EASTON — His pitching staff plagued by injury since the beginning of the season, Easton High head baseball coach Albert Pritchett decided to take the committee approach heading into the postseason.
That plan worked beautifully Thursday, as Pax Echternach, Dylan Fink and Cullen Murphy combined to throw a no-hitter, leading the Warriors to a 13-0 five-inning victory over Wicomico in a Class 2A East Region II quarterfinal on a day when its ball field was renamed Warrior Field in memory of former assistant coach Matt Blue.
A longtime Talbot County teacher and coach, Blue died on April 5, 2024 after a 17-month battle with cancer.
“I think it was perfect,” Pritchett said of the field’s renaming, which was celebrated with a brief ceremony prior the game before the field’s updated scoreboard with Blue’s name across the bottom was unveiled. “It was done as a community effort from his fellows teachers from the middle school, other Talbot County school teachers and community members. I think the Talbot County School teachers and community really stepped. They raised the money, got it approved, and I felt it was perfect. I just kind of shows you what kind of an impact he had.”
Third-seeded Easton (9-9) advances to the 2A East Region II semifinals and will play at No. 2 seed and defending 2A state champion Parkside (13-4) on Saturday at 11 a.m.
Wicomico finished the season 1-17.
Echternach, who had only started on the mound once before this season, got the news he was the Warrior starter not long after he and his teammates showed up at the field.
“I didn’t know I was (starting). But when he (Pritchett) said it I was kind of happy,” Echternach said.
Pritchett may have been the happiest of Warriors as he watched his sophomore right-hander pitched 3 1/3 innings on no-hit ball, striking out two and walking just one.
“We’re very proud of Pax,” Pritchett said. “Stepped up against (James M.) Bennett (near the end of the regular season). Stepped up against Wi-Hi. Threw strikes. He mixed up his pitches well. Had a lot of first-pitch outs. Got them swinging, which is the key.”
Echternach admitted he was a little nervous early, “when I was trying to figure out my pitches. After the first few pitches I was fine. I was confident in what I was doing.
“Probably my fastball the most,” Echternach said when asked what was working. “It was the only thing I could really locate. And my changeup as well.”
After issuing a one-out walk to Kayden Fryling, Echternach was relieved by Fink. Warrior catcher Colin Mooney threw out Fryling trying to steal second for the inning’s second out. Fink walked Ayden George but then fanned Matthew Bier to end the fourth.
Murphy retired the side in order in the fifth.
The Warriors took advantage of three errors and a hit batsman to build a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second.
Designated hitter Kayden Webb then triggered a four-run third by launching a Noah Riggin delivery over the left-field fence for a leadoff homer. CJ Dugan doubled to right and was moved to third on Colin Mooney’s bunt single. Dugan then raced home, when Colin Mooney (2 for 3) drew a throw to second on a steal attempt, making it 5-0 Easton.
The Warriors added two more runs before the third was complete, then stretched their lead to 13 in the home fourth. Chris Jones relieved Riggin after two batters. Easton scored on an error, another throw down to second, and Mike O’Connor’s run-producing groundout.
Carter Mooney doubled. After Jonah Rich was hit by a pitch, Al Rhodes’ single to left was misplayed into a two-base error, plating two more runs. Dylan Cassell’s single scored Rhodes with the game’s last run.
“I feel confident we can hit the ball against most teams,” Pritchett said. “And we can manufacture runs. Our defense has been strong throughout the year. We got to throw strikes, keep the pace moving. When we throw strikes, we’re in every ballgame. When we don’t throw strikes it’s trouble.”
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