MONCKS CORNER – The Berkeley Stags took game one of the 5A Division II state baseball championship off a wild pitch in extra innings over Catawba Ridge.
The Stags won 2-1 over the Copperheads in 10 innings after two walks and an error in the inning which led to the Catawba Ridge loss. The defeat drops Catawba Ridge to 23-10-1 overall on the season.
A day after making the trip to Moncks Corner on Tuesday, May 27 only to get rained out, the Catawba Ridge baseball team made the return trip on Wednesday, May 28 to take on Berkeley in game one.
The Copperheads sent ace Caden Glauber to the mound and he didn’t disappoint. Catawba Ridge out hit Berkeley 11-4 in the game, but couldn’t score when they needed too.
Catawba Ridge threatened early as Sam Schwamb singled in the first inning. Bryce Meil was intentionally walked in the inning, but the Copperheads didn’t score starting a trend that hurt them all game.
Glauber walked one batter in the bottom of the first, but the Stags didn’t threaten as Glauber was able to get out of the inning after the walk. Glauber helped his own cause in the bottom of the second inning with a single, but was gunned down trying to take second. Catawba Ridge regrouped in the bottom of the second as Glauber got the Stags out in order.
Caden Howard singled for Catawba Ridge in the third inning, but the Copperheads failed to score as the next three batters would go down in order.
Berkeley would finally break through in the bottom of the third. A walk and then a one out single by the Stags put runners in scoring position. A sacrifice bunt scored a run for Berkeley to put them up 1-0.
After Berkeley scored, Glauber was able to lock them down and rolled through the fifth inning on just five pitches to get three out.
Offensively things stalled for both teams over the next two innings until the sixth inning rolled around. In the top of the sixth, Britton Nash hit a solo home run to left with one out to tie the game at one. The home run was a bright spot to smile about as again the pitching took over for both teams and the offense slowed.
As the game went into extra innings, Catawba Ridge started to find new life. Jack Provenzano singled to start the eighth inning off and Schwamb followed with a single of his own. An error got Provenzano to third putting runners at the corners with just one out. Nash was then intentionally walked to load the bases. A fielder’s choice to the Stags shortstop stopped Provenzano from scoring allowing Meil to keep the bases loaded for the Copperheads. Afterwards, they didn’t score as Berkeley was able to get out of the inning with a strikeout from the next Catawba Ridge batter.
In the bottom of the eighth, Berkeley got a single to start, but Glauber was able to get the necessary outs without allowing a run.
Glauber kept things rolling in the ninth with a single. A sacrifice bunt by Tyler Causey moved courtesy runner James Carlin over to second and a single by Jack Shelnutt with one out again put runners at the corners for Catawba Ridge before Berkeley was forced to make a pitching change because of their starter reaching his pitch count. After the pitching change, Berkeley again was able to get out of the jam without allowing a run by the Copperheads as they used a fielder’s choice again to their advantage and a fly out by the Copperheads to get out of the inning.
In the bottom of the ninth, Glauber faced a similar situation and reached his pitch count for the game after giving up a one out single. Glauber went eight and a third allowing three hits and one run, while walking three and striking out nine. Nash came in to replace Glauber on the mound for the Copperheads and kept the momentum in Catawba Ridge’s corner as he was able to get out of the inning without allowing a Stags run.
Catawba Ridge again loaded the bases in the top of the 10th with one out on singles by Nash and Meil. Glauber was walked in between the second and third out of the innings as Catawba Ridge again failed to score with the bases loaded.
Glauber, Schwamb, Howard, and Nash each had two this at the plate. Nash had the only RBI for the Copperheads.
Game two is currently scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Friday, May 30 at Catawba Ridge. The Copperheads need to win the game to force a decisive game three on Saturday, May 31.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
