The Avalon Black Knights came out victorious against The Heights Cavaliers on Thursday, using big hits in big situations to emerge with a 12-11 victory. Midway though the game, when the score was tight and could go to either team, Avalon coach Patrick Duffy responded “the one who makes the fewest mistakes [will win the game].” Those words rang true, as the game came down to the very last pitch.

The first inning gave a reasonable impression of what the game would be like, including 5 hits between the two teams. This was the inning where both pitchers, Harry Klein for Avalon and Jack Linehan for The Heights, had more luck than the rest of the game.  Klein struck out two batters on only nine pitches, and Linehan recorded a strikeout as well.

In the top half of the first, Avalon started hot drawing energy from their coach, and his philosophy for his team to set the intensity of the game. That they did, squeaking out an early 2-0 lead Anthony Durbin scored off of an errant throw to third, and Mike Smith added an RBI on a groundout to second base. The Heights went down quietly, not being able to find Klein’s weak point, and the inning without them scoring a run.

Avalon had nothing to show for the 2^nd inning, but The Heights, on the other hand, caught fire scoring three runs on five hits.  They sent eight batters to the plate that inning to turn the game in their favor, 3-2.

Avalon came back when Anthony Durbin tripled in the 3^rd inning, and then scored off of a Mike Smith sac fly to right field, tying the game at 3.  The Heights, in their half of the 3^rd, scored once again to make the game 4-3.

Avalon would not go down easily, exploding in the 4^th.  John Mason slammed the ball into deep left for what appeared to be a home run. The run was discounted and decided a ground rule double after the umpire found another ball in play. Mike Brunvoll advanced Mason to third with a bunt, and Aspen Feldman followed with a walk. In a wild turn of events, Feldman stole second base drawing a throw from catcher Joe Kelly, and an alert Mason took advantage of the opportunity to steal home, tying the game at 4. The nightmare continued for the Cavaliers as Anthony Durbin walked to the plate after a John Klein strikeout. The Heights decided to intentionally walk him, preferring to deal with freshman Billy Lennox, but the gritty second baseman singled down the third base line to load the bases. Josh Brunvoll then smacked a Linehan pitch over the fence in double territory, scoring two and giving Avalon a 6-4 lead. Mike Smith once again showed the Cavs why he was a force to be reckoned with, by collecting yet another RBI base hit, this time scoring two, making the game 8-4.

The Heights refused to fold when down four runs, and they put together their own monster inning. After two quick outs the Cavs got rolling with two singles, and then one could feel the momentum shift when Nick McCabe hit a 3-run homerun over the right-centerfield fence. The Height’s coach Brian Carroccio added, “A deficit is really no big deal to [The Heights]. Nick's hit just gave the team such an energy lift.” At 8-7, the Heights showed no mercy, hitting two more singles and forcing Duffy to replace Klein with the sophomore left hander Mike Brunvoll. “Harry couldn't get anything by them... everybody had seen him three times, and it was time to give them another look,” said coach Duffy.  After another single that tied the game at 8, the inning ended with a ground out. 

In the 5^th, The Heights took full advantage of Avalon mistakes. There was one part of the inning when Avalon thought the inning was over, but only two outs had been recorded, resulting in a run scoring.  Then a balk resulted in advancing a runner to third, followed by a dropped ball that resulted in extra bases, and the Cavs had tacked on three more to make it an 11-8 game.

The 6^th was quiet for both teams, as neither one of them scored. The Knights did have Durbin on 3^rd after he was walked and Lennox hit a single, but they were unable to take advantage. The Heights were also unable to take an opportunity, as they loaded the bases before a pop fly ended the inning.

The 7^th was one of the most intense innings of baseball you will ever see. Mike Smith hit a double and Harry Klein followed with a walked, both events leading to Carroccio removing Jack Linehan, for reliever Brady Hall. Linehan moved to shortstop, and the following batter John Mason hit what appeared to be an easy double play ball right to him.  Linehan booted the ball, and Smith scored as the ball rolled into centerfield, cutting the deficit to two runs. Mike Brunvoll then singled, loading the bases for Avalon. Hall bore down, and bottom of the order struck out in 6 pitches. Anthony Durbin was now at the plate with two outs and the bases loaded, down by two. A fearless Durbin worked the count, but put himself in a bad spot after a check swing resulted in a foul ball for strike two.  He didn't relent, and delivered with one of the most clutch hits any of us will ever see, hitting a double onto the hill in right field - if you have not seen this hill, you have to, its one of the most unique home field advantages I've ever seen. Coach Brian Carrioccio did say about it, “It's a unique home field advantage... but yes, we practice hitting into it.” - that drove in three runs, putting Avalon up, 12-11. Mike Brunvoll handled the next three batters with no problem. 

The Heights didn’t exactly go quietly in the bottom half of the 7^th.  McCabe lead off with a check swing that dumped into left field for a hit.  With the tying run on, Mike Brunvoll made short work of the next three batters, and Avalon held on for the 1-run victory.  Said coach Duffy, “I thought that if we could get our first three on, we're gonna have a shot. The back of the order is a little inexperienced, you know, they're still learning, they're working hard, but they still have a long ways to go.  We just had to get the first three on base, and let the top of the order do it’s thing.”

When I asked Coach Duffy who his MVP(s) were, he said he gave this prize to Mike Brunvoll for his magnificent effort in relief, Mike Smith, who was 2/4 with 4 RBI, and of course Anthony Durbin, who was 3/3 (walked twice as well) with 3 RBI, including the winning shot in the 7^th.

This was a great game that showed the intensity and emotion of both teams, and the ability of those teams to come back from adversity. The Heights Cavaliers are now 9-3, 2-1 in conference play. The Avalon Black Knights are now 8-5, and an undefeated (5-0) in conference play.

PHILADELPHIA, PA - Senior Kevin Fuqua has been named the Atlantic 10 and Big 5 Pitcher of the Week in addition to the GoExplorers.com Student Athlete of the Week, announced earlier today.  Fuqua pitched his most dominant game of the season, a complete game, four-hit shutout victory over Saint Louis back on Thursday night.  

Fuqua only walked one batter and struck out six in the dominating performance that propelled La Salle into the Atlantic 10 postseason.  

The honor marks the second time this season that Fuqua has been named the Big 5 pitcher of the week and the first time he has earned the A-10 weekly nod.  

Fuqua is also a first-time winner of the GoExplorers.com weekly honor and the fourth baseball player to be awarded this season by La Salle for a weekly performance.  

The right-hander still has his most important start in front of him, and will take the ball for what could be the final time when the baseball team opens play in the 2011 Atlantic 10 Championship on Wednesday afternoon against Dayton at Campbell's Field.  

Avalon graduate Kevin Fuqua ‘07 was ranked the fifth best Independent Minor League Baseball prospect by Baseball America last Tuesday.

Baseball America is the premier scouting report magazine for high school, college, and minor league baseball prospects in the country.

Fuqua, Avalon’s all-time leader in strikeouts and wins, finished his first season of professional baseball with a 1-2 record, 1.60 era, and 28 strikeouts in 33 innings pitched as a reliever for the Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks.

“His stuff is intriguing enough that he could be one of the better prospects in independent ball with a little more seasoning,” said J.J. Cooper of Baseball America.

Fuqua’s fastball is clocked between 91 and 93 miler per hour, and Cooper likes his hard slurve.

However, Cooper also said Fuqua needs to work on his command and mechanics.

Fuqua played at NCAA Division I La Salle University, and he graduated with three school records for innings pitched (331.0), strikeouts (222) and games started (46).

During his career at Avalon, Fuqua led the Black Knights to it's first Maryland State B Championship in 2006, and he earned All-Gazette honors in 2006 and 2007.  His jersey number (42) was retired by The Avalon School in 2007.

Avalon baseball released their 2012 schedule on Saturday which features strong competition, five tournaments, and a trip south.

The Black Knights open the season on March 9 in Wilson, NC, when they compete in the Greenfield Baseball Invitational against Lawrence Academy and The Greenfield School.  The two-game tournament, hosted by Greenfield, boasts eight teams with Avalon as the only squad coming from outside of North Carolina. 

“It’s always great to get outside of the DMV and see what kind of talent is in other parts of the country,” said coach Patrick Duffy. “The competition we'll see in Carolina is tough but we have a solid team that will battle and don’t be surprised if we come home with a couple of wins.”

Avalon also plays locally in The Champions Classic from March 15 thru 21.  The Black Knights open the first-year tournament against Gilman School (Baltimore), which is coached by former Baltimore Orioles outfielder Larry Sheets.  Riverdale Baptist and Virginia private school Trinity Christian round out the rest of Avalon’s bracket, while Good Counsel, The Heights, Spaulding, and St. John’s Catholic Prep compete in the opposite division.

