Examiner playoff review

Gazette.net: RM at Whitman

Whitman at Wootton

Gazette article Whitman vs. Wootton

By Mary Boyle

The Vikings continued their winnings ways Thursday, defeating the Jaguars of Northwest in a 4-0 shutout behind a gritty pitching performance by Sophomore Ryan McGill, who allowed only four hits on the day. McGill kept his composure throughout the contest, going the distance in a game where Northwest managed to put runners on the bases in every inning. Twice, McGill stared down Jaguar batters with the bases loaded, coolly collecting crucial outs with the assistance of consistently sharp defense to quell the Northwest threats.

Whitman bats started off sluggish at the outset of the game as the top of the order was retired in quick succession by the right handed hurler from Northwest. The bottom half of the inning was not so smooth, as Northwest began a ritual that would become a familiar occurrence throughout the game: the Jaguars got two runners on base, but stranded them both as McGill wiggled out of the jam through a combination of skillful pitching and solid defense.

The 0-0 stalemate continued through the second and third innings, but was broken in the fourth as Whitman got a run on the board when, with runners on every base, McGill helped himself out by drawing a walk and forcing in a run. The Vikings were unable to capitalize further, leaving the bases packed as Northwest collected the third out in the inning. But that lone run turned out to be enough, as Whitman blanked the Jaguars in the succeeding innings.

The Vikings went on to assemble a few insurance runs, scoring one in the fifth inning and two in the seventh, behind the hot bats of Michael Flack, who stroked a double and a triple in the game, and lead off batter James Dionne, who also got two hits on the day. Adding to the Whitman offensive arsenal were Dan Berman, Brett Morgenstern, Ross Olchyk, Paul Balland, and Danny Lee, all of whom registered hits.

Whitman faces rival BCC in a home game on Saturday at 1:30.

Box Score
Northwest game photos

(link to this story) 4/23/2010 10AM

by Joey Sabet | Special to The Gazette

After a runner failed to tag up in a 2-2 tie game in the second inning, Whitman baseball coach Joe Cassidy said, "We don't hit well enough to make those mistakes."
However, the Vikings did get enough timely hitting and a gutsy performance from pitcher Michael Flack to escape Gaithersburg on Tuesday with a 4-3 win, its second straight thriller after a 5-4 defeat of Walter Johnson Saturday.

"We have to do the little things right, or we have to hope other teams make mistakes or get timely hitting to win," Cassidy said. "Other guys have stepped up recently, and they're relishing the role and doing well when they're getting the opportunity."

Since a humbling loss at Quince Orchard earlier this month, Whitman (6-3 overall, 3-1 Montgomery 4A West Division) has been playing solid baseball behind a great defense and just enough offense to keep the momentum rolling.

The offense came early on this day before disappearing for much of the rest of the game. Whitman spotted Flack two early runs after Paul Balland's two-out double following an eight-pitch at-bat knocked in Brett Morgenstern and Flack.

Gaithersburg (8-3, 2-2) immediately returned the favor after Max Heldman earned his way on with walk after seeing eight pitches. Billy Cullen took Flack out to the deep part of the yard in center field to tie the game at two.

After that, the game became a pitcher's duel, with Flack and Nick Riley not necessarily having the best stuff, but keeping runs off the board by getting big outs with men on base. Both pitchers went the distance, each hurling over 100 pitches.

It was the Trojans who struck first, with Mike Toomer lifting a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fourth, scoring John Hallock and giving Gaithersburg a 3-2 lead.

Senior catcher Danny Lee had been hitting the ball hard but coming up empty until the top of the fifth, when he waited on a breaking ball and smoked it to right field, scoring Morgenstern and tying the game at 3-3.

"Obviously in the four-spot you see a lot of curveballs and off-speed pitches" said Lee. "Today I waited on one and pulled it to right field, and that was great because it brought in a run."

Fittingly for a team that plays small-ball so well, Whitman got its game-winning hit on a dribbler to third base that James Dionne beat out, allowing Sam Avayou to score the winning run from third.

Flack loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the seventh protecting the one-run lead, but got Graham Hartung to fly out in foul territory to secure the win. Flack finished with six strikeouts, two walks and only five hits on the day.

"Danny does a great job calling the pitches for me," Flack said. "Coach asked me if my arm was alright and if I could go out for the last inning, and I'm not going to say no in a situation like that."


Gaithersburg Box Score

Box Score
Gaithersburg game photos

(link to story here) 04/20/2010 8PM

Gaithersburg at Whitman Game Summary PDF
By Dick Keil
On a cool, misty afternoon that spoke more of March or late fall than early summer, the Walt Whitman Vikings saw their Montgomery County 4A playoff run come to an end in Wednesday’s semifinals, falling to the Gaithersburg Trojans 8-2.

Baseball is, above all, a game about hope. So as an unusually close Vikings team lingered on the field after the game’s conclusion, exchanging hugs, there was sadness over the end of the playoff run, but also reason to believe that all the graduating seniors will come back to watch their former teammates in the playoffs next season, just as college men from years past attended this contest.

They’ll all have good reason to do so, and will show up in expectation of good things.

They’ll want to watch sophomore lefty pitcher Ryan McGill, so cool under pressure, who once more carried a tight contest deep into the late innings. They’ll want to watch sophomore pitcher/shortstop Michael Flack, a standout throughout the season, who led the Vikings with 4 home runs. And they’ll want to watch what junior James “The Debater” Dionne can do from his leadoff spot, and the magic he can perform on the base paths, at short or in center.

Even if it’s not Josh Biel T-shirt night, they’ll come and pay attention to junior third baseman Paul Balland, who batted cleanup the second half of the season, and Sam “The Bam” Avayou, who played way older than his sophomore status at second.

The guys sitting on the bleachers, wearing post-exams facial hair, fatigue, and the cool that comes with being in college, will include Danny Lee, the Vikings’ catcher the past three seasons. Pitcher Reid Kellam, whose senior season was derailed by shoulder troubles, will be there too. So will Dan Shannahan, back from Alabama, and Sam Sharpe, who will throw to Lee at Oberlin. And, if he’s back from Israel, Brett “Double Threat” Morgenstern will certainly stop by.

Dan “Chris” Berman, talking pre-med, will return from Cornell, and it’s pretty likely that Spencer Caldwell, Ross “The Boss” Olcyhyk and Alex Rhea will check in, as well.

