Saints grind way into final

ST. MICHAELS — It’s a longtime creed of St. Michaels High baseball.

“We tell them all the time, ‘Two-out hits win championships,’” Saints head coach Brian Femi said.

St. Michaels bunched together three two-out hits during a three-run first inning, and added two more runs with two outs Saturday on the way to a 5-2 victory over North Dorchester in a Class 1A East Region I semifinal at Harold Baines Field.

The second-seeded Saints (16-2) advance to Tuesday’s 1A East Region I final where they will face top-seeded and host Colonel Richardson (18-2) and a time to be determined. Colonel defeated Cambridge-South Dorchester, 14-0, in Saturday’s other semifinal.

“We’ve been working on grinding out at-bats and don’t cash it in,” Femi said. “And then they put it all into play today which was a good sign.”

St. Michaels scored all the runs it needed in the first inning.

Jacob Bealefeld started the opening rally with a two-out single to center field. Anthony Massaro lined a single to left. Henry Mullikin then roped a double into left, plating Bealefield for a 1-0 lead. Hunter Gottleib followed with an infield single in the hole at short that brought home Massaro and pushed Mullikin to third. Gottleib then stole second, drawing a throw, allowing Mullikin to race home and slide across the plate for a 3-0 lead. The inning ended when North Dorchester catcher TJ Leonard threw out Gottleib trying to steal third.

The Eagles (9-10) trimmed their deficit to 3-1 in the top of the fourth when Blake Bramble hit a leadoff single and scored two batters later on Nate Swann’s sharp single to right field.

But St. Michaels regained its three-run cushion in the bottom half of the fourth

Brock Grow worked a two-out walk against North Dorchester’s John Boyle. Grow stole second. Bobby Fink then beat out a slow roller to short. Eagle shortstop Lane Abey’s throw kicked away from first baseman Blake Bramble, sending Grow home to make it 4-1.

“We’d get the first couple guys, and then a dribbler to short, a throwaway at first; just a couple little things,” North Dorchester head coach David Morrissette said.

St. Michaels tacked on yet another run with two outs in the fifth. Connor Wheeler led off the inning by reaching second on a two-base error. Wheeler held at second when Will Sherwood grounded out to third. Wheeler tagged and hustled to third on Bealefeld’s fly out to right field for the second out, then scored on a wild pitch.

“I think one was a walk. We may have had a stolen base in there,” Femi said of his final two runs. “One was a sacrifice fly that got him to third, then a passed ball at home. It was just scrapping things like that.”

St. Michaels finished with six hits against Boyle, who pitched a complete game, striking out four and walking one.

“John pitched a heckuva game,” Morrissette said. “That’s probably the best he’s thrown all year for us.”

Sherwood delivered his third strong performance of the year against the Eagles, allowing five hits, striking out eight and walking just two.

“Just because he’s been effective every time,” Femi said of his decision to start Sherwood for a third time against North Dorchester. “I think that allows us to put a good defense out on the field. I have a lot of respect for North Dorchester. We had everybody ready to go if he struggled. Actually the plan was to see how many innings we could get out of him. And it turned out he pitched really well.”

Sherwood admitted he just had one kink to work out — his curveball.

“I had trouble getting it over the plate,” Sherwood said of his breaking ball. “I was working in the bullpen with (pitching) coach Rick (Stacey). And then found it (in the third inning).”

The junior right-hander allowed three hits over the first three innings before getting touched for a pair of singles in the fourth, the second coming from Swann to drive in Bramble with the Eagles’ first run.

“Coach Zach (Wallace) was calling a lot of fastballs in, lot of fastballs away, working (catcher) Henry (Mullikin) back there,” Sherwood said. “I was just trying to locate, get them over the plate. And I really trust Henry, and just trusting the defense.”

Sherwood didn’t allow a hit over the final three frames, but issued his second walk with two outs in the six, earning him a visit from his catcher.

“I just tried to talk to him, clear his mind,” Mullikin said. “Just go out there and mess with him a little bit.

“Will was in his zones,” Mullikin said. “He was just hitting his spots. He was confident up there and he showed up. Early he was struggling with his curveball but then later he figured it out ‘cause we were throwing curveballs and changeups between innings.”