The first home game  is set for April 2 against Wootton High School, one of Montgomery County’s top programs and a team Avalon has yet to defeat.  The Black Knights host nine home games, the most since 2005 when the school worked out of The Tilden Center in Rockville.  

Five of the nine home contests are against Old Line Baseball Conference opponents and Avalon also welcomes Georgetown Day and St. Vincent Pallotti. The Black Knights play The Heights on April 16, the day both schools return from spring break.

Road games include a night game at Riverdale Baptist, a tilt with St. Anselm’s in late March, and a spring break match with Gaithersburg High School, the first meeting between the two teams since 2008.  Two of Avalon’s OLBC road games are on weekends with Goretti on March 31, and CHEN on April 28.  They travel to The Heights on April 30 and play at Spencerville’s new campus on May 3.

On May 5, the Black Knights travel to Towson University’s John B. Schuerholtz Field to compete in the 2^nd Annual Bill Bowman Tournament, organized by St. Alban’s School of Washington, D.C.  The Black Knights play Baltimore’s Loyola-Blakefield in the opener while St. Alban’s plays Pallotti.

The Old Line Baseball Conference playoffs run from May 8 to 12, and the Maryland State B tournament follows just days after and runs from May 15 to 24.

For more information on Avalon baseball please visit www.leaguelineup.com/avalonblackknights.

By Jimmy Lewis | The Wilson Times (NC) Staff Writer  

Niko Sanchez threw six innings of perfection and struck out eight, while Ian Foland entered to finish the contest in the seventh as the visiting Avalon (Md.) School obtained a 5-2 victory over the Knights in the Greenfield Baseball Invitational at Fleming Stadium.

Both teams, playing their initial 2012 games at the tournament, finished the weekend at 1-1. 

“It was a tough day offensively,” Greenfield head coach Daniel Johnson said. “We did have some good at-bats, we hit a couple balls hard. Robbie (Stokely) smoked two and they ran them down in the outfield. We had some good at-bats and some hard ground balls, but it just seemed like everything we hit was right at them.” 

Indeed, while the right-handed Sanchez was doing his part in keeping Greenfield hitters off balance with an effective mix of curveballs and changeups, sparkling defense helped the Old Line Baseball Conference Black Knights keep their spotless ledger intact. 

In the second inning, Greenfield sent a trio of fly balls at Avalon center fielder Mike Smith, only to see Smith display exceptional range in tracking them down. The first such effort was off the bat of Stokely. Sanchez kept the 1-A Coastal Plain Independents Conference Knights out of the hit column in the fifth, fielding a hard-hit ball off the bat of Ahmed Hassan and making the throw to first from his knees to the right of the mound for the out. 

“Our defense is the strongest element of the team,” Avalon head coach Patrick Duffy observed. “It doesn’t matter who’s pitching or how I have to rearrange the defense, we’re strong everywhere, especially up the middle of the diamond.” 

The Black Knights gradually constructed a lead off Greenfield right-handed starter Tas Pittman, using an RBI groundout by Billy Lennox for a 1-0 second-inning lead. Avalon loaded the bases with one out, and an unearned came across after a Greenfield misplay at third. 

A pair of walks led to a two-out RBI by Matt Hand in the third for a 2-0 lead, while Lennox’s run-scoring single up the middle in the fourth provided the third run. Smith plated John Klein with an unassisted grounder to first for a 4-0 fourth-inning edge. 

Mike Brunell, who joined Klein as the only Avalon hitters with multiple hits, dropped a fifth-inning RBI single into left to complete the Black Knights scoring. 

Although Sanchez had an opportunity to complete the perfect game entering the seventh, Duffy met him at the first-base line after the right-hander struck out the side in the sixth. Approaching his predetermined pitch limit, Sanchez would not return for the final inning. 

“We came in with a plan that he wasn’t going to pitch more than 75 pitches,” Duffy said of Sanchez. He was actually short of that going into the last inning, but like I said, he’s still learning how to pitch. He isn’t conditioned to be a starting pitcher quite yet. I felt like I was squeezing the sixth inning out of him.” 

Added Sanchez: “I was just mainly keeping it low. That’s all I was worried about. With these new bats, as long as you keep it low, no one’s going to put it over your head.” 

Greenfield posted its two runs after the departure of Sanchez, erasing the perfect game when Dwanya Sutton reached on a leadoff walk. He would come around to score on a wild pitch from reliever Ian Foland, while Pittman reached on a dropped third strike and ultimately scored on another Foland wild pitch. However, the combined no-hitter remained intact as the final three Greenfield hitters were retired to end the game. 

Pittman went five innings for Greenfield, striking out two and walking two on eight singles. Chase Whitehead entered in the sixth, striking out one and walking a pair. Three of Pittman’s five runs were earned as Greenfield was hampered by three errors. 

“Coach Johnson said to pound the strike zone and that’s what I tried to do,” Pittman said. “I threw strikes and the defense played behind me a little bit. We couldn’t hit the ball though. It’s just one of those things.” 

jlewis@wilsontimes.com | 265-7807 

Junior Niko Sanchez earned his second win of the season Saturday and senior Mike Smith belted his second home run as Avalon baseball pulled to an even record in the 2012 Champions Classic with a 10-7 victory over Trinity Christian.

Sanchez, who threw six perfect innings a week ago against Greenfield School (NC), struck out four batters, allowed just one earned run on eight hits, and pitched 5 1/3 innings.  The transfer from Walter Johnson High School improved to 2-0 on the season.

“He struggled with his control at times, but for the most part pitched pretty well,” said coach Patrick Duffy.  “He mixed up his pitches in spots and I think that kept Trinity off balance.”

In the fourth inning, Smith belted a fastball over the right field fence for a two-run homer, scoring sophomore Billy Lennox.  The senior centerfielder paced the offense and finished the game with two hits and two runs batted.

The Black Knights compiled 12 hits for the game with Lennox, Smith, sophomore Tommy Sanchez and junior Mike Brunvoll finishing with multiple hits on the day.

Down 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning, Avalon wasted no time in getting on the board.  Junior Ian Foland led off with a hard double down the left line that one hopped the fence.  Lennox followed with a single, scoring Foland, and Smith’s double advanced Lennox to third.  With two outs, Tommy Sanchez singled to left field scoring both Lennox and Smith, and the Black Knights took an early 3-1 lead.

In the sixth inning, Lennox came on in relief of Sanchez after three of the first four batters he faced in the inning reached base.   The young right-hander moved from his shortstop position to the mound, and allowed 4 hits in his short work but preserved the lead while striking out two batters.

With the tying run at the plate in the seventh inning, Lennox faced Trinity’s lead off batter, Lucas Welgoss.  The sophomore hit a line drive hard to the right side but was snared by Brunvoll along the first base line to end the game.

The win brings Avalon to an even 1-1 record in the Champions Classic tournament, and 3-2 overall on the season.

On Thursday, the Black Knights fell to Baltimore powerhouse Gilman School 9-2, in the tournament’s opening game.  The Greyhounds featured five NCAA D1 signees, including South Carolina bound Ryan Ripken, son of Major League Baseball legend Cal.   

Gilman threw 6’6”, 90 MPH flamer thrower and future Maryland Terrapin, Brandon Cassas.  He was stellar and though he only threw three innings, Avalon could only muster one hit against him, a line drive to centerfield by sophomore Aspen Feldman. 

Brunvoll however, making his second start on the mound, was the focus of much of the game.  The left-hander picked off three base runners and caught the ire of the Gilman coaching staff, who argued adamantly that Brunvoll was balking.

“Mike has a great move, period,” said Duffy.  “His knees do not cross, and he sells the move with different looks.  The umpires did a great job and were on top of it … they made the right call.”

Brunvoll also held the Greyhounds top hitters, Ripken and sophomore Gavin Sheets, son of head coach and former Baltimore Oriole Larry Sheets, to zero hits on the day.

Avalon wraps up the Champions Classic as they travel to conference rival The Heights on Wednesday.

By Tim Schwartz | The Montgomery Sentinel 

BETHESDA – Behind the steady performance of their lefty-ace Mike Brunvoll, the Avalon Black Knights defeated the Thomas S. Wootton Patriots, 12-4, on Monday at Shirley Povich Field to improve to 4-2 on the season.

Avalon, who is coming off a 15-11-1 season in 2011 including a State B runner-up finish, has suffered losses to Wootton in each of the past four seasons before Monday’s victory. The loss dropped Wootton to 3-2 so far in 2012. 

“That’s his best performance all year so far,” said Avalon head baseball coach Patrick Duffy of the junior lefty who pitched a 3.39 ERA in 52 innings in 2011. “He’s our number one pitcher and he’s a kid with a lot of potential and he’s a kid who’s going to pitch at the highest of the next level.”

After Glenny Woolschlager’s double brought in Ben Hindman and Boaz Ru tripled to score Woolsclager for the Patriots to take an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, Brunvoll settled down and only gave up two runs the rest of the way including six strikeouts and two walks.

