half. McCormick would later get to third on a wild throw on a pick off attempt at first base setting the table for three-hole hitter Josh Moylan (East Carolina). The big, power hitting lefty singled through the hole on the right side bringing in McCormick from third and the Cavaliers took the early 1-0 lead. They would add to the lead later in the inning when Ben Wieman walked with the bases loaded to bring in Caleb Estes (Maryland). 

DeMatha starting pitcher Alex Greene (Virginia) settled in after the bottom of the first working three innings on the day striking out six and allowing just the two early runs. Three consecutive singles in the top of the third loaded the bases for Greene with a chance to do some damage at the plate. Subsequently Greene flew out to left for a sac-fly to make it 2-1 before Mrotek bared down picking up one of his eight strikeouts on the day to end the inning. 

DeMatha was back at it again in the fourth loading the bases with no outs on a single by James Holladay (Barton), a walk to Jamir Scott, and an error. Holladay would score with one out on a passed ball off the catcher's glove to tie it and Jack Bulger (Vanderbilt) lined one through the right side for a single to plate two more runs giving the Stags the lead 4-2. 

Spalding answered in the bottom of the fourth with one run as Moylan laced a double to the right-center field gap to drive in Eddie Sargent making it 4-3. The score would remain the same until the seventh as Nate Vermillion (Frostburg State) came on in relief of Mrotek and held the Stags hitters at bay for 3 innings striking out six along the way. The Stags would add an insurance run in the seventh as Blake Badman (Virginia) singled up the middle to drive home Greene making it 5-3.

Sophomore righty Tyson Nercessian did a really nice job in relief of Greene against a strong Cavaliers lineup allowing just the one run in the fourth before handing the ball over to Bulger in the sixth looking for the two-inning save. The senior captain came up with a huge strikeout in the sixth to end a Spalding rally and worked a quick, fairly clean seventh to finish the game. 

Check the website for our Scout Blog from this game in the days to come which will include video, velocities and scout notes. 

 

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