So here’s how the 12-8 Vikings ended their season.

As he has in all four of his starts, McGill (3-1) pitched a beauty. He gave up an unearned run in the first, when shortstop Robbie Shenley worked a leadoff walk, stole second, and then tagged and made third on a sacrifice fly to deep left center by center fielder Billy Cullen. Designated Hitter Billy Hallock then reached on an error, allowing Shenley (headed for Montgomery County-Germantown) to score.

The Vikings had a chance to tie it in the first, when Flack walked with two outs and stole second. Balland singled to left, but Trojans left fielder Max Heldman threw a strike to the plate to nail the speedy Flack for the inning’s third out.
Whitman got on the board without benefit of a hit in the third, when Rhea led off with a walk, advanced to second on a Dionne sacrifice bunt, advanced to third on an errant pickoff throw by catcher Danny Freshley, and loped home on a wild pitch by Gaithersburg side armed right-hander Nick Riley.

The score stayed tied at 1 until the top of the fourth, with McGill allowing only a single to Heldman in the third, until Gaithersburg worked some two-out magic to bust the game open.

Third baseman Graham Hartung hit a one-out bouncer to Balland at third, who attempted to start a round-the-horn double play. His relay to Avayou at second retired designated hitter John Hallock, who had opened the inning with a single, and Avayou’s relay to Rhea at first base appeared to retire Hartung. However, the field umpires ruled that Hartung reached the bag before Avayou’s throw reached the outstretched glove of Rhea.

The questionable call would loom large.

Riley, who allowed just three Viking hits, followed by blooping a seeing eye double down the right field line, advancing Hartung to third. McGill then gave up his only walk of the game to second baseman Mike Toomer to load the bases.

Right fielder Zach Fetters, batting ninth, then hit a three-and-two bouncer to third. Balland, playing even with the bag, attempted to tag Riley as he ran past. Riley eluded Balland and reached third, allowing Hartung to score and leaving the bases loaded and Gaithersburg up 2-1.

A wild pitch scored Riley, and then Shanley, the shortstop, laced a two-out, two-run single to left-center to make it 5-1.

That was more than enough offense for Riley, who allowed only a two-out single by Berman in the fourth and a walk to Avayou in the fifth before running into a bit of trouble in the seventh.

By then, Gaithersburg was up 8-1. The Vikings had hope when Dionne reached on a one-out fielder’s choice, then stole second and advanced to third when Freshley’s throw sailed into centerfield.

Sharpe, pinch-hitting in the second spot in the batting order, then lifted a pop-up near the pitcher’s mound, which Riley dropped, putting men at first and third with one out.

Dionne then scored on a wild pitch, cutting the Trojan lead to 8-2, but Riley composed himself, striking out Flack and getting Balland to pop to first to end the game and the Vikings season.

Looking ahead, Coach Joe Cassidy can count on the steady pitching and solid defense that served the Vikings so well in 2010, and he – and those returning college boys – can look forward, as well, to seeing how this year’s underclassmen develop into the leadership roles they’re destined for.

See you next March!

Box Scores

2010 Semifinal Program

2010 Semifinal Rosters

Semifinal Game Photos

WJ at Whitma Game Summary PDF
By Dick Keil

Yankees-Red Sox. Duke-Maryland. Lakers-Celtics. And, back in the day, Redskins-Cowboys. In the same tradition of these storied rivalries, the Walt Whitman Vikings made a four-run lead stand up through a heart-stopping seventh inning and defeated cross-town rival Walter Johnson 5-4 Saturday.

Senior left-hander Ross Olchyk threw a gem, allowing four runs (three earned) in going 6 and 1/3 innings to earn the victory. The Vikings benefitted from some costly Wildcat errors and timely hitting to win bragging rights in the annual cross-town battle.

Things got off to a rocky start for the Vikings (5-3) in the first, when Walter Johnson left fielder Sam Knecht singled, and then scored all the way from first when right fielder Brett “Double Threat” Morgenstern mishandled a single by Wildcat right fielder Aaron Weiss-Rice to give Walter Johnson a one-run lead.

Olchyk settled down, retiring the Wildcats in order in the second, and then watched as Whitman used some timely hitting and took advantage of uncharacteristically sloppy defense by WJ to take the lead. Cornell-bound senior Dan “Chris” Berman worked a one-out walk, and was sacrificed to second by first baseman Ryan McGill. Sophomore second baseman Sam Avayou advanced Berman to third with an infield single, which brought junior James Dionne – playing center field – to the plate.

Dionne hit a hot shot that WJ third baseman Bert Yaffe played off his chest; Dionne was safe at first, and, Berman, running on contact, scored easily to tie the game at 1.

It didn’t stay that way long; Morgenstern, with a chance to atone for his earlier mistake, came to the plate. He promptly lined a single to center field, scoring Avayou. WJ center fielder Reid Litowitz threw to the plate, too late to catch Avayou, which allowed Dionne to break for third. He scored when Kenney’s throw skipped into left field, and Morgenstern, running hard all the way from first, followed him home.

That proved to be – almost – all Olchyk needed. He allowed a two-out single to Knecht in the third; the WJ left fielder was caught stealing to end the inning on a fine throw from senior catcher Danny Lee to Avayou.

Olchyk recorded a one-two-three fourth, and recorded a perfect fifth, even if it meant knocking down a rocket line drive from Wildcat first baseman Dylan Campbell – and falling down in the process – before recovering to retire Campbell at first.

Whitman added what proved to be the winning run in the fifth when sophomore shortstop Mike Flack hit a bullet over the fence in left center on a fastball from Weiss-Rice, pitching in relief of hard luck losing starter Sam Coe.

Things got a bit more interesting in the seventh, when WJ’s Weiss-Rice led off with a single to left after a nine-pitch battle with Olchyk. Kenney followed with a single to right deep enough to allow Weiss-Rice to advance to third, giving WJ runners on the corners with no one out.

After a conference on the mound, Whitman Coach Joe Cassidy elected to leave Olchyk in; Litkowitz promptly doubled off the fence in left-center to score Weiss-Rice and advance Kenney to third.

WJ pinch run Mike Scott for Kenney, the catcher, and Campbell hit a fly to Dionne in medium-center; Scott made no attempt to tag on the play. That mental miscue was rendered moot a moment later when Coe laced a two-run single into left.