After loading the bases with no outs in the bottom of the first inning, Wootton’s John Stoeber was able to get out of the jam with two strikeouts and an RBI sacrifice fly from Niko Sanchez.

Wootton earned another run in the top of third with some well-executed small-ball and an RBI sacrifice fly from Woolschlager but Avalon answered in the bottom of the inning when Billy Lennox scored Anthony Durbin who tripled deep to right to lead off the inning. After Mike Smith singled and stole second base, Niko Sanchez bombed a double to right field to drive in Smith and tie the game at 3-3.

After Wootton went down in order in the top of the fourth, Avalon put the game out of reach in the bottom of the fourth inning after Wootton put in Andrew Craig to replace Stoeber on the mound.

After consecutive singles by Tommy Sanchez and Aspen Feldman and a walk to Durbin which loaded the bases with only one out, Lennox reached base on an error to score two runs then Smith nailed a deep triple to score two more. After a walk to Ian Foland and Smith scoring on a past ball, Niko Sanchez notched another sacrifice RBI before the long inning ended and Avalon grabbed a 9-3 lead. 

Wootton took a run back in the top of the fifth after a sloppy error by Avalon but in the bottom of the sixth Avalon ended any hope of a late-inning Patriot comeback with three more runs, including another RBI from Niko Sanchez.

A junior transfer student from Walter Johnson, Niko Sanchez has been one of the Black Knight’s best hitters and pitchers so far this season and on Monday, Sanchez tallied RBIs in each of his four at-bats.

“He raises our level of play with his intensity. He keeps all the other guys accountable, he’s always the first one to say ‘hey, everybody get up lets make some noise’ and that sort of thing,” said Duffy. “The fact that he can hit is a very good bonus too. He’s actually probably got more quality starts than anybody else on our pitching staff right now.”

Junior pitcher Niko Sanchez pitched six solid innings and recorded 7 strikeouts on only four days rest as the Avalon Black Knights defeated the HEARTS Lions 8-3 on Thursday.

Sanchez (3-0) allowed just two runs, only one earned, and scattered eight hits as he faced 28 batters from the opposition.  He survived a rocky first inning which he allowed a hit as well as beaning another batter, but he came away with two strike outs and a ground out to short stop Billy Lennox to end the inning.

The right handed transfer from Walter Johnson High School cruised through the next four innings striking out four batters, yielding one unearned run, and the Lions could only muster three hits.

In his final inning of work, Sanchez worked himself out of another jam.  After giving up four consecutive hits to start the 6^th inning, HEARTS scored a run and were threatening to do more damage with zero outs.

Issac Workman, the Lions’ number nine batter, hit a routine fly ball to senior Mike Smith in centerfield for the first out, but Josef Mang tagged up from third base to try and score the third run of the game for HEARTS.  Smith threw a bullet that hopped to the left of home plate to sophomore catcher Tommy Sanchez, Niko’s younger brother, but the younger Sanchez made a fantastic adjustment and was able to tag Mang out.   

Quickly after the dramatic play at home, the older Sanchez struck out Taylor Platas to end the inning.  Lennox came on in relief to close out the 7^th inning facing five batters and striking out one.

Offensively, junior third basemen Anthony Durbin’s lead off double propelled a five run first inning, which saw 11 Black Knights step to the plate.  Durbin’s double was followed by back-to-back singles by Lennox and Smith, and Smith’s hit brought home Durbin.  Junior infielder Ian Foland followed with another double that scored Lennox. 

Niko Sanchez drew a walk to load the bases, and with one out Tommy Sanchez walked to bring home Mike Smith.  The next batters, sophomore designated hitter Aspen Feldman and junior outfielder Matt Hand, both walked as well, allowing two more free runs and a 5-0 start for Avalon.

The Black Knights compiled 10 walks for the game, compared to just seven hits but were able to score eight runs for the game.

In the fourth inning, Avalon scored twice, once again cashing in on pitching mistakes.  Lennox, Niko Sanchez, and Ian Foland walked while junior Mike Brunvoll was hit by a pitch.

The win was Avalon’s third of the week after defeating Wootton High School on Monday and clobbering Washington Christian 21-0 on Wednesday.

The Black Knights (7-5) play again Tuesday at 3:30 versus OLBC opponent Spencerville Academy. 

By Tim Schwartz | The Montgomery Sentinel

MONTGOMERY VILLAGE – The Avalon Black Knights scored 20 runs for the third time this season to dominate Spencerville Adventist Academy, 20-1, in five innings at Apple Ridge Park on Tuesday to earn their fourth straight victory.

Avalon’s junior ace Mike Brunvoll faced the minimum nine batters in three innings of work to go with six strikeouts, no walks, two groundouts and one hit while throwing only 33 pitches. Brunvoll picked-off the lone base runner allowed to end the first inning. Brunvoll was pulled for junior Ian Foland to start the fourth inning.

“I want him to be available for relief on Thursday against Gaithersburg,” said Avalon head coach Patrick Duffy of his ace. 

In the bottom of the first inning, Avalon unloaded on Spencerville to take an early but seemingly insurmountable 6-0 lead. The inning featured a total of 10 batters including four hits, six stolen bases, and two walks as well as sophomore Tommy Sanchez reaching second base on an error. 

However, after cruising in the first inning, the second inning saw the heart of the Black Knights’ order go three-and-out including a strikeout.

“It’s really weird, it’s like if the first two guys get hits, you know we’ll have a great inning,” said Duffy. “But if we don’t, we sort of fall into this lull and I cant describe why that happens to us but it just does. But we’ve been like that all year.” 

The Black Knights certainly found their groove again in the third inning. Avalon had 16 at-bats to rake in 11 more runs and take a huge 17-0 lead behind another mammoth day at the plate from junior Niko Sanchez. Sanchez tripled and doubled three times to drive in three runs while also scoring four runs in four at-bats. 

Avalon would add three more runs in the bottom of the fourth to give the Black Knights a 20-0 lead before Spencerville finally scored a run in the top of the fifth to avoid the shutout. 

Avalon will suit up against a tough Gaithersburg squad on Thursday but the game circled on their schedule from the start of the season is a Monday matchup at Shirley Povich Field against their conference rival The Heights. 

“It’s a friendly rivalry, but a rivalry nonetheless,” said Duffy. “Heights-Avalon, its just always a lot of fun.” 

The rivalry game could feature a matchup of two of the best pitchers in the county: Brunvoll for Avalon and Jack Linehan for The Heights, who was the 2011 Maryland Private School B Tournament MVP to go with an 8-1 record last season.

Avalon baseball player Mike Smith signed a national letter of intent on April 16 to play baseball for NYACK College.

“It’s a relief not having to worry about where I’m going to school anymore,” said Smith of the signing.

A senior and native of Lynchburg, Va., Smith chose NYACK over Messiah College (Pa.) and Bryan College (Tn.) as well as a host of other small Christian schools.

“I felt the most at home at NYACK over all the other schools I visited. I really liked the baseball coach and the campus is absolutely beautiful,” Smith said.

NYACK is located 23 miles from New York City along a hillside overlooking the Hudson River. It’s most notably known as the first Bible college in North America and the school was founded in 1882.

The baseball program competes in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference at the NCAA Division II level, but they also participate in the National Christian College Athletic Association at the Division I level.

NYACK coach Matt Cornacchione loves how Smith handles the bat and expects him to crack the Warriors starting line up immediately.  While Smith currently plays outfield for Avalon, he may not necessarily play there in college, as first base might be an option.

BETHESDA – For the Avalon Black Knights, the cliché fits the script: the third time is a charm.

In their third game against The Heights this season, Avalon came through when it mattered most with a 6-2-road victory on Saturday over their archrival to capture the Old Line Baseball Conference crown.

“It feels pretty darn good,” said Avalon head coach Patrick Duffy. “We had a streak of seven consecutive wins against them and they had five consecutive wins against us coming in to today. It just means so much for it to be in the conference championship… That’s one of the best teams in Montgomery County if not the best team in Montgomery County.

“For us to put all the nonsense away that’s been going on early in the year, for us to come together and to be playing the way we have, this is a culmination of everything we’ve been doing the last several weeks. I just feel so good for our kids right now.”

Avalon jumped out to a 4-0 lead against The Heights’ ace senior Jack Linehan, who was pitching in his third game against Avalon this season, after the first inning and added to their lead with two more runs in the second. And with the way Avalon was fielding the ball on defense and Niko Sanchez pitching to his little brother Tommy, Avalon proved too much for The Heights to handle.

The Black Knights came out swinging early. Junior Ian Foland and sophomore Billy Lennox singled before senior Mike Smith hit a hard grounder that the shortstop couldn’t handle, which allowed Foland to score from second. Niko Sanchez then reached first base on an error by the third baseman, which allowed Lennox to score.

