Magruder at Whitman Game Summary PDF
By Dick Keil.

Ever since last year’s Whitman Vikings made a first-ever appearance in the Maryland 4A quarterfinals, the question has been whether they would be able to replace the six senior starters who helped lead that squad.

One game does not a season make, but the early returns are encouraging.

Junior infielder James Dionne had a triple, double and single in going 3-4 in his first varsity start, and sophomore infielder Michael Flack drove in three runs to help the Vikings to a season-opening 6-2 victory over the Magruder Colonels at Whitman Wednesday.

“It was good to push some runs across the plate,” Dionne said afterward. “We had good at-bats, our pitchers threw strikes. You can’t ask for much more than that in the first game.”

With Whitman trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the fifth, Dionne led off with a single and stole second while outfielder Dan Berman, batting second, worked a walk. Flack then hit the gap in right-center field for a two-run double, scoring Dionne and Berman, putting Whitman ahead to stay.

The Vikings added three more runs – all unearned – in the inning. The first came when Flack trotted home following a steal of third, scoring on a throwing error by Magruder catcher Jharol Smith, whose attempt to nail Flack sailed into left field.

After junior infielder Paul Balland singled and senior outfielder Sam Sharpe reached on a fielder’s choice, Magruder left fielder Kevin Shay dropped a two-out fly ball from senior relief pitcher Ross Olchyk, allowing two additional runs to score.

The five-run fifth inning outburst made a winner out of Olchyk, who entered in relief of senior starting pitcher Reid Kellam. Kellam had allowed one unearned run through three innings but opened the fourth by giving up a leadoff home run to Smith and walking designated hitter Carl Parm on 4 pitches.

Olchyk gave up an infield single to Magruder first baseman Matt Luber, and then retired Magruder starting pitcher Zack Lawhorn who popped out. With Parm on third, Olchyk knocked down a wicked line drive from Colonels right fielder John Shank, and recovered in time to throw out Parm at the plate. Olchyk got out of the inning, and held the score at 2-1, when sophomore second baseman Sam Avayou ranged far to his left and made a diving stop to retire shortstop Andrew Daskalakis at first.

Olchyk gave up back-to-back singles to start the seventh, but got out of the jam when senior reserve outfielder Brett Morgenstern made a diving catch on a sinking line drive off the bat of Magruder pinch hitter Bobby Teunis, and then doubled Shank off second to end the game. boxscore
Magruder game photos
(link to this story)03/24/10 7:15PM