Cassidy went out to get Olchyk and trusted senior Sam Sharpe to get the final two outs. Sharpe didn’t disappoint, getting Yaffe to ground into a round-the-horn double play started by third baseman Paul Balland, who fired a rocket to Avayou covering second.

This coming week, Whitman plays at Gaithersburg Tuesday at 3:30 and at Northwest at 3:30 on Thursday before returning home Saturday against 3A Bethesda-Chevy Chase.

When Whitman resumes its home schedule, the first-ever Vikings promotion program begins. The first 10 fans under the age of 12 who attend will receive James Dionne bobble-head dolls (complete with his trademark lamp black).
Box Score
WJ game photos

(link to this story)04/17/2010 7:30PM

Whitman at Wootton Game Summary PDF
By Dan Shannahan

For the second time this year, under gray clouds and on a damp Wootton field, the Whitman Vikings faced Alex Hindman (1.29 ERA), the senior ace pitcher of the 17-1 Patriots. Today unlike their first meeting in April (a 4-0 loss), the Vikings broke the game wide open with 4 hit, 4 run third inning.

In the top of the first Hindman sent the first three Viking batters down in order. Patriots senior Coki Cruz led off the bottom of the first with a single, stole second base and reached third on a pass ball. With one out after senior shortstop Alex Kelly drew a walk, senior left fielder Max Simon singled in the first run of the game. The playoffs can bring the best out of great players. Whitman senior pitcher Ross Olchyk (6-1) stood his ground and went on to strike out senior catcher Andrew Weinstein and forced senior first baseman Mark Brown to ground out to Viking second baseman Sam Avayou to end the inning. The winning pitcher Olchyk facing 18 batters in 4 innings kept the Patriots off balance, holding their high powered offense to 4 hits and only 3 earned runs.

Olchyk helped himself with a triple in the second inning, scoring to tie the game 1-1 as he was driven home when senior Sam Sharpe reached first on an infield error. In the Wootton second inning Olchyk led with a strikeout of junior Aj Avant-Johnson followed by senior James Fitzwilliam reaching on an error. Sophomore shortstop Michael Flack then snagged a line drive hit at his shoestrings and threw behind Fitzwilliam at first base for the double play ending the inning.

Whitman started their big third inning with a single by senior Alex Rhea who was moved to second when junior center fielder James Dionne bunted safely. Flack followed with a walk to load the bases. Rhea scored when junior third baseman Paul Balland took one for the team and was hit by pitch for a 2-1 Viking lead. Senior catcher Danny Lee ripped a RBI single to score Dionne followed by an Olchyk RBI single scoring Flack. Sharpe again reached first with an error scoring Balland to put Whitman in front 5-1. A solo home run by junior Pete Spriopoulos was all Wootton could answer with against a solid Olchyk in the bottom of the third inning. Whitman led 5-2.

The Vikings began a memorable fourth inning with a Dionne single. Avayou took a called third strike as Dionne stole second base on a great throw by Weinstein resulting in a questionable call by the umpire. Kelly was ejected after arguing with the umpire’s call. After the dust settled Hindman was relieved by Simon. Dionne would score when Flack reached first base on another Wootton infield error. With the score now 6-2 Simon retired the next two Whitman batters in the top of the fourth inning. In the bottom of the fourth Olchyk gave up a two out solo homerun to senior James Fitzwilliam as the Patriots were now within 3 runs of the Vikings.

Flack went to the mound in the top of the fifth inning with a three run lead against a team, 5th ranked Wootton, that had only lost once (to the number two seed Sherwood) in the last 18 games. In full control of his game and with a veteran senior catcher behind the plate in the final three innings he struck out 4 and shut down the Wootton batters allowing only two hits.

Today’s win advances Whitman to the Semifinals of the 4A West Regional Tournament.

Gaithersburg at Whitman Wednesday May 19th 4PM

Box Score


Whitman at Wootton Program

Gazette article Whitman vs. Wootton

Richard Montgomery at Whitman Game Summary PDF
Community Night Program
Link to see photos of new Whitman Field dugouts

by Dick Keil

Walt Whitman scored early and often Thursday, putting up three runs in each of the first two innings to cruise to a 10-3 victory over the Richard Montgomery Rockets before a Community Night crowd of more than 200 Vikings fans.

Whitman’s offensive eruption – which came after being shut out 4-0 by the Wootton Patriots Tuesday – overshadowed a tough night for senior right hander Reid Kellam, who left the game after facing just two batters in the top of the first because of shoulder woes.

Sophomore Ryan McGill came up huge in taking over for Kellam, throwing two and a third innings of scoreless ball. McGill came in in a tough spot, replacing Kellam in the middle of an at-bat; when play resumed, he was behind Rocket outfielder JP Hoover on a 2-0 count. McGill walked Hoover, but recovered by striking out first baseman Gholson Glass and pitcher Matt Gottenberg.

McGill got in a bit of trouble in the second, walking second baseman Logan Smeallie and infielder Justin Wolin before striking out catcher John Wright and getting Steve Kinderman and shortstop Kyle Silber to fly out.


By the time McGill took the mound in the third, Whitman enjoyed a six-run advantage.

James Dionne, playing centerfield, led off the first with a single and stole second, advancing to third when senior outfielder Brett “Double Threat” Morgenstern hit a ball into the hole and beat Silber’s throw to first. Morgenstern then attempted to steal second, and Dionne trotted home after Gottenberg was called for a balk. After a Mike Flack walk, third baseman Paul Balland stroked a two-run single up the middle.

Whitman added three more in the second by playing small ball, using back-to-back walks to second baseman Sam Avayou and Dionne, and singles by Morgenstern and Flack to jump out to a 6-0 advantage.

The Rockets mounted a threat in the fourth off junior relief pitcher Ross “Peanut” Peterson, but senior catcher Danny Lee came to Peterson’s rescue.

Smeallie and Wolin opened the innings with walks, and Smeallie stole third. When Wolin broke for second, Lee threw towards second base, but Avayou cut the throw off 15 feet in front of the bag and rifled a throw to third and picked off Smeallie, who’d moved 10 feet down the baseline on the bungled double-steal attempt. Wolin advanced to second on the play, but was thrown out by Lee moments later when he tried to steal third.