Junior Mike Brunvoll hit a long single off the scoreboard in right field to score Smith and junior Matt Hand continued the streak with another single to score Sanchez and jump out to a 4-0 lead before Sanchez even took the mound.

In their last meeting on April 30, Niko Sanchez pitched a flawless inning before being hit in the face with a throw from the catcher while sliding back to first base on a pick off throw. The throw resulted in Sanchez getting 11 stitches just under his lip and forced him to leave the game early. On Saturday, Sanchez would not be denied, despite a few loose teeth.

Duffy has said all season long that he feels his team has two aces in Brunvoll and Sanchez but in the first two games between the two rivals, Brunvoll took both losses. This time, Sanchez got his chance to prove his coach’s words to be true.

“He didn’t even have his best stuff today. He may have thrown a no-hitter today if his breaking ball was on, but his curveball wasn’t there and he got behind in a lot of counts,” said Duffy. “He’s got so much confidence from all his other starts.”

In the second inning Avalon added to their lead when Smith hit a deep two-run homerun to right field to score Foland. His homerun is the second in two games as Smith hit a double, a triple, and a homerun in Avalon’s upset victory over St. Maria Goretti in the OLBC semifinal game.

Sanchez cruised through the first inning despite allowing a walk and in the second Avalon had their first and only error of the game as centerfielder Mike Smith bobbled the ball which allowed sophomore Mike McCreary to reach second to lead off the inning.

The error would cost the Black Knights as McCreary scored later in the inning when junior Will Marvin grounded into a double play. The double play was the first of four for Avalon on the day.

“We’ve had some good middle infielders in the past but that’s the best I think I’ve seen our middle infield ever play,” said Duffy of shortstop Lennox and junior second baseman Anthony Durbin. “The athleticism between the two of them is incredible and it showed today.”

The Heights added another run in the bottom of the fourth when senior Sam Weber singled in senior Nick McCabe to cut the deficit to four runs. However, with a runner on third and only one out, sophomore Brady Hall grounded into another Avalon double play to end the threat.

“First off, congratulations to Avalon,” said The Heights head coach Brian Carroccio, “I think the difference in the game was their defense. The double plays, the shortstop and the second baseman, a couple nice plays in the outfield… I really think that was the difference in the game.”

POTOMAC – Bullis scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning but it was not enough to overcome a gutsy Avalon squad as the Black Knights held on for the 6-5 road victory on Saturday to advance to the final four in the Maryland B Tournament.

Avalon scored one in the second and five in the third against Bullis’ ace senior Aron Wegner which turned out to be just the right amount of runs to hold off a late inning rally from the Bulldogs. Junior Mike Brunvoll found his rhythm again on the mound for the Black Knights after struggling in a few of his recent starts.

“I felt really good today,” said Brunvoll, “the past few starts my arm was feeling kind of sore but it’s better now.”

Through the first five innings, Brunvoll had six strikeouts, allowed only two hits, – both on bunts – one unearned run and didn’t walk any batters. However, in the sixth inning Brunvoll walked the lead off man and hit Wegner with a pitch to have two men on base with only one out.

A Jackson Stoner groundball got the second out at second base but a heads up play by senior Jack Simons on the base path allowed him to score on the play from second base to cut score the second run of the game for the Bulldogs. Brunvoll would walk the next batter but ended the threat with his eighth strikeout of the day.

Brunvoll faced more problems in the bottom of the seventh. He got the first two batters out but with two outs down four runs, Bullis put their rally caps on. A pinch-hit single from senior Jamie Smith followed by another single by Simons knocked Brunvoll out of the game.

“The kicker was his pitch count got out of control,” said Avalon head coach Patrick Duffy, “he’s very conditioned, he’s very strong, but I can’t keep him out there in that situation.” Brunvoll threw about 115 pitches up to that point.

Junior Ian Foland came in to relieve Brunvoll on the mound but struggled to throw strikes. He walked his first batter to load the bases and Wegner singled to score two runs and cut the deficit to 6-4. Stoner followed suit with another single to score another run and put the tying run at third base with two outs. Avalon allowed Stoner to advance to second in a cloud of confusion, which put the winning run in scoring position.

“I don’t know what that was because (getting the out at second) would have ended the ball game and when (senior second baseman) Anthony (Durbin) said ‘let him go’ everyone backed off. I wish we would have gotten him though,” said Duffy about the play. “I think there was a little bit of stress there on Anthony… our bench, our two coaches and our parents, everyone was in shock, like, ‘what’s going on right now,’ but we got out of it.”

Duffy yanked Foland and put sophomore Billy Lennox on the bump to save the game and on a 3-2 count got the called-strike-three to end the threat and the game for Avalon.

“Ian has been pretty good for us in relief this year and maybe it was because he hadn’t pitched in about a week, that may have done it,” said Duffy. “Billy I think was a bit more loose. It’s a tough spot to put a sophomore in but Billy came in and got the job done.”

Avalon scored their lone run in the second inning when sophomore Tommy Sanchez hit a fly ball that the right fielder couldn’t hold on to which allowed Brunvoll, who singled with two outs, to score and give Avalon the one run lead.

Bullis answered in the bottom of the inning. Stoner reached second base on a throwing error by Durbin and senior Kane Herrick laid down a beautiful bunt to put Stoner on third. Herrick stole second and senior Alex Fishman bunted again and reached first safely, scoring Stoner to tie the game at 1-1. Brunvoll, however, buckled down and struck out three batters in a row to end the inning.

Avalon unloaded the truck in the third. Durbin singled to start the inning and Lennox grounded into a fielder’s choice before Avalon tallied four straight hits. Foland singled and senior Mike Smith singled to center, scoring Lennox from second.

Junior Niko Sanchez, after staying alive when the second baseman dropped a foul pop up, singled to load the bases before Brunvoll doubled down the leftfield line, scoring Foland and Smith and moving Sanchez to third. A frustrated Wegner balked which allowed Sanchez to score and in the same at-bat Tommy Sanchez singled to right, scoring Brunvoll to give Avalon a 6-1 lead.

“All the credit goes to St. Frances,” said Avalon head coach Patrick Duffy. “They came out a focused team, they came out a hungry team, and they took charge that first inning.”

That first inning was all it took for St. Frances in a game that was played over two days because of weather. Junior Ian Foland walked the first two batters to start the game followed by two outfield errors. Those first four batters went on to score for St. Frances and it was all the Panthers needed to end one of the most successful seasons for Avalon baseball to date.

“I think we exceeded expectations,” Duffy said reflecting on their 22-12 season. “Last year we were 15-11 with a team of a lot of seniors and it was a disappointing season for us… To go 22-12 with this team we definitely exceeded expectations.”

Luckily for Duffy and the Black Knights the team only graduates one senior from this year’s team: centerfielder Mike Smith, a Forest, Virginia native who will continue his baseball career at NYACK on scholarship in the fall. Duffy has been Smith’s baseball coach for the past seven years, five at Avalon and two before that when Duffy coached Smith on the Maryland Bombers.

“He’s a good wholesome guy,” said Duffy. “He comes to the park ready to play. He comes to the park focused. He busts his butt at practice… He’s got the personality, he’s got the character, he’s got the work ethic… that’s Mike Smith.”

Despite ending their season one game short of their ultimate goal of winning the Maryland Private B Tournament, Duffy is excited for what is to come out of next year’s team.

“We got a lot of guys coming back. I think one of the things we’ll have more of next year is maturity,” Duffy said. “The underclassmen go into their sophomore and junior year varsity ready.  Instead of wasting away on a JV roster, they’re going to be ready to take off from the get go next year. I think that’s the most exciting part.”

2012 All-OLBC Team
Player of the Year: #51 P/SS, Jack Linehan; Senior, The Heights
The Cavaliers ace pitcher won all three of his conference starts, posting a 4-2 overall record with one save and a 2.62 ERA. When not pitching, Linehan provided the Cavs with an anchor at SS, and as the Cavs leadoff hitter, posted a .487 OBP. Linehan will attend the University of Miami-Ohio next fall.

Coach of the Year: Brian Carroccio, The Heights
Coming off last year's Old Line Championship season, the ninth year coach led the Cavaliers to their first conference unbeaten regular season. Carroccio, having earned his first OLBC Coach of the Year Award, hopes to lead his Cavaliers to a repeat victory in the OLBC tourney and Maryland Private School B Championship.

Assistant Coach of the Year: Charles Devereux, Avalon
Coach Devereux has made an immediate impact on the Black Knights pitching staff. Despite losing two of their top three pitchers from 2011, Avalon pitchers have shaved almost an entire run off of their team ERA this season. Also, team walks have dropped form 74 a year ago to 55 in 2012, and under Deveruex's tutelage, Avalon's staff has hurled three no-hitters.

First Team:
#3 P/1B Adam Blenckstone, Sophomore, St. Maria Goretti
The crafty lefty emerged as one of Goretti's top pitchers and hitters, as his 26 hits, .426 average and 23 RBI led the team.

