Coming into play after winning against St. Charles on Friday, Calvert was full of confidence as they had split the regular season series against the Panthers. The tone of the game was set on the first pitch of the game, when Patuxent starter Ryan Holtzman plunked Calvert leadoff batter Dakota Greening in the back. Calvert used their confidence to chalk up three runs in the top of 1st. Greening scored on a Dylan Marshall double. Marshall scored on a Cody Horseman single, and Horseman scored on a Colin Taeschner double.
Following that scoring burst, both teams settled into a pitchers duel for the next few innings. Patuxent finally broke through in the bottom of the 4th when Terry Parks reached on a single, and trucked his way home when his teammate Austin Benton hit a double down the right field line. Benton then scored after a Cam Witte single. This pulled the Panthers into a run of the Cavaliers 3-2.
Calvert went back up by two runs when Cody Horseman hit into a fielder’s choice and reached base. He was then hit around the bases by his teammates, eventually scoring in a Colin Taeschener single. The score was now set at 4-2 Calvert going into the bottom of the 5th inning. In the bottom of the fifth, after Hugh Clark hit a ground ball that he just barely was out on, Patuxent had a strand of 5 straight hits and all 5 batters scored. A Harley Sheppard single set them off, as this hit was followed by Tyler Crounse being hit by a pitch, and Reese Crounse, Alex Thompson, and Terry Parks each hitting singles. Parks was driven by an Austin Benton single. After, their 5 run outburst, they led 7-4.
Calvert came back with a run of their own in the top of the 6th when Dakota Greening reached on a bloop single, and was bat around by Conner Kissinger’s double. However, the Panthers answered with 2 runs of their own in the bottom of the 6th. They pushed their lead to 9-5 going into the bottom of the 6th. Calvert pushed a run across in the 7th, but after the run scored, they loaded the bases on Patuxent closer Alex Thompson with no outs. Thompson didn’t let the pressure get to him, as he struck out Dylan Marshall, caused Kissinger to fly out, and Cody Horseman to hit a weak ground ball back to him to end the game.
The Panthers advance in the playoffs to play at Marriotts Ridge on Wednesday at 4:30.