Those plays came up big, because Wright then walked and Kinderman hit what would have been at least a two-run single had Lee not already helped record two outs with his arm.

The Rockets finally got on the board in the fifth when a Smealline triple off Flack, pitching in relief, scored Hoover, but Whitman struck back in the bottom half of the inning, when senior Ross Olchyk’s double drove in outfielder Dan Berman, who had singled; another run came home when Olchyk scored on an infield error.

The Vikings used four singles in the sixth inning to put another two runs on the board.

Cross-town rival Walter Johnson travels to Whitman Saturday in the Vikings’ next game; on Tuesday, Whitman plays at Gaithersburg.
Box Score
Richard Montgomery / Community Night photos
(link to this story)04/15/2010 10:30PM

RM at Whitman Game Summary PDF
By Dick Keil

All season long, pitching and defense have carried the Walt Whitman Vikings. With their bats absent in an opening-round Montgomery County 4A playoff game Friday, the Vikings relied on the sturdy left arm of sophomore pitcher Ryan McGill to record a 2-1 win over the Richard Montgomery Rockets.

McGill improved to 3-0 on the season, yielding just six hits and an unearned run in 6 1/3 innings. He didn’t yield a walk and struck out one, mixing a fastball and offspeed breaking balls to get outs when he needed them.

In throwing like a playoff veteran upperclassman, McGill outdueled hard-luck Rockets leftie J.P. Hoover, who went the distance, allowing only two unearned runs on three hits, and two by junior third baseman Paul Balland.

Richard Montgomery had few scoring opportunities, but one came in the first, when centerfielder Tyler Coleman reached when Balland’s throw to first after backhanding a bullet down the line drew Alex Rhea of first. Right fielder Matt Gollenberg advanced Coleman to second with a two-out single; designated hitter Ben Simon then singled sharply to left, but left fielder Dan “Chris” Berman threw a no-doubt-about-it bullet to catcher Danny Lee, who tagged a sliding Coleman for the third out of the inning.

Whitman looked poised to repeat its 10-3 regular season win over Richard Montgomery in the bottom of the first, when centerfielder James “The Debater” Dionne worked a 3-2 walk, advanced to second on an errant pickoff throw by Hoover, and then stole third and scored when Rockets’ catcher John Wright’s throw sailed into left field.

However, Hoover settled down, retiring the Vikings in order in the second and survived a leadoff walk to Berman in the third by getting groundouts from Dionne and second baseman Sam “The Bam” Avayou after Rhea had sacrificed Berman to second.

McGill shut the Rockets down in order in the fourth. The Vikings had another chance in their half, when Balland got Whitman’s first hit, a one-out infield single, and advanced all the way to third when Rockets’ first baseman Justin Wolin couldn’t handle Hoover’s pickoff throw. After Lee struck out, Balland broke for home on an attempted steal and was tagged out by Wright.

The score stayed 1-0 until the top of the seventh, when Hoover hit a one-out single and Wright blooped a single to right, where the ball scooted past right fielder Brett “Double Threat” Morgenstern. Hoover, running hard all the way, scored on the play, and Wright ended up on third.

That was it for McGill, as Coach Joe Cassidy put the game in the hands of senior left hander Ross “The Boss” Olchyk. With third baseman Golson Glass looking to put the Rockets in the lead, Wright wandered too far off third, and Lee rifled a throw to Balland, and, after another exchange between the two, Balland tagged Wright out, removing a runner from scoring position. Moments later, Glass popped out to shortstop Michael Flack to end the threat.

In a fitting end to a game with little offense, Whitman won it in the bottom of the seventh when Flack picked up the Vikings’ second hit on an infield hit to short. Moments later, after a Flack steal was disallowed because of batter interference, Balland atoned for that mistake by dropping a 30-foot bunt three inches inside the third base foul line, reaching for an infield single.

After Lee lined softly to short, Flack stole third, and scored the winning run on another throwing error by Wright.

With the win, Whitman advances to the second round; they play top-seeded Wootton at Wootton at 4 PM Monday.

RM at Whitman Program

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RM playoff game photos
Gazette.net: RM at Whitman
(link to this story) 5/15/2010 9:30 AM

Whitman at Wootton Game Summary PDF
By Mary Boyle

Under gray clouds and on a damp field, the Whitman Vikings faced Alex Hindman, the ace pitcher of the undefeated Wootton Patriots, losing 4-0 to their cross town rivals in a game where bats on both sides were generally quiet. All four Patriot runs were scored in the third, and came after a series of walks, an error, and on the heels of a controversial officiating call in the previous inning.

The Vikings opened the contest by spraying the ball sharply across the infield, but directly at Wootton defensemen. Lead off batter James Dionne hit a ground ball to the first baseman, while junior Paul Balland lined a ball to short, followed by a hard grounder to third by Michael Flack. Pitching for Whitman, Sam Sharpe allowed a single infield hit in the bottom of the first, but got the remaining batters to loft balls to left field where each was nabbed by the able glove of senior Daniel Berman.

After the uneventful first inning, a controversial umpiring decision roiled the second. Reaching first on an error by the Wootton second baseman, senior catcher Danny Lee slid into second on a ground ball hit to short by Sophomore Sam Avayou. As the Wootton shortstop stepped on the bag and pivoted to first for the double play, Lee was called out, as was Avayou, despite clearing the bag as the first baseman dropped the ball. According to the umpire, Lee interfered with the throw from second, rendering both runners out and ending a potential scoring threat. The Whitman half of the inning ended on a ground out by Sam Sharpe. Sharpe kept things even in the bottom of the second, allowing a harmless single up the middle while getting two Wootton batters to pop out and a third to ground back to him on the mound.

Whitman failed to put runs on the board in the third, but Wootton capitalized in the bottom half of the inning, scoring all four of its runs when Sharpe experienced control issues. After allowing an infield hit, he gave two free passes in a row to load the bases, followed by a single down the first base line that got past Sophomore Ryan McGill. Two runs scored followed by two more on the heels of several throwing mishaps. After walking a third batter, Sam Sharpe left the mound and was relieved by McGill. The first batter McGill faced sent a shot to center field where James Dionne snared what looked to be an extra bagger, ending the Wootton rally. McGill retired the remaining batters in the inning and held the Patriots scoreless for the rest of the game, turning in a solid relief performance in which he allowed only a single hit in four innings.