#2 P/3B Ian Foland, Junior, Avalon
The junior speedster had a breakout campaign posting a .447 batting average with 6 2B doubles 7 triples and 23 RBI. Foland also came on late in the year to bolster the depth of Avalon pitching staff.

#22 P/SS Brady Hall, Sophomore, The Heights
The hard throwing righty emerged as the Cavaliers #2 pitcher, posting a 3-2 record with a 3.18 ERA. Hall also posted an impressive .466 batting average and .537 OBP.

#99 C Joe Kelly; Senior, The Heights
The lefty catcher wrapped up an impressive four-year career with a strong senior campaign, posting a .535 batting average with 3 home runs and 29 RBI. Kelly also recently moved into second place on The Heights all-time career hit list with 128.

#24 1B George Koutris, Senior, The Heights
Despite undergoing back surgery midway through the season, last season's Co-Player of the Year produced another monstrous year at the plate. Hitting .562 with 3 home runs and 28 RBI, Koutris became the first player in OLBC history to earn first-team honors three times. He will play next season at Towson University.

#1 SS Billy Lennox, Sophomore, Avalon
The Black Knight's gritty shortstop emerged as their top offensive player posting a .511 batting average with 36 RBI, and a mere one striking out a me re one time.

#7 OF Jake Moats, Sophomore, St. Maria Goretti 
The speedy center fielder earned his second all conference selection, posting a .424 average with 11 stolen bases.

#17 P/SS Ian Moss; Senior, St. Maria Goretti 
Despite numerous injuries, the hard throwing righty still managed to post impressive numbers hitting .426 with 2 home runs, and earning his second first team OLBC selection.

#15 P/SS Nick Reyer, Junior, Washington Christian 
Coming off last season's first team selection, Reyer posted another impressive campaign, leading the Wildcats in wins, home runs and RBIs.

#55 P/2B Niko Sanchez, Junior, Avalon 
Sanchez proved to be a welcome addition to the Black Knights staff. He posted an impressive pitching performance in the team's 3-1 win over Maria Goretti, and finished the regular season with a 4-2 record and 1.86 ERA.

#16 OF Mike Smith, Senior, Avalon 
The speedy center fielder wrapped up an impressive career at Avalon, earning his second first team selection. Posting a third consecutive season batting over.400, Smith has committed to play baseball next year at NYACK College in New York.

Second Team:
#5 C Casey Barthlomew, Sophomore, St. Maria Goretti
The Gaels dependable backstop posted solid offensive numbers, hitting .375 with 18 RBI.

#25 P Mike Brunvoll, Junior, Avalon
Avalon's ace pitcher posted another solid campaign with 4 wins, and a 3.28 ERA.

#39 P/2B Michael Buono, Senior, The Heights
Buono, who will attend Princeton in the fall, posted another strong campaign, batting .383 with 19 RBI.

#23 C/3B Anthony Durbin, Junior, Avalon
Avalon's speedy leadoff hitter earned his third all-conference selection, posting a .346 average with 1 home run and 17 stolen bases.

# 12 1B Greg Hein, Junior, Washington Christian 
WCA's first baseman provided a slick glove and solid bat in the middle of the lineup.

#10 P Ryan Kinter, Junior, St. Maria Goretti 
Kinter emerged as the Gaels workhorse, throwing 46 innings and posting a 5-4 record.

#44 OF Will Marvin, Junior, The Heights
The speedy center fielder emerged as a top offensive threat for the Cavs posting a .420 batting average.

#38 OF Nick McCabe, Senior, The Heights
The slugging lefty hit .404 with 1 home run, 1 triple and six doubles.

#16 P/3B Matt McCreary, Sophomore, The Heights
McCreary posted a 4-0 record on the mound, while recording 3 home runs and 20 RBI at the plate.

#7 SS Jimmy Brockett, Senior, Spencerville
The Hornets smooth fielding shortstop earns his second all league selection.

#16 OF Kristian Olson, Senior, Chen
The Chargers centerfielder once again led the team in batting posting a .583 average .

# 13 P/ SS Alex Reinhard, Junior, Washington Christian
Solid pitcher and SS, led team in BA, OBP and walks.

#30 C Tommy Sanchez, Sophomore, Avalon
The steady backstop provided the Black Knights with a dependable glove, throwing out over 50% of would be base stealers.

#4 C/3B Sam Weber, Senior, The Heights
Weber proved to be a run-producing machine for the Cavs, batting .395 with 29 RBI.

All Academic Team:
Peter Fairbanks, The Heights 3.9 GPA
Aspen Feldman, Avalon 3.76 GPA
Ian Moss, Maria Goretti 3.74 GPA
Patrick Pacious, The Heights 3.9 GPA
Gunnar Stout, WCA 3.96 GPA

Rising senior pitcher Mike Brunvoll was selected to play in the nationally televised U.S. Baseball Championships All-Star Game on Monday, July 23 in Richmond, VA.

The game will be televised live on CBS Sports Network.  

Who:                     Players selected as All-Stars from teams playing in the USBC

What:                    USBC All-Star Game (North vs. South)

Where:                 RF&P Park (Henrico County, VA)

Wear:                    Your team uniform

When:                  Arrive/Check-In by 5:20pm on Monday, July 23

                                In dugout and ready to go by 5:30pm

Gazette All-Baseball

by Patrick Stoll | Chronicles Sports Writer

The Avalon Baseball team made their annual trip down to Greenfield, North Carolina this weekend, to take part in the Greenfield Invitational to begin their regular season slate after winning scrimmages against St. Francis School and Damascus. Avalon lost their first game, against Lawrence Academy, 4-3, while putting up no hits the entire game and giving up a 2-0 early lead. Avalon did come back on Saturday to take care of business against Greensfield, 8-1.

Avalon entered the game on Friday with a lot of confidence coming into the game against Lawrence Academy, after dominating in a scrimmage against St. Francis and having a good showing against Damascus. However, that ended up crashing down upon the Black Knights as they were no-hit and lost a 2-0 lead against a team which had won four of the last 5 North Carolina state championships.

Avalon jumped out to an early lead over the Warriors after Anthony Durbin reached base on a fielder's choice, and Ian Foland was walked right afterwards. Niko Sanchez then grounded out, but advanced both runners. Tommy Sanchez then reached base on a dropped third strike, which allowed Durbin to score. Foland then scored on a throwing error, which put Avalon up 2-0. The inning ended with a strikeout, just one of eight between three Lawrence pitchers in the game.

For the majority of the game, Senior Avalon pitcher Niko Sanchez put on a dominating performance, with seven strikeouts, only three walks, and an astounding one hit, which was a single in the first at bat of the game, in his 2013 debut. He held Lawrence from scoring until the fifth inning, when he walked two batters, one of whom scored after a throwing error and a wild pitch in quick succession. He then hit another batter before the final out of the inning, throwing 83 pitches in five innings.

Avalon had another opportunity to score and keep some distance in the sixth inning, when Tommy Sanchez reached first on an error and ended up advancing to third, but being left on base when the inning ended. Billy Lennox then came in for Niko pitching, and despite allowing someone on base on his second pitch, who was the only run scored that inning to tie the game at two, Billy was the spark that got the Black Knights out of a potentially disastrous inning.

After a short pop up, halfway in between the pitchers mound and home plate, Billy dove and caught the ball for the first out. He then threw the ball over to Shortstop Ian Foland, who made the tag at second for the second out, and threw to Conor Sloan to complete the rare triple play to end the inning at a 2-2 tie.

Avalon did take the lead in the seventh inning, as Alex Jacobs got a run started with a walk, and then was brought around by a wild pitch and passed ball. That half inning ended with Avalon up 3-2, after the top of the Avalon order failed to make more distance from the Warriors. That was the gamebreaker for Avalon, as Lawrence was able to get three base hits off Billy Lennox's first six pitches of the inning, then advanced their batters with a groundball to tie the game, when Pearce Howard took a groundball and threw to first for the out, instead of home. Billy then intentionally walked the next batter, struck out the next, and with two outs and a full count, walked in the winning run, ending the game at 4-3.

“I think this game was a good wake-up call for us,” said Head Coach Patrick Duffy. “We hung with a really good team today. Those guys have won four of the last five state championships. We stuck with them, and we made our mistakes along the way, but you can't dwell on that in baseball.”

Avalon did not dwell on the tough loss, coming back the next afternoon to handle Greenfield 8-1 behind the pitching of Ian Foland and 10 team hits throughout the game. Billy went 2/2 with a walk, Anthony went 3/ 4 with 3 RBI, and Ian went 1/ 2 with a walk, as well as pitching five strikeouts and only one walk. Tommy Sanchez also came in for the final inning in relief and had three strikeouts. The Greenfield game “was a great way to bounce back. I'm really proud of the guys for this. Everyone played well, and I'm especially proud of Ian and Tommy. They did great.”

by Patrick Stoll | The Chronicles

The Avalon Baseball team made their annual trip down to Greenfield, North Carolina this weekend, to take part in the Greenfield Invitational to begin their regular season slate after winning scrimmages against St. Francis School and Damascus. Avalon lost their first game, against Lawrence Academy, 4-3, while putting up no hits the entire game and giving up a 2-0 early lead. Avalon did come back on Saturday to take care of business against Greensfield, 8-1.

