On Wednesday afternoon, the baseball team was bested by the Carlmont Scots, losing 4-3 after being unable to complete a seventh-inning rally.
Senior pitcher Thomas Scott started for the Bears, and he put together a strong first inning to get the game started. He surrendered one base hit, but had the runner picked off at first base to clear the traffic and exit the inning without damage.
In the bottom of the first, the Bears got on the Scots early. Senior outfielder Rowan Kelly led off with an opposite-field double to set up a possible big inning. Junior shortstop Will Roberts executed a bunt single to move Rowan Kelly over and get on base, and junior outfielder Jack Molise brought home the first run on a fielder’s choice, making the score 1-0. Sophomore infielder Ryder Kelly crushed a double into the left field gap, but the Bears left some meat on the bone and were unable to add some extra runs in first.
M-A’s defensive second inning showcased the first of many fantastic defensive plays, as senior third baseman Shawn Pagee made a nice grab and a strong throw to beat a speedy runner at first. Scott again gave up one hit and made it out of the inning without giving up a run.
In the second, Pagee led off the inning with a hard-hit single to right field. Senior second baseman Matty Wolf got a base hit back up the middle, and Rowan Kelly’s speed helped bring in Pagee to make it 2-0 Bears as he beat the throw to first.
About his leadoff success, Pagee said, “I feel like I have to start. If I’m leading off the inning I’ve got to get the guys going. It’s about who’s gonna start us and just going from there.”
Scott’s third inning was much of the same, one more baserunner and no runs. Unfortunately, things turned sour in the fourth. Carlmont sent Scott’s pitches bounding onto the outfield grass five straight times, playing station-to-station baseball with their five hits to score three runs and bring them ahead of the Bears. M-A then went to sophomore pitcher Wes Peterson, immediately forcing a ground ball to Wolf, who made a nice play to gun down the runner at home.
Wolf said, “Our coach wanted the infield in to get the runner out at the plate, instead of playing for the double play. When I saw the chopper I had to charge with all my momentum going forward, and get him out at the plate.”
Peterson finished the inning with a grounder that brought in a run, and a strikeout to keep the Bears close down 4-2.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Pagee led off with a double he crushed to right field, but M-A couldn’t capitalize on the opportunity. It was much of the same the rest of the way for the Bears, but they did scratch across a run in the fourth on the backs of another Pagee lead off hit, and a hit from senior first baseman, Joaquin Baranchuk and an RBI from Roberts.
For the rest of the game, Peterson shut down the Scots’ bats, as he pitched the last four innings for the Bears. Peterson gave up two hits and struck out four, and set up M-A with a chance to make a comeback in the seventh down just one.
Peterson said, “I’m just trying to do my job, make sure I give up as few hits as possible so the team has a chance to do what they got do do.”
In the last of the seventh, M-A quickly got traffic on the bases. Junior infielder Ronan Cutright reached on an error, Pagee came through with his fourth hit of the day, and junior first baseman Jimmy Zaharias was hit by a pitch to set up M-A with the bases loaded and two outs, down 4-3 in the ball game. M-A pinch hit senior outfielder Adam Chane for Wolf, who ultimately made the last out on a ground ball to the Scots’ pitcher, who finished the game he started with a soft toss to first base to end the game.
Pagee said about his approach on his four-hit day, “My plate approach is just keeping my hands inside, especially when I have two strikes. I’m just choking up, trying to put the ball in play, see any damage I can do, trying to put pressure on the defense, and I have the mindset that I’m the best hitter and the best version of myself.”
With the loss, M-A loses ground to move to 6-3 in league play, in a PAL division race for first that is going to come down to the wire. The Bears look to bounce back against The King’s Academy Knights next Wednesday, in an essential series for the league.
