ST. MICHAELS — Like many a game that shapes a division race, it was close.
Each team turned an inning-ending double play.
Each team had a batter hit by a pitch and another intentionally walk.
Each team got outstanding performances from their big-name pitchers.
And each team finished with five hits.
But it was St. Michaels High’s baseball team that produced the decisive — and what proved to be the last — hit. That hit came with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the fifth inning Monday, when Jack Brennen chopped a slow bouncer down the third-base line for an infield hit that scored Pearson Greenwood with the winning run in a 3-2 Saints victory at Harold Baines Field.
St. Michaels (12-0 overall, 5-0 North Bayside) entered Tuesday tied atop the division with Colonel Richardson (12-1, 5-0) while Queen Anne’s slipped to 9-3, 2-2.
“It was a very good high school baseball game,” St. Michaels head coach Brian Femi said. “Both teams played well. It was an outstanding pitching duel. Both teams got timely hits. Both played good defense.”
And both had scored two runs apiece heading into the bottom of the fifth.
That’s when Will Sherwood lined a one-out single to center field. Queen Anne’s right-hander Noah Palmer (3-1) walked Greenwood. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch before Palmer issued an intentional pass to Jacob Bealefeld, loading the bases. Henry Mullikin grounded to third baseman Jacob Clough, who threw home to force Sherwood at the plate for the second out.
Brennen then beat a grounder down the third-base line. Clough got to the ball, but didn’t have time to make a throw to first as Greenwood raced home with the go-ahead run. Femi and Queen Anne’s head coach Chris Fitzgerald agreed Brennen’s bouncer was an infield hit — the last hit for either team the rest of the game.
“Heavyweight game for sure,” Fitzgerald said. “They got the hit they needed and came away with the W.”
Both pitchers were impressive, with St. Michaels senior left-hander Jacob Seek (4-0) striking out a season-high 13 in a complete-game victory. Seek allowed one earned run and walked two.
“This is what he’s done all year,” Femi said of Seek. “He just goes out and makes big pitches in big situations. The bigger the situation the bigger the pitcher. And he’s a leader.”
Queen Anne’s Dalton Brown led off the game with a single, but Seek struck out the next three batters.
Down 2-0, the Lions had a rally working in the second, when Clough walked on four pitches and Colin Siwald singled to left. Seek fanned Bobby McCarthy, but Palmer reached with a bunt single up the third-base line, loading the bases. Gavin Leith grounded into a fielder’s choice that plated Clough to make it 2-1. Seek ended the inning when Brown skied out to center.
“At moments it was little tight, but I think we did a good job of pulling out of it and being efficient,” Seek said. “My curveball was on point today I felt like. I felt like I had a little mechanical issue that I had to (work the) kink out early. And I think when I figured that out in that second inning it kind of picked up for me and I was able to be more efficient with my pitches and hit my locations.”
The Lions though pulled even in the top of the third. With one out, Seek struck out Dulin Clark. But the ball kicked away from Mullikin behind the plate. By the time St. Michaels’ catcher located and retrieved the ball over by the St. Michaels dugout, Clark was on second. Evan Dickey then laced a 1-2 offering up the middle to score Clark with the tying run.
The closest Queen Anne’s came to breaking the 2-2 tie was in the fourth. Leith reached on an infield hit and moved to second on a passed ball. After Brown was intentionally walk, Seek fanned Noah Cramer to end the inning.
Seek retired nine of the final 10 batters he faced. McCarthy reached with one out in the sixth when he was hit by a pitch before Palmer bounced to Bealefeld at third to a 5-4-3 inning-ending double play.
“That turned the game around I thought,” Femi said. “Jake’s played well for us all year. And that just swung the momentum our way.”
Palmer delivered yet another quality performance for the Lions, striking out eight and walking four in 5 1/3 innings.
“I thought he was fantastic,” Femi said of Palmer. “He beat us last year. We haven’t hit him in two years. He competes. He changes speeds. He throws multiple pitches. I think he’s one of the better pitchers in the Bayside.”