Avalon entered the game on Friday with a lot of confidence coming into the game against Lawrence Academy, after dominating in a scrimmage against St. Francis and having a good showing against Damascus. However, that ended up crashing down upon the Black Knights as they were no-hit and lost a 2-0 lead against a team which had won four of the last 5 North Carolina state championships.

Avalon jumped out to an early lead over the Warriors after Anthony Durbin reached base on a fielder's choice, and Ian Foland was walked right afterwards. Niko Sanchez then grounded out, but advanced both runners. Tommy Sanchez then reached base on a dropped third strike, which allowed Durbin to score. Foland then scored on a throwing error, which put Avalon up 2-0. The inning ended with a strikeout, just one of eight between three Lawrence pitchers in the game.

For the majority of the game, Senior Avalon pitcher Niko Sanchez put on a dominating performance, with seven strikeouts, only three walks, and an astounding one hit, which was a single in the first at bat of the game, in his 2013 debut. He held Lawrence from scoring until the fifth inning, when he walked two batters, one of whom scored after a throwing error and a wild pitch in quick succession. He then hit another batter before the final out of the inning, throwing 83 pitches in five innings.

Avalon had another opportunity to score and keep some distance in the sixth inning, when Tommy Sanchez reached first on an error and ended up advancing to third, but being left on base when the inning ended. Billy Lennox then came in for Niko pitching, and despite allowing someone on base on his second pitch, who was the only run scored that inning to tie the game at two, Billy was the spark that got the Black Knights out of a potentially disastrous inning.

After a short pop up, halfway in between the pitchers mound and home plate, Billy dove and caught the ball for the first out. He then threw the ball over to Shortstop Ian Foland, who made the tag at second for the second out, and threw to Conor Sloan to complete the rare triple play to end the inning at a 2-2 tie.

Avalon did take the lead in the seventh inning, as Alex Jacobs got a run started with a walk, and then was brought around by a wild pitch and passed ball. That half inning ended with Avalon up 3-2, after the top of the Avalon order failed to make more distance from the Warriors. That was the gamebreaker for Avalon, as Lawrence was able to get three base hits off Billy Lennox's first six pitches of the inning, then advanced their batters with a groundball to tie the game, when Pearce Howard took a groundball and threw to first for the out, instead of home. Billy then intentionally walked the next batter, struck out the next, and with two outs and a full count, walked in the winning run, ending the game at 4-3.

“I think this game was a good wake-up call for us,” said Head Coach Patrick Duffy. “We hung with a really good team today. Those guys have won four of the last five state championships. We stuck with them, and we made our mistakes along the way, but you can't dwell on that in baseball.”

Avalon did not dwell on the tough loss, coming back the next afternoon to handle Greenfield 8-1 behind the pitching of Ian Foland and 10 team hits throughout the game. Billy went 2/2 with a walk, Anthony went 3/ 4 with 3 RBI, and Ian went 1/ 2 with a walk, as well as pitching five strikeouts and only one walk. Tommy Sanchez also came in for the final inning in relief and had three strikeouts. The Greenfield game “was a great way to bounce back. I'm really proud of the guys for this. Everyone played well, and I'm especially proud of Ian and Tommy. They did great.”

by Patrick Stoll | The Chronicles

The Avalon Black Knights fell to The Heights Cavaliers in their first match-up on Wednesday in a heartbreaker, losing 4-3 in eight innings, despite multiple opportunities to win the game. Avalon had five errors in the field, including one that forfeited the winning run, and left 15 runners on base, in a game that Avalon coach Patrick Duffy said “We had our chances in just about every inning of this game. We didn't get the job done when we needed to.”

Avalon was able to load the bases twice in the first two innings, but did not get a single run. In the first inning, Anthony Durbin was caught attempting to steal home while Tommy Sanchez was caught in a run down, Durbin was thrown out at home, which was the final out to end the 24 pitch inning, leaving Ian Foland and Tommy Sanchez on base. In the second inning, the bases were once again loaded with two outs, when Billy Lennox hit a grounder to the second baseman, leaving Niko Sanchez, Pearce Howard, and Dan Searles all on base.

The Heights was able to score first, in the third inning. Matt McCreary batted in Grant Hartzell to take the lead. After going 1-2-3 in the third inning, Avalon finally scored in the fourth inning, when Niko Sanchez was batted in by a Conor Sloan double to tie the game at one each. Avalon then loaded the bases once again in the fifth inning, only to come up empty again, leaving Foland and both Sanchez's on base. Despite Grant Hartzell reaching base on a Pearce Howard error, and stealing second, The Heights did not score in the fifth. Avalon in the sixth was unable to put a run on the board despite putting Conor Sloan on third with a Dan Searles sacrifice and a Billy Lennox single.

The bottom of the sixth is when the Cavaliers struck. Will Marvin got to first after being hit by a pitch, and advanced to third after a Bruchalski line drive. He then scored on a Mark Searles error while Bruchalski advanced to third. Charles Tsintolas then reached base on a Niko Sanchez error and Bruchalski scored to add to the lead, before Bair Srivastav lined out to end the inning 3-1.

Avalon came back in the seventh inning to tie the game, starting with a clutch triple by Ian Foland. Tommy Sanchez then reached base on an error, scoring Foland. Tommy then advanced to second on a wild pitch, and Niko was walked. Tommy then advanced to third on another wild pitch, and scored on a Pearce Howard sacrifice. The inning ended in a tie after Conor and Mark Searles struck out. Billy Lennox then disposed of the Heights in the bottom of the seventh to take it to extra innings.

Avalon had a big chance in the eighth, when pinch runner Jamie Shifflett advanced to third after a sacrifice bunt and a wild pitch. The bases were loaded after Durbin stole second and Tommy Sanchez was intentionally walked, with two outs. Niko Sanchez then hit what both coaches described as “A complete missile” to third, but was caught by third baseman Matt McCreary to save the game.

“When a guys makes a play like that at third base, catching that missile of a hit, you can't help but tip your cap to him,” said Coach Duffy. The game was won in the bottom of the eighth when Matt McCreary was walked, and Bruchalski hit a line drive to left field. The ball went between the legs of Conor Sloan and went into further left, allowing McCreary to score the winning run.

Heights Coach Brian Corrocio said his team felt prepared for their first game against Avalon since their loss in the “We knew we were going to pitch four guys today, and we have a very different team than last year. Last year we were more a team that looked to pound you. This year we are more tactical and more of a fielding team. We wanted to make sure Avalon didn't get comfortable, so as soon as they adjusted to something we were doing we changed.” Coach Duffy responded by saying “I think the heights are more dangerous with this type of team. They have guys who can do a whole bunch of things, hit in situations, move guys over, and they are scrappy and can fight.”

Avalon came back on Thursday with a 5-4 win in 10 innings over Chapelgate Christian. After struggling to find hits early, Avalon scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh to bring the game into extra innings. Avalon finally brought the game to a close when they loaded the bases in the bottom of the tenth and Ian Foland hit a monster fly ball to score Aspen Feldman.

by James Peters | Gazette.com

The Avalon Black Knights baseball team overcame foul weather and a late deficit to capture two of three games last week to improve to 5-3.

Avalon opened the week with an 8-2 win against St. John’s Catholic Prep while battling sleet, snow and rain. It then rallied to force extra innings with two runs in the seventh inning last Wednesday before falling to rival The Heights, 4-3, in eight innings in an Old Line Baseball Conference game.

The Black Knights finished the three-game stretch with a 5-4, 10-inning win against Chapelgate Christian Academy, scoring three runs with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to keep the game going.

Avalon, which won the OLBC title a year ago, will be paced by Niko Sanchez (5-2, 1.88 ERA in 2012), Billy Lennox (.482, 39 RBI, 10 doubles in 2012), Ian Foland (.418, 25 RBI, seven triples in 2012) and Anthony Durbin (.327, 13 RBI, 15 SB in 2012) this spring. Coach Pat Duffy has won more than 140 games in his 10-plus seasons at the school.

By Patrick Stoll | The Chronicles

The Avalon School built off their momentum from their win against Covenant Life on Saturday with the biggest win of the season so far, a comeback win against Gilman High School, a team ranked sixth in the state. Avalon came back from a 6-2 deficit in the fourth inning to score seven runs in the fifth, and hang on in the final two innings to win 9-8. Billy Lennox once again led the team with three hits, and Ian Foland knocked in a team- high three runs.