North Dorchester added a run in the seventh. Peyton Bleyer struck out, but reached on passed ball on strike three. He moved to second on a wild pitch and was advanced to third on Manny Reyes’ groundout to first. Bleyer scored when Sherwood was called for a balk. Sherwood got a called third strike and a pop out to second to end the game.

2A EAST PLAYOFFS

QUEEN ANNE’S 3, KENT ISLAND 1

CENTREVILLE — Noah Palmer pitched a complete-game three-hitter Saturday, as the top-seeded Lions advanced to Tuesday’s 2A East Region II final, where they will host defending 2A state champion Parkside. The Rams defeated Easton 4-0 on Saturday.

Palmer allowed one earned run and struck out six. Jacob Clough drove in a run for Queen Anne’s.

BOYS LACROSSE

EASTON 16, NORTH CAROLINE 2

EASTON — Senior Drew Schmidt, dedicating the game to his father and assistant coach Will Schmidt on his birthday, netted five goals and set up three others Friday as the top-seeded Warriors rolled in a Class 2A East Region I semifinal.

Easton (11-2) will host No. 2 seed Kent Island (10-4) on Monday at 5:30 p.m. for the 2A East Region I championship.

Tyler Rardin had three goals and three assists for Easton, and Charlie Kaminskas and Campbell Taliaferro each had two goals. Hudson Royer had a goal and three assists, and Sabin Long, Blake Royer (two assists) and Grayson Buritsch each had one goal.

Goalie Jack Kilbourne, who had a shutout before being replaced late in the third quarter, and defenseman Kyle Dyott, BT Todd, Eddie Whelan, Ethan Finlay, Frankie Gunshenan, Tyler Finlay and Connor Hensley shut down the Bulldogs.

KENT ISLAND 9, QUEEN ANNE’S 7

STEVENSVILLE — Tucker Claxton had a hat trick and two assists, and Owen Wynot added three goals to lead the two-time defending 2A state champion Buccaneers past No. 3 seed Queen Anne’s on Friday.

Keegan Green had two goals for Kent Island and Gavan Henry had one. Mark Rees added two assists and Micah Quinn one assist.

SSPP 11, CURLEY 10

EASTON — Liam Durnbaugh totaled four goals and an assist, and Noah Zimmerman finished with a hat trick and two assists Friday, as the Sabres closed their regular season with a victory over Archbishop Curley.

Grant Messick had two goals for Saints Peter and Paul (14-4), Davis Kimminau and Andrew Steinhardt (assist) had one goal apiece, and Evan Dundon had an assist. Sophomore goalie Hank Wolters made 11 saves.

The Sabres will host Gerstell Academy in an Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association B Conference semifinal on Tuesday at 4 p.m.

GIRLS LACROSSE

QUEEN ANNE’S 15, KENT ISLAND 3

CENTREVILLE — Junior RJ Ensor had seven goals and three assists, and Riley Klepper scored five times Friday to lead the top-seeded Lions in a Class 2A East Region I semifinal.

Queen Anne’s will host second-seeded North Caroline on Monday for the region title.

Baillie Pinder (four assists), Kaisa Hickson and Madison Brown each had a goal for the Lions. Maddie George made three saves, and Emma Dulin one.

NORTH CAROLINE 16, EASTON 7

RIDGELY — Reece Bisesi scored five goals and Claire Blue finished with a hat trick and one assist to pace the Bulldogs past Easton.

Ashlynn Bisesi also notched a hat trick for North Caroline and Riley Walstrum scored two goals and set up two others. Maddie McNinch, Calleigh Tribbett and Ashley Kercheval added one goal each.

CAMBRIDGE-SD 12, BO MANOR 10

CHESAPEAKE CITY — Mackenzie Morrissette had seven goals and set up two more Friday, as the third-seeded Vikings upended the No. 2 seed Eagles.

Morrissette set a single-game school record on Friday, May 3, when she scored 11 goals against Kent County.

Katie Wheatley had four goals and three assists for Cambridge-SD.