For most of Monday, it looked like No. 1 Archbishop Spalding baseball was going to win another typical game at Calvert Hall, behind the right arm of standout senior pitcher Jake Yeager.
Instead, the Cavaliers ended up needing quality base running from Drew Emrich and poised relief on the mound from sophomore Arian Vargas to eke out a 5-4 win in nine innings over the No. 4 Cardinals that keeps them unbeaten in Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference play.
Spalding (19-3) improves to 13-0 in the league and will have the chance to secure the top seed in the upcoming playoffs with another win against Calvert Hall on Wednesday. The Cardinals (13-8) are now 8-5 in the conference.
Starting the ninth inning on second base under the international rule, Emrich alertly tagged to reach third base on Jack McNally’s line out to left field. Carson Merritt sent a grounder to second base to score Emrich. In his third inning of relief, Vargas struck out three in the ninth to secure the win, getting Will Haacke looking at a third strike with runners on first and second.
With a 1-0 lead on a second-inning home run by Jacob Ruiz, Yeager had a perfect game going through five innings before running into control issues in the sixth, when he permitted three straight walks and then, two outs later, hit a batter to tie the score.
Spalding coach Joe Palumbo is impressed with his Cavaliers’ will to win.
“It’s a great characteristic to have as a team, especially in baseball when things can change with any given pitch,” he said. “It’s a testament to our kids that they believe in our team, they work together and everybody was ready to do their part. We did a lot of small things in extra innings to bring home a win.”
In 92-degree heat, the Cavaliers reclaimed a 3-1 lead in the top of the seventh. Yeager didn’t allow his first hit until Tom Pilarski led off the seventh with a know. Vargas came on in relief and the Cardinals got singles from Travis Peitz and Kaden Barmer to load the bases with two outs. Brayden Wolf and Haake both drew walks to force in runs and tie the game at 3.
After the teams exchanged runs in the eighth, the Cavaliers scratched across the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth before Vargas closed out the win in the bottom of the frame.
“A lot of pressure coming in late in the game. I had some runners on base and was just trying to throw strikes and get batters out,” he said. “In the last inning, thankfully I found my curveball, so I was using that a lot, just putting it over the plate to see what they could do with it.”
Yeager’s fine performance — he threw first-pitch strikes for most of his innings and finished with nine strikeouts — didn’t go unnoticed by Palumbo.
“It was very impressive. I honestly think our offense thought there was no way they’re scoring on him today the way he looked. It’s never the mindset you want to have,” Palumbo said. “For him to be pitching in 90-degree weather for the first time all year, I think he just got a little fatigued. He was on tonight. … If he wasn’t on we probably lose that game 3-1 instead of winning in extra innings.”
Emrich had two singles, one RBI and two runs scored to lead the Cavaliers, who also got two singles and one run scored from Cruz Luna. Calvert Hall got five-plus strong innings from starter Nate Rodriguez, who allowed one earned and six hits. It’s the second extra-inning loss to Spalding this season for the Cardinals, who had their five-game conference win streak end. The middle game of the teams’ three-game set this week will take place at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at Spalding before the teams return to Calvert Hall at 6 p.m. Friday.
Calvert Hall coach Brooks Kerr said a win in these next two games against Spalding would go a long way in building the team’s confidence entering the playoffs.
“We battled, got back in, but didn’t have that one hit when we really needed it. So we’ll get back on the horse and be ready for Wednesday,” he said. “I think we’re right there. It’s one of those things where you got to bust through the door — you can’t sneak through. We have to have the confidence of, we’re right there and can get the job done.”
Spalding — 010 000 211 — 5 10 0
Calvert Hall — 000 001 210 — 4 4 1
WP — Vargas. LP — Mileto
HR: S — Ruiz