But the Whitman bats could not erode the Wootton advantage as Hindman allowed only three hits on the day, two singles by Daniel Berman and a single by James Dionne to lead off Whitman’s final at bat in the top of the seventh. Wootton batters tallied only five hits, but took advantage of Whitman difficulty on the mound and some miscues in the field.

Whitman hosts the Rockets from Richard Montgomery at 7:00 pm on Thursday.

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Wootton game photos

(link to this story04/14/2010 8AM

Whitman closes the regular season with a thud / Box Score

Whitman vs. Paint Branch Game Summary PDF
By Dick Keil.

The Walt Whitman Vikings, who gave up a combined 21 runs in consecutive losses Thursday and Friday, entered Saturday’s game against Paint Branch needing a quality start from senior lefthander Ross Olchyk. Olchyk came through in a big way, allowing just three hits in a 12-1, five-inning win over the Panthers.

With the win, the Vikings (3-2) ended a two-game losing streak and saw their bats come alive; the offensive outburst came after they were shut out Thursday by Quince Orchard and managed to score just three runs in a 8-3 loss at Clarksburg on Friday.

The Vikings put the game out of reach in the first inning, sending 11 batters to the plate and putting up 7 runs against Paint Branch junior right-hander Colin Cox. Junior James Dionne, playing centerfield, opened the game with a walk, and, one batter later, sophomore Mike Flack, playing shortstop, singled; they both scored on a single by senior catcher Danny Lee.

Whitman added another run when sophomore second baseman Sam Avayou worked a bases-loaded walk, and then senior outfielder Brett “Double Threat” Morgenstern sliced a two-run single to right, scoring another pair. Dionne, in his second at-bat at of the inning, followed with a two-run double to right-center, giving Whitman a 7-0 lead after the first half-inning.

That was more than enough for Olchyk, who quickly established a soft, swooping curveball to set up his fastball. Olchyk allowed his only run of the game when Paint Branch centerfielder Todd Schultz led off the game by reaching on an error; he quickly stole second, advanced to third on a groundout, and then scored on a double by Cox.

The Panthers looked positioned to get right back into the game, but, with Cox on third, first baseman Nick Panofola lined a hot shot right back to Olchyk, who stabbed his glove to his right and, after making the catch, easily doubled off Cox.

Cox’ double was the only extra-base hit allowed by Olchyk, who struck out six and didn’t issue a free pass until Paint Branch second baseman Brian Hart worked a leadoff walk in the fifth. Olchyk responded by getting a groundout and ending the game by striking out outfielder Curtis Broadie, who looked at three consecutive curveballs, and by striking out pinch hitter Thomas Harrington, who waved at a fastball.

Dionne paced the Whitman offense by going three for four with four RBIs, while Morgenstern and Lee each added two.

Whitman travels to Wootton on Tuesday at 3:30 PM, and finally returns home Thursday evening, when they host the Richard Montgomery Rockets at 7 PM.

Box Score
Paint Branch game photos
(link to this story)04/10/2010 8PM

Whitman at Springbrook Game Summary PDF
By Dick Keil

The Walt Whitman Vikings began their playoff tune up with a 14-4 triumph over the winless Springbrook Blue Devils Saturday, running their record to 10-6 and keeping alive their hopes for a No. 4 seed in the 16-school Montgomery County 4A playoffs that begin on May 14.

There was little drama in the contest, as the Vikings scored 8 runs on just two hits in the first inning, taking advantage of the wildness of Blue Devils starter Mohammed Kayak, who lasted just one-third of an inning, and his replacement, fellow right hander Josh Kim.

Shortstop James Dionne, who entered the contest hitting .404, lead off with a walk, stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by Springbrook catcher Nielson Turcios, and then scored on a single to right by second baseman Sam “The Bam” Avayou. Pitcher Michael Flack and cleanup hitter Paul Balland both walked to load the bases; senior leftfielder Ross “The Boss” Olchyk followed with a soft single to left, driving in a run to make it 2-0.

Three bases-loaded walks made the score 5-0 and marked the end of Kayak’s outing; Kim then walked Dionne and Avayou with the bases loaded and plunked Flack to force in another run and give the Vikings their 8-0 advantage.

The large early lead gave Whitman Coach Joe Cassidy the chance to give several pitchers some work; after Flack threw two scoreless innings, yielding only a one-out walk, Flack gave way to senior right hander Dan “The Man” Shannahan.

The Alabama-bound Shannahan threw well, but was victimized by the weather in the third, his initial inning of work. First, Dionne lost a two-out popup in the sun, allowing Springbrook leftfielder Connor McKnight to reach. Turcios followed with a fly ball to center that rode a gusty wind and went back-back-back, just over center fielder Dan “Chris” Berman’s outstretched glove for a triple.

A single by centerfielder Jared Hoodler made it 9-2; Shannahan, who had struck out the first two batters he faced, got cleanup-hitting designated hitter Kelvin Abreu to ground out to Balland at third.

After Whitman added another run in the fourth to take a 10-2 lead, Shannahan gave up another wind-blown triple to second baseman Jalen Dawson, but didn’t allow a run: after right fielder Michael Hughes worked a one-out walk and stole second, Dawson broke home on a grounder to Balland and was erased in a run-down. Shannahan then struck out third baseman Joejandro Anthony to end the threat.

In their half of the fifth, the Vikings increased their lead to 12-2 on a two run double by left fielder Sam Sharpe, and upped the advantage to 14-2 on a two-run single by sophomore first baseman Ryan “The Thrill” McGill.

Those runs proved crucial, because junior right hander Ross “Peanut” Peterson yielded two runs in the bottom of the fifth, but struck out Dawson to end the game with Whitman leading 14-4 after five innings.

Whitman wraps up the regular season at Sherwood on Monday, and then waits their seeding in the playoffs.

Box Scores

Springbrook Game Photos

(link to this story)5/8/2010 9PM

Whitman at Clarksburg Game Summary PDF
By Dan Shannahan

It was cold and windy in Clarksburg, Maryland. The Whitman moms who traveled to the game huddled under blankets to keep warm and cheer for their fine young men.

The Whitman Vikings struck first and took an early two run lead. Leadoff hitting speedster junior James Dionne drew a walk and scored on an RBI single by super sophomore Michael Flack. Flack then scored on an RBI single by solid sophomore Sam Avayou.