Avalon struck early in the first, when Billy Lennox hit a single, then stole second. Anthony Durbin scored the first run after an error and a fielders' choice. The inning ended with Tommy Sanchez on third and Niko Sanchez on first when Pearce Howard popped out. Gilman was able to strike back quickly, however, as Blair walked, then stole second, and Grace reached base after a dropped third strike. Sheets then hit a single, tying the game and advancing Grace to third. Tilley then hit another single, which gave Gilman the lead. Pitcher Niko Sanchez was able to finish the inning without any more trouble, causing two groundouts and a strike out.

The second inning was uneventful for both teams, as batters for both squads popped out, and the only one to touch base was Aspen Feldman on a walk. The third inning was almost a successful one for Avalon, but they could not capitalize on having Tommy and Niko Sanchez on base with two outs, as Pearce Howard grounded out to the first baseman.

Gilman, on the other hand, was able to capitalize on their third inning. After Grace reached base due to a walk, Sheets smacked the second ball he saw for a home run, scoring two and making the score 4-1. Tilley then reached base on a single and stole his way to third, and Slodzinski scored him with a single. Smeton then scored Slodzinski, who made his way to third, with a ground out to second, making the score 6-1. Avalon was able to prevent further damage, with another man on third, when Mark Searles tracked down a Wey fly ball to end the inning.

Avalon was able to add one run to their score in the fourth, but once again missed the chance to do more. Mark Searles hit a single, and then got to second on an error. He got to third after Dan Searles grounded out, and scored on Aspen Feldman's sacrifice fly. Billy Lennox and Anthony Durbin both reached base, and Ian Foland walked to load the bases, but Tommy Sanchez's attempt to lessen the deficit was shut down with a great catch by Tilley at shortstop, and Avalon trailed 6-2.

Niko Sanchez was able to dispose of the Gilman side without too much trouble in the fourth, making Blair and Grace ground out and pop out in the first two pitches. He then forced Tilley to ground out, preventing Sheets from advancing further than second and increasing the lead from 6-2.

Avalon finally made the most of their chances in the fifth, exploding for seven runs. Niko walked, and Pearce bunted and got to base safely. They then advanced to second and third, and Mark scored Niko. Dan then scored Pearce, making the game 6-4. Aspen then walked, and Gilman replaced pitcher Schelberg with Blair. Billy Lennox then loaded the bases, and Anthony Durbin walked to make the game 6-5. Ian then brought Aspen, Billy, and Anthony home with a triple, taking the first lead of the game at 8-6. Tommy Sanchez then scored Ian before another pitching substitution was made, and new Pitcher John Locke made Niko fly out to end the inning 9-6.

Niko then shut down the Gilman side, using nine pitches to dispose of the three batters. Avalon was unable to add to their lead in the sixth, as Mark was caught stealing and Dan and Aspen struck out. Gilman then tried to make their way back into the game, as King advanced to third before being scored by Grace. Niko then intentionally walked Sheets, and Tilley flew out on the next pitch.

In Avalon's final chance to add insurance runs, Billy Lennox hit a double and advanced to third, with Tommy Sanchez on first, with two outs, but to no avail, and Avalon had to defend a 9-7 lead. And that they did, despite Slodzinski scoring, and Wey being on third with King on first, Blair struck out to end the comeback upset. Avalon will take on archrival Heights next week, in a rematch of a conference 4-3 extra innings loss.

by Patrick Stoll | The Chronicles

Senior pitcher Niko Sanchez threw a complete game with five strikeouts and freshman Dan Searles drew a bases loaded walk to guide the Avalon Black Knights to a first round 1-0 win over host St. Alban’s in the first round of the 3rd Annual Bill Bowman Tournament.

“I felt really good today,” said Sanchez. “I felt like I had my stuff, and I recognized over the game that they were chasing pitches low, so that helped me today.”

Sanchez (5-1) threw 97 pitches and struck out five batters in his complete game performance, only surrendering a few singles on his way to winning his fifth game of the year. He lowered his ERA to 2.00, and now has 46 strikeouts in 50 innings pitched.

Junior shortstop Billy Lennox led the way on defense, making multiple game-changing plays. His fake throw to first base in the second inning on a Will Carome ground ball caught runner Mike McCurdy between third base and home. The Black Knights completed the run down to escape from the inning.

Later in the fifth inning, St. Albans had a runner on third when Lennox made an excellent diving play to take a hit away from Nico Boyajian to end the inning.

In the top of the fourth inning, senior Ian Foland reached base on an error, and catcher Tommy Sanchez followed with a laser to left field for a hit. With two outs, sophomore Mark Searles walked to load the bases.

Dan Searles came to the plate and quickly fell behind in the count 0-2. He took ball one, and then fouled a pitch back before watching three more pitches outside of the strike zone. The walk scored Foland, for the game’s only run.

 ”It was a great win for our team… We really wanted this,” said Sanchez.

In the championship game vs. Loyola Blakefield however, Avalon struggled at the plate and could only muster a total of three hits in a 6-0 loss.

Loyola pitcher Eric McDonough forced the Black Knights to hit liners to infielders again and again, and the ball rarely got past the infield. Foland took the loss for Avalon with three earned runs in 2 1/3 innings. The Loyola Don’s accumulated 9 hits for the game.

Avalon next plays Wednesday in a league game against The Heights at 6:30 p.m. at Kelley Park. The Black Knights will honor their seniors in a ceremony before the game.

By Patrick Stoll | The Chronicles

Avalon senior pitcher Niko Sanchez (6-1) struck out seven batters Wednesday and yielded just three hits on the way to a 3-1 Black Knights victory over archrival The Heights Cavaliers on Senior Night.

“[Sanchez] was on top of everything today,” said Avalon coach Patrick Duffy. “He did everything we needed him to. When we needed it inside, he threw inside. He was fantastic today.”

The Black Knights fell behind in the first inning 1-0, after two errors kept the inning alive. Heights first baseman Griffin Kime followed with a single to score the game’s first run.

Avalon quickly answered however, as junior Tommy Sanchez hit a sacrifice fly to score shortstop Billy Lennox in the bottom of the first. Lennox reached on a single and advanced to third on an errant throw while attempting to steal second base.

The Heights only threatened once after the first inning, when Kime led off the fourth with a walk, and advanced to second on Nathan Gadiano’s sacrifice bunt.

Sanchez however, squashed the rally by striking out the next batters on just eight pitches. It was the last time in the game a Cavaliers runner reached second base.

In the bottom of the third, Avalon struck again when senior Ian Foland reached third base on another sacrifice fly by Tommy Sanchez. With two outs, Cavaliers pitcher Matt McCreary intentionally walked Niko Sanchez to face freshman outfielder Pearce Howard. Howard delivered on the first pitch he saw and hit a hard double down the third base line to score Foland.

“[Howard] had a great hitting performance today,” said Duffy. “He got us two great hits in crucial situations, especially that double in the third.”

Later in the sixth inning, Howard started off with a single, and eventually scored with two outs on sophomore Conor Sloan’s ground ball when Heights shortstop Brady Hall’s throw pulled Kime off first base.

Finally in the top of the seventh, Niko Sanchez forced Cavaliers slugger Joe Bruchalski to ground out to Foland, ending the game. Sanchez used just 13 pitches to earn his sixth win on the year, and third in his last three starts (all of which are complete game wins, against Gilman, St. Alban’s, and The Heights).

Avalon will next host Sandy Spring Friends School on Friday, 4 p.m. at Apple Ridge Park.

POTOMAC- The Avalon Black Knights continued their run in the Maryland State B Tournament Saturday, advancing to Wednesday's championship game with a 5-3 semi-final win against Maria Goretti. Avalon compiled 11 hits over the course of the game, including two hits by both Mark Searles and Conor Sloan, and Niko Sanchez won his seventh game of the year with a complete game, only giving up one earned run and keeping the game scoreless until the fifth inning. Avalon secured a berth in their fourth straight State B Championship game, and their sixth in the last seventh years. Avalon will play Goretti again in the championship, as they look for their third title in the last four years and their fourth State B title.

Avalon was the first to put points on the board, after Mark Searles scored Aspen Feldman on a single. Although Avalon loaded the bases right afterwards when Conor Sloan was walked with one out, Avalon was unable to add to their lead. Niko Sanchez was able to retire the side in the third inning, striking out Nick Blake and Yusif Bayoh, and forcing Jake Moats to fly out. In the bottom of the third, Avalon had runners Ian Foland and Niko Sanchez on the corners with two outs, but were unable to add any insurance to their lead once again when Tommy Sanchez popped out.

Sanchez then continued his dominant pitching performance in the fourth, only using six pitches to end the Goretti half of the fourth. Avalon responded by loading the bases in six pitches with Mark Searles, Sloan, and Dan Searles. Pearce Howard then hit a sacrifice fly to score Sloan, after Mark Searles was thrown out at home on a fielder's choice. Ian Foland then struck out to end the inning with Avalon up 2-0.

