NORTH EAST — Entering the top of the seventh inning of Monday’s 2A East Region matchup with Elkton, North East found themselves clinging to a one-run lead. Holding that advantage was not an easy task for the Indians, as Elkton used a walk and two singles to load the bases with one out.
On an attempt for Elkton to tie the game with a sacrifice fly, North East left fielder Colby Barlok threw out what would have been the tying run at home plate for the final out of the game to seal a 4-3 North East victory.
“When I saw the ball coming to me, I knew they were going to tag up,” Barlok said. “As soon as I caught the ball, I was ready to launch it.”
North East starting pitcher Ryan James led the way for the Indians both on the mound and offensively. James held Elkton to three runs on three hits with five strikeouts in four innings of work. James went two-for-three at the plate with a two-run single in the bottom of the third that broke a 1-1 tie and gave the Indians a 3-1 lead.
“It feels great,” James said of his strong performance. “I really needed that mentally and I needed that before the playoffs as well.”
North East wasted no time getting on the board early, as Evan England hit a lead-off home run to give the Indians a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Elkton responded in the ensuing inning, tying the game on an RBI single by Jeremy Ruth.
Following James’ two-run single, North East extended its lead to three in the bottom of the fourth on a wild pitch that scored Aiden Gross. Elkton rallied to pull back within one in the top of the fifth on a two-run double by Jose Romero. Romero went two-for-four on the day.
North East head coach Kevin Brown acknowledged his team for battling through adversity to get the win in a game that featured strong pitching on both sides. Elkton’s James LaManna pitched 5 ⅓ innings with five strikeouts and three hits allowed.
“Going in, we knew that it was going to be a tough game,” Brown said. “We know they have a couple of arms on that team that’s going to keep them in the baseball game and it proved itself out today. I’m proud of my guys.”
With the regional playoffs around the corner, Brown feels that his team is playing well at the right time. North East finished the regular season with a 12-6 record. The Indians are the two-seed in the region and will receive a bye in the first round of the playoffs. Elkton is the No. 4 seed and will host No. 5 Rising Sun.
“I told the whole team from day one that we were probably going to need the entire team this year, more so than the last few years,” Brown said. “It played itself out that way and for the most part they stepped up. I don’t expect anything less.”
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