The mighty junior Paul Balland who went 2-3 at the plate had a leadoff single in the second inning and scored on slugging senior Ross Olchyk's single down the right field line to give the Vikings a 3-0 lead.

Pitcher Michael Flack who recorded nine strikeouts on the day struck out three in the first inning and fanned the first two Clarksburg batters he faced in the second inning. With two outs in the bottom of the second inning Clarksburg tied the game scoring three runs on a timely bases loaded double by junior Brady Milligan.

Clarksburg took the lead 4-3 on an RBI triple by junior Chris Jimenez in the third inning.

Flack displayed excellent control in the fourth and fifth innings. With the score still 4-3 heading into the top of the sixth inning Flack retired the first two batters but the timely hitting by the Clarksburg Coyotes would continue when they put together four straight hits adding four more runs with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Senior pitcher Sam Sharpe came on in relief to retire the Coyotes final batter.

Clarksburg junior Justin Pfeiffer’s pitching held the Vikings to three runs on six hits. Seven of Clarksburg's eight runs came with two outs.

Warmer days will be ahead for all. Let’s hope the bats heat up on Saturday as the Vikings will play the Paint Branch Panthers at Blake High School, game time 2:30PM.

Box Score
Clarksburg game photos
(link to this story)04/09/2010 9:00PM

Damascus at Whitman Game Summary PDF
By Dick Keil

On a night when Walt Whitman’s nine graduating senior baseball players were honored, their underclassman teammates led the way in an 11-5 triumph over the Damascus Hornets, with sophomore right hander Ryan McGill earning his first varsity victory to help Whitman improve to 9-6.

The tradition-laden night – complete with tributes to seniors between innings, and a ceremony for parents, graduating seniors and the Viking coaching staff after the game - drew a larger-than-usual crowd for Whitman’s final home contest of the 2010 regular season.

Nearly all the graduating seniors have played recreation and travel baseball since they were way shy of 10, and their parents have logged thousands of miles driving to practices and games, chewed plenty of fingernails in agonizing over their sons’ performances, and all have eaten lousy late night fast food in places like Allentown and Myrtle Beach and Atlanta, celebrating victories and commiserating over defeats. Only to get up and do it again the next day – but not before some parent or another had to stay up half the night laundering filthy uniforms.

For those kids – and their parents – the end of the road is in sight, even though some Whitman boys will play in college. So on a beautiful summer-like evening, those boys, and their younger teammates, provided another round of memories.

Start with McGill, who was pressed into service because senior right-hander Reid Kellam is still battling nerve damage in his shoulder. McGill faced a Damascus team featuring 16 seniors, 13 of whom will play in college.

He didn’t flinch, even while yielding a run in the first. Damascus looked to take control early, with right fielder Greg Stanton leading off with an infield single, motoring to third on a sacrifice bunt by catcher Justin Razmk, and scoring on a groundout by West Virginia-bound senior shortstop Ryan McGuigan.

The Vikings gave McGill some breathing in their half of the first, as junior centerfielder James Dionne and sophomore second baseman Sam Avayou reached on errors by Hornets second baseman Frankie Rumore. Sophomore shortstop Michael Flack made Damascus pay, hitting his third home run of the season to put Whitman up 4-1.

The Vikings added another run when, after back-to-back singles of Damascus left hander Brody Heflin by junior third baseman Paul Balland and senior catcher Danny Lee, senior leftfielder Ross “The Boss” Olchyk advanced both runners on a groundout. Senior Brett “Double Threat” Morgenstern, the designated hitter, grounded to short, scoring Balland.

McGill allowed only a walk in the second, and the Vikings picked up another pair of runs in their half when senior first baseman Alex Rhea doubled, Dionne reached on another error by Rumore, and Rhea scored on a groundout by Avayou. After Flack walked, he and Dionne executed a double steal.

McGill, who gave up 4 runs in 4 and a third innings, allowed a pair in the third when Stanton doubled, stole third on a Raznek single. The damage could have been worse, but McGuigan, who had walked and advanced to second on Raznek’s single, tried a delayed steal and was thrown out at third.

Moments later, the Hornets ran into another out at third, when left fielder Chris Betts, who had singled and stolen second, broke for third on a ball hit at Balland; Balland stepped on the bag to get McGill out of the jam.

Two base-running mistakes in the same inning usually spell doom for a team, and tonight was no exception. The Vikings added three more runs in the bottom of the third, and were cruising with a 9-3 lead after three.

Then, McGill ran into trouble in the fourth. After he wrapped three walks around a strikeout, Coach Joe Cassidy came out to get him; Oberlin-bound senior Sam Sharpe came in and struck out Staunton looking, and got Raznek on a liner to left to end the inning and give McGill a chance to win.

Sharpe and Olchyk combined to hold the Hornets to one run the rest of the way; that came when McGuigan homered off Sharpe to lead off the fifth.

"I want to thank all the parents who helped organize such a great night for the nine current seniors," Coach Joe Cassidy said. "I could tell how special the night was for all of the parents as they greeted their son's near home plate. I also hope we have a few home playoff games for this group of seniors. Thanks again for a great night."

Whitman travels to Springbrook for a 1:30 contest on Saturday, and closes out the regular season Monday at Sherwood.

Box Scores

2010 Senior Profiles
2010 Senior Slideshow
2010 Seniors II

QO at Whitman Game Summary PDF
By Dick Keil.

The Quince Orchard Cougars moved down from 4A to 3A in Maryland’s state baseball bracket this year; given the 14-0 thrashing they administered to Walt Whitman Wednesday, the Vikings can take comfort in knowing they won’t have to face Quince Orchard again in the playoffs.
The contest, a rematch of last year’s state regional final, was over almost before it began.

Quince Orchard (3-1) scored a run in the first inning, two in the second and blew the game open in the third by putting up 8 more runs to take an 11-0 lead. The Cougars’ commanding lead resulted in the game being halted after 5 innings.

Cougar infielder Peter Bowles opened the contest by lining Whitman senior Reid Kellam’s first pitch sharply to right field for a single, and advanced to third when the ball skipped past right fielder Sam Sharpe. Second baseman Alex Lipman brought him home with a groundout to second baseman Sam Avayou. Kellam recorded a pair of groundouts to escape further trouble.