In Sanchez's dominant performance, the fifth inning was his only inning of trouble. He walked Josh Moats, then Ryan Kinter reached base on an error, sending Moats to third. Blake then scored Moats, while Kinter was forced out. On the very next pitch, Bayoh hit a single to move Blake to second. Jake Moats then moved Blake to third, and Bayoh was forced out. An Adam Blenckenstone double then scored them both, putting Goretti up for the first time, 3-2. Sanchez got out of the inning after making Kevin Proctor line out to Howard.

Avalon didn't stay down for long, however, as after Anthony Durbin and Sanchez grounded out, Avalon started a rally that would win them the game. Tommy Sanchez hit a single, then stole second, and Searles was walked. Sanchez then moved to third on a passed ball, and Searles followed him by stealing second. Sloan then scored Sanchez with a line drive single, and Searles scored his cousin with a fly ball. Lennox then scored Sloan, making the game 5-3, before the inning ended with a Howard ground out. Sanchez then took care of the Goretti side in the sixth, only allowing one hit before striking out Kinter and causing a Blake fly out. Avalon had a quick bottom of the sixth themselves, and Sanchez ended the game in the top of the seventh despite giving up a double to Jake Moats.

Sanchez used a total of 95 pitches, allowing six hits, but only earning one run. He struck out four and walked just one in his eighth win of the year. Mark Searles and Conor Sloan both went 2/2, each with an RBI, and Dan Searles went 2/3 with an RBI as well. Avalon will play Goretti at home on Wednesday, with ace Niko Sanchez on the mound for the final game of the season.

GAITHERSBURG- The Avalon Black Knights won their fourth Maryland State B title Wednesday night, their third in the last five years, with a 1-0 win over Maria Goretti. Senior Niko Sanchez, in his final game for Avalon, pitched a complete game shutout for his ninth win of the season, only using 69 pitches in a classic pitchers' duel. Conor Sloan and Billy Lennox combined for a game-saving double play to end the top of the fifth scoreless, and Pearce Howard had the winning RBI single in the bottom of the sixth, going 2/3 in the final game of his freshman year.

            “Niko couldn't have pitched better. He did an amazing job,” said OLBC Coach of the Year Patrick Duffy. “He hit a couple batters, but just when you thought he may be losing it, he comes back and ends the inning, and the runner doesn't move from first. For him to be able to bear down on three days' rest, and do what he did, was amazing. He's done an amazing job all year.”

            The game was one of the quickest games in Avalon history, lasting only an hour and a half, as pitchers Niko Sanchez and Ryan Kinter were consistently getting out of trouble and retiring batters. The two combined for 11 strikeouts and a total of 9 hits. Although Sanchez hit leadoff hitter Jake Moats on the first pitch of the game, and let Casey Bartholomew hit a single and get on base as well, Sanchez was able to end the first scoreless. Kinter only allowed one hit in the first from Howard, and quickly ended the inning as well.

            The second went in similar fashion, as Niko used 12 pitches and gave up one hit in the scoreless inning. Kinter used nine pitches to retire the Avalon side, and Niko came back with a five pitch third inning, one of which was hitting Jake Moats with a pitch. Kinter responded by using six pitches to retire the Avalon side, only giving up a double to Lennox. The pitchers' duel continued in the fourth, when Sanchez forced Jackson Roth to fly out, struck out Josh Moats, and forced Kinter to ground out. Kinter then took care of Ian Foland, Anthony Durbin, and Sanchez using a total of seven pitches.

            The fifth ended scoreless thanks to a 3-4 double play from Conor Sloan to Billy Lennox, after Yusif Bayoh bunted to reach first, and Jake Moats was hit by another pitch. With runners on first and second with just one out, Adam Blenckstone hit a ground ball to Sloan, who touched first and whipped the ball to Foland to end the inning, which ended up saving the game. Avalon was unable to make anything happen with the bats in the bottom of the fifth, with groundouts from Tommy Sanchez and Mark Searles and a Sloan strike out.

            Sanchez then escaped danger in the sixth yet again, as Casey Bartholomew hit a single, and was advanced to second on a Kevin Proctor bunt. He then advanced to third after a Roth ground out, but that was where he ended the inning, as Josh Moats struck out for the third out.

            Avalon finally broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the sixth, with hits coming in the right place at the right time. Dan Searles started the rally with a single, and Billy Lennox advanced him and reached first with a slap bunt, something that Coach Duffy said, “this was the first time we properly executed the slap bunt. We practiced it every day, but the one time we needed it, it worked.” Pearce Howard then capped his breakout freshman year with the RBI that would win the game, scoring Aspen Feldman (courtesy runner for Searles).

            “Pearce had one start as a pitcher this year, and that was in this tournament against a good team from Bishop Walsh,” said Coach Duffy. “He's getting more confident every day, its actually too bad the season's over. You look at him now from the beginning of the season in North Carolina and he is an absolutely, completely different person.”

            That one run was all that Avalon got, as after Foland advanced Lennox to third and Howard to second, Durbin hit a long fly ball that was caught for the second out. Lennox was then caught at home to end the inning 1-0. Sanchez then struck out Kinter, and Tommy Sanchez tagged Blake on a dropped third strike, and then threw Bayoh out for the final out.

            “It really never gets old, to win the championship,” said Coach Duffy. “It’s an amazing feeling, and I'm so proud of the kids, for everything they did today.”

Congrats to this year's Old Line Baseball Conference Award Winners!

Niko Sanchez: Co-MVP & All-OLBC 1st Team

Billy Lennox: All-OLBC 1st Team

Ian Foland: All-OLBC 1st Team

Tommy Sanchez: All-OLBC 2nd Team

Anthony Durbin: All-OLBC 2nd Team

Pearce Howard: All-OLBC 2nd Team

Patrick Duffy: OLBC Coach of the Year
Charles Devereux: OLBC Asst. Coach of the Year

Avalon School graduate Josh Brunvoll '11 signed a National Letter of Intent last week to play baseball at Nyack College.

Brunvoll, an infielder, played for Avalon from 2008 to 2011 and holds the school's single season, and all-time home run records.

He chose Nyack, an NCAA Division II school in New York, over Messiah College and will join former Avalon baseball player Mike Smith. Smith recently finished his freshman year and was a starting outfielder.

"Nyack stood out because it was a christian school," said Brunvoll. He also looks forward to the competitive baseball program, along with the great job opportunities and internships within the New York suburban area.

Brunvoll spent the past two years at Montgomery College, in Germantown, playing his freshman year and redshirting this past season. As a freshman, he started 40 games and finished with a .320 batting average as Montgomery earned a trip to the Junior College World Series in Tyler, Tx.

During his redshirt year, he came back to Avalon as an assistant coach. He worked with hitters and coached first base as the Black Knights went on to win their fourth state championship.

As an Avalon Senior, Brunvoll was named both Old Line Baseball Conference Co-MVP, and First Team All-Baseball by Gazette Newspapers. He batted .539 with seven round trippers, and 44 runs batted. 

He was a member of two Avalon state championship teams in 2009 and 2010. In the '09 contest his leaping catch at second base off a line drive was the final out, and his three-run homer in 2010 was pivitol in securing the victory.

Nyack is looking to position itself to return to the CACC tournament in 2014, after an 8-12 CACC campaign in 2013 left them one victory shy of postseason play.

At Nyack, Brunvoll plans to major in Computer Sciences and is expected to challenge for a starting position in the infield.

Current Players

Potomac Valley Outlaws (Showcase): Tommy Sanchez, Billy Lennox

Lennox was 9 for 18 in his last tournament and was outstanding at shortstop. 

Dig In Baseball (Showcase): Conor Sloan

Gaithersburg 104 Jr. Legion: Mark Searles, Dan Searles, Jamie Shifflett

Wheaton American Legion: Alex Jacobs

Alumni

Dig In Baseball (MCBL): Josh Brunvoll '11, Mike Smith '12, Anthony Durbin '13

Brunvoll is currently batting .286 with 3 doubles, a triple, 4 stolen bases, and has a .419 on base percentage.

Smith is batting .298 in 57 at bats, with a .403 on base percentage, 10 runs scored, and 6 RBI. He is a mainstay in the the Dig In outfield.

Durbin is batting .333 with a .500 on base percentage in 6 games.

Maryland Red Dogs (MCBL): Nick Testo '10

Testo appeared sparingly for the Red Dogs, starting 4 games at catcher, and coach Ruben commented on his great leadership with the younger players on the team. Testo will spend the remainder of the summer fulfilling his commitment to the Susquehanna University ROTC program.

Potomac Valley Outlaws (Showcase): Niko Sanchez '13

Sanchez has pitched lights out for PV all summer and caught the attention of several colleges. On Monday, July 1, he will sign with Marymount University, and be a member of their inaugural baseball season.