But the Saints pushed two runs across in the home half of the first. Connor Wheeler was hit by a pitch and stole second base. Sherwood reached on an error, advancing Wheeler to third. Palmer looked like he might escape any damage when he struck out Greenwood and Bealefeld. But Mullikin drove a 1-1 pitch up the middle to score Wheeler and Sherwood for a 2-0 lead. Brennen followed with a single before Palmer fanned Bobby Fink to end the frame.
“After that first inning, it was rough,” Palmer said. “But I came back and I feel like I was dialed in.”
Blending his fastball and curve, Palmer wouldn’t face more than four batters over the next three innings. Wheeler hit a two-out single in the second, stole second base and moved to third on a passed ball before Palmer got Sherwood to bounce out to third. The right-hander walked Bealefeld with one out in the third. Mullikin flew out to center fielder Brown, who fired a strike to first to double off Bealefield for the inning-ending double play.
Brock Grow got on via a two-out walk in the fourth and advanced to second on a passed ball. But Palmer got a called third strike on Ethan Royer to strand Grow. St. Michaels stranded seven baserunners, six in scoring position.
“He hasn’t had a bad game,” Fitzgerald said of Palmer. “We’ve put him up against all the big teams we got to go up against and we’re proud the way he’s handled himself all year. This wasn’t surprising. Every game he’s always performed like he did today. Just a stud for us. Proved it again today. Wish we could have gotten a couple more hits for him here and there and the game might have turned out different. But he did everything we asked of him today.”
Palmer struck out Grow to open the sixth before reaching his pitch limit and being relieved by Brown, who struck out both batters he faced.
Queen Anne’s stranded six, two in scoring position.
NORTH DORCHESTER 14 CAMBRIDGE-SD 4
SHILOH — Manny Reyes hit an RBI triple and Blake Bramble smacked a game-ending two-run triple in the sixth to lead the Eagles (6-5).
John Boyle earned the win, giving up three hits and striking out six in three innings. Brock Warrell threw three innings of relief.
Wes Windsor was 2 for 2 with four RBIs and Boyle singled and knocked in three runs.
SOFTBALL
COLONEL 7 NORTH CAROLINE 0
AMERICAN CORNER — Makayla Newcomb allowed six hits in a complete-game effort, striking out eight and walking none, as Colonel Richardson blanked its county rival.
Montana Davis had two hits and two RBIs for the Colonels (9-4) and Kylie Rhinehardt had two hits and one RBI. Sadie Prettyman added two hits, and Eileen Johnson (two RBIs), Kendall Sann (RBI) and Clarissa Peugh (RBI) had one hit apiece.
QUEEN ANNE’S 11 ST. MICHAELS 0
ST. MICHAELS — Hannah Martin tossed a two-hitter, striking out three and walking two over five innings, to lead the Lions.
Abbie Denes and Caroline Taylor had three hits for Queen Anne’s County, and Autumn Huber and Hannah Martin each collected multiple hits.
EASTON 18 KENT ISLAND 9
STEVENSVILLE — Mayah Wilkins went 5 for 6 and drove in three runs and winning pitcher Sammy Townsend also had five hits as part of the Warriors’ 22-hit attack Monday.
Townsend struck out five and walked three. Isabelle Ludwig drove in three runs for Easton and Olivia Orrell and Lyla Roe had multiple-hit games.
Avery Eaton had three RBIs for Kent Island. Hayven Applefeld, Bri Kurtz and Lizzie McConnell each had three hits for the Buccaneers.
GIRLS LACROSSE
EASTON 16 KENT ISLAND 9
EASTON — Emily Currie scored six goals Monday, and Miranda Stup and Dakota Lhotsky each had hat tricks as the Warriors posted their fifth win in six games.
Myka Motovidlak scored twice for Easton (5-2, 2-1), and Addie Knox and Anna Crist added one goal apiece. Zelia Proa finished with eight saves.
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