Quince Orchard added a pair of runs in the second when catcher Bill Plante, leading off, singled on Kellam’s first pitch, and first baseman Greg Price blooped a soft single just past the grasp of shortstop James Dionne in short left field. Kellam added to his troubles by walking designated hitter Patrick Cole on four pitches; Plante came in to score when left fielder AJ Hurwitz grounded out to Avayou, and Price reached the plate on a sacrifice fly by right fielder David Milner.

Things got particularly ugly in the third, when Kellam gave up three singles, a double and two walks while recording just one out. Junior Ross Peterson came in in relief, and allowed 4 more runs before finally ending the inning.

Quince Orchard’s potent offense made a winner out of senior right hander Brett Sliwiak, who put on a pitching clinic by scattering 4 hits over five innings. Sliwiak, who struck out six and didn’t walk a batter, spotted his fastball effectively and mixed in a slow curveball and an occasional changeup to keep the Vikings off-balance.

Kellam, by contrast, relied almost exclusively on his fastball, too many of which he left up in the strike zone. He allowed nine runs (seven earned) on nine hits, walking 4 and striking out one.

Whitman gets a chance to turn things around Friday, when they travel up county to play 3A Clarksburg. That contest, which begins at 3:30, is the makeup of a game that was rained out last Monday. The Vikings then play Paint Branch at Blake at 2:30 on Saturday.
Box Score

QO at Whitman Program

QO game photos

(link to this story)04/08/2010 7:30PM

Whitman vs. Einstein Game Summary PDF
By Dick Keil.

After waiting an extra two hours to play the Albert Einstein Titans because of a scheduling mix-up at Einstein, the Walt Whitman Vikings wasted no time in taking control of the game, scoring four first-inning runs and seven in the second on their way to a 20-0, five-inning win Thursday.

Whitman, 2-0, totaled 20 hits for the game and put the contest out of reach by scoring six of their second-inning runs with two outs. They added eight in the third and a single run in the fourth.

The Vikings’ offensive onslaught was led by senior catcher Danny Lee and junior infielder James Dionne, each of whom had three hits. Whitman’s quick lead allowed Coach Joe Cassidy to experiment with multiple substitutions.

Senior Brett “Double Threat” Morgenstern’s performance was typical; he began the game in left field, and, while collecting three hits, also took over for Lee behind the plate during the final two innings.

As dominant as Whitman was on offense, the pitching and defense also impressed for the second day in a row. The Vikings did not make an error in the field, and sophomore Michael Flack pitched two no-hit, scoreless innings to earn the victory.

Flack was followed by junior Ross Peterson, who pitched a scoreless third inning; senior Sam Sharpe pitched a one-two-three fourth.

The Whitman staff’s no-hitter came to an end in the fifth, when Einstein first baseman Danny Stouffer led off with a single off of sophomore Ryan McGill. Stouffer was the only Einstein base runner to reach second or third, advancing on a pair of groundouts. He was stranded there when McGill recorded a strikeout to end the game.

Whitman’s next game is Monday, at 3A Clarksburg. That game starts at noon, in a nod to Spring Break in the Montgomery County Public School System, which begins Monday.
Box Score

Einstein game photos

(link to this story)03/25/10 9:15PM

Whitman at Blair Game Summary PDF
By Dan Shannahan
Montgomery Blair High School, Silver Spring, MD--

Pitcher Michael Flack was charged with only three earned runs in the loss at Nolte Stadium, and the Blair defense made several plays to keep runs off the scoreboard, but what stood out on this warm Tuesday evening was the silence of the bats. In their last game, which the Vikings won 10-1, there were 8 hits including a home run. In this one, there were only 4 hits scattered throughout 7 innings. One positive for the Vikings was the triple hit by senior Sam Sharpe that led to Whitman’s only run of the game. The Vikings fell to 8-6 after the loss today. With three remaining games before the State Tournament, two against top teams Damascus and Sherwood, the Vikes will be able to retool their batting skills for the playoffs.

Box Score
Blair Game Photos

(link to this story) 5/6/2010 11AM

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

Seneca Valley at Whitman Game Summary PDF
By Dick Keil

Olchyk, who struck out 12 in a tough-luck loss to B-CC last Saturday, turned in another sterling performance in lifting the Vikings to an 8-5 record and keeping alive the hopes for a first-round playoff bye. The Wisconsin-bound Olchyk went five innings, allowing only an unearned run on three hits. He struck out five and walked two.

Whitman took advantage of a young Seneca Valley team, earning what turned out to the deciding runs in the first inning without benefit of a hit, using a hit batsman sandwiched around a pair of walks to load the bases. Whitman scored its first run on a bases-loaded passed ball; third baseman Paul Balland gets credit for the game-winning hit with a sacrifice fly.

That was more than enough for Olchyk, who, as usual, relied on a drop-dead curveball to take control of the Eagles, who fell to 7-6.

The Vikings padded the lead in the third, when sophomore Michael Flack, playing shortstop in the place of James “The Debater” Dionne, singled, stole second, and advanced to third on a wild pitch by Eagles pitcher Max Nicholson. Senior catcher Danny Lee hit a sacrifice fly to score Flack.

Junior third baseman then hit a soft ground ball to Nicholson, who double-clutched the throw and tossed it over the head of first baseman Greg Daria, allowing Balland to advance to second. Olchyk then looped a soft opposite-field single into left, advancing Balland to third. He scored when senior Sam Sharpe grounded to short, and the rout was on.

After five innings, Olchyk was relieved by sophomore Ryan McGill, who struck out four in two scoreless innings of relief.

Whitman travels to Blair on Tuesday at 7 PM; then host Damascus Thursday evening at 7 PM. That evening, the Whitman promotion program continues; the first 10 kids under 10 will receive Sam “The Bam” Avayou t-shirts. Coffee mugs are available for purchase.


Box Score
Seneca Valley Game Photos

(link to this story) 5/2/2010 8:30AM

Churchill at Whitman Game Summary PDF
By Dick Keil

Winston Churchill senior righthander Bryce Shemer took a no-hitter into the sixth inning in coasting to a 10-4 victory over Walt Whitman Tuesday, marking the second consecutive game in which the Vikings couldn’t get much going at the plate.

Shemer, who will play at New Mexico State, next year, relied primarily on a fastball in quieting the bats of the Vikings (7-5). With the loss – Whitman’s second in a row – the Vikings all but lost their chance at a first-round playoff bye.

One of Whitman’s strengths all season has been its infield defense, but some rare lapses allowed the Bulldogs to jump out to an early lead they never relinquished.

In the top of the first, Churchill shortstop Danny Weiss reached on a one-out error by sophomore second baseman Sam Avayou, and then junior shortstop James Dionne bobbled Shemer’s grounder, and then threw wildly past first baseman Ryan McGill, allowing Weiss to advance to third and Shemer to second. Churchill first baseman Harris Fanaroff, who will play at Lehigh next spring, deposited a Michael Flack fastball over the right-centerfield fence to give Churchill a 3-0 lead.

Shemer was perfect in the first and second, and Churchill added another run in the third, when senior centerfielder Eric Skryniarz singled in Fanaroff, who had doubled. The inning could have been worse, except for a fine running, sliding catch by centerfielder Dan “Chris” Berman, who doubled Weiss off first once he got to his feet.

Churchill added to its advantage in the fifth, when a bases-loaded double play ball by Skryniarz scored Weiss. Right fielder Brett “Double Threat” Morgenstern lost a line drive in the lights off the bat of Bulldogs second baseman Brett Mead; Mead ended up on third, and Shemer scored from third on the play. The Bulldog lead grew to 7-0 when third baseman Russ Rentfro doubled, scoring Mead.

By this point, the only question was whether Shemer would record a no-hitter, especially after he needed just seven pitches to record three outs in the fifth.

In the sixth, with Churchill up 10-0, the Bulldogs replaced a number of starters with backups in the infield, and Avayou reached on an error by Churchill’s second baseman. Avayou was erased on a grounder by Dionne, who reached just ahead of the double-play ball. Dionne stole second, and then advanced to third on a wild pitch.

Dionne scored Whitman’s first run on an error by Rentfro at third, but Shemer still had not allowed a hit. The no-hitter disappeared moments later, when Flack laced a one-out double down the left field line. Senior catcher Danny Lee then tripled into the gap in left-center, scoring Flack and backup first baseman Alex Rhea.

For the night, Shemer gave up four runs, only one of which was earned, on three hits in five and a third innings.

Whitman’s next game is Saturday at home vs. Seneca Valley; game time is 2:30 PM; the Vikings travel to Blair on Tuesday evening at 7 PM, and then the Vikings return home for the last time during the regular season next Thursday evening. That game will mark an annual tradition – senior night – and will be marked by yet another Viking promotion: The first 50 people in attendance will receive autographed copies of senior pitcher Reid Kellam’s runaway bestseller, “21st Century Grooming Habits,” which was featured recently on “Oprah.”

Box Scores
Churchill Game Photos

(link to this story) 4/28/2010 7AM

B-CC at Whitman Game Summary PDF
by Dick Keil

Walt Whitman Vikings senior lefthander Ross Olchyk was brilliant Saturday, but Bethesda Chevy Chase junior right-hander Nico Narel-Aguilar was even better, taking a no-hitter into the seventh and giving up just two hits en route to a 3-0 Barons victory.

With the loss, Whitman dropped to 7-4, and wasted a fine effort by Olchyk, who struck out 12 and allowed only 1 earned run in taking a tough-luck loss. Narel-Aguilar struck out five and walked just one batter, mixing a slow, sweeping curve with his fastball to keep the Vikings off-balance all afternoon.

In many respects, the pitchers seemed mirror images of one another; Olchyk also established his curveball from the very beginning, striking out the side in the first by getting Barons catcher Zack Coen, shortstop Oliver Macklin and designated hitter Matt Fidelholtz to swing and miss at strike three curveballs.

It didn’t appear to be the case at the time, but the Vikings’ best opportunity came in their half of the first. After centerfielder James Dionne led off the game by grounding to short, senior third baseman Brett “Double Threat” Morgenstern reached on an error by Barons second baseman Paul Hogan, and then advanced to second on a walk to shortstop Michael Flack.

The Vikings rally was snuffed out when Morgenstern was picked off second for the inning’s second out; Flack, who advanced to second on the run-down and to third on a passed ball, was stranded there when senior designated hitter Danny Lee bounced out to first.

Olchyk recorded a one-two-three second inning, and then Narel-Aguilar matched him, striking out the side in the bottom of the second.

Olcyhyk picked up two more strikeouts – giving him seven through three innings – in a perfect third inning; Narel-Aguilar also had a perfect third.

Pitching duels like this often turn on one play, and that’s what happened in the fourth, when, with one out, Vikings right fielder Spencer Caldwell dropped a shallow pop fly by Macklin. The B-CC shortstop became the Barons’ first base runner; he didn’t stay there long, because designated hitter Matt Fiedelholtz hammered Olchyk’s first-pitch fastball over the fence in right-center for a 2-0 B-CC lead.

Narel-Aguilar recorded a one-two-three fourth, and B-CC added a run in the fifth, when leftfielder Jules Bodie led off with a double to left-center, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Narel-Aguilar, and scored on a two-out single by Coen.

Coen promptly swiped second and advanced to third when a strong throw by sophomore catcher Josh Biel hit Coen’s helmet and skipped into center field; Macklin walked, and Fidelholtz, who had homered in his last at-bat, was walked intentionally.

Olchyk escaped further damage by striking out clean-up hitter Casey Fitzgerald to end the inning.

Narel-Aguilar didn’t allow a base runner in the fifth or sixth, and took his no-hitter into the seventh.

Morgenstern, leading off the inning, took two curveballs for strikes, then poked Narel-Aguilar’s third pitch – a hanging curve – into right field for a single. After giving up the hit, Narel-Aguilar walked slowly off the mound, exhaling deeply, staring off into space and clearly thinking of what might have been.

Flack followed with a sharp single to left, advancing Morgenstern to second and giving the Vikings their only scoring opportunity since the first inning. Flack was erased at second on a ground ball by Lee, and Olchyk popped out. The rally – and the game – came to an end when sophomore second baseman Sam Avayou grounded softly to first.

The Vikings will try to get back on the winning track Tuesday, when they host Churchill at 7 PM; the game also marks the next in a series of Vikings promotions - the first 10 children under 10 will receive a limited-edition Ross Olchyk lunchbox. On Saturday, Whitman will host Seneca Valley for a 2:30 contest.

Box Scores

B-CC game photos

(link to this story)4/24/2010 7PM