NEWS

By Marc Goldstein

As the recent inclement weather has washed away a large number of games this summer, teams are just starting to get back on track with makeups prior to the All-Star Game. The Metro SoCo Braves (10-16) hosted the Southern Maryland Senators (11-17) in a matchup between two South Division rivals as both teams looked to take control of second place in the division. The doubleheader was split by the teams with the Senators taking Game 1, 4-3, and the Braves taking the nightcap, 6-2.

 

GAME ONE

The Senators took care of business in the afternoon rendition of this two-game affair. A late comeback by the Senators propelled them to victory in the seven-inning contest.

The victory was far from assured at the start of the game. The Senators were held scoreless in the opening frame despite getting All-Stars Cadyn Karl (Kansas State) and Patrick Ward (Florida Atlantic) on base with no outs. The bottom half of the inning was not any better for them.

Katcher Halligan (Houston Baptist) continued his torrid season with an RBI double to score one before being driven in on a two-run single by Cole Fleming (NJIT) to make the score 3-0, Braves in the matter of minutes. All of this action was before Senators’ starter Brett Vondohlen (Middle Tennessee State) recorded the first out of the game. However, Vondohlen would recover and that would be it scoring-wise for the Braves in the first game.

In the seven-inning doubleheaders, scoring quickly is paramount to success as there is considerably less time for teams to mount rallies. The condensed games mean that teams manage pitchers and situations differently than they normally would under typical circumstances. The fact that the Braves scored a trio of runs in the first inning was especially impactful as it felt like the gut punch was delivered early.

That being said, the Senators battled, scoring a pair of runs in the third off Braves All-Star pitcher, Jackson Coen (Georgetown). Again, Karl would get on to start a threat, but would not be stranded this time as Kyan Lotice (Omaha) reached on an error that allowed Karl to come home. The next run would come around on an RBI double by Joe Stanzione (Gardner Webb). The Senators still had runners on base, but could not tie the game.

The score held firm until the fifth inning. A leadoff single for Ward set Lotice up to deliver the game-tying knock, a double that knotted the score at three apiece. Mikey Guy (Frostburg State) would later hit a double to give the Senators their first lead of the game, 4-3.

During the two rallies for the Senators, the pitching held strong, only surrendering the three runs in the first inning. Vondohlen finished his outing by throwing three innings. He struggled with control, issuing four walks, but he did well enough to keep the Braves off the scoreboard. After Vondohlen, the Senators called upon Matt Lynch (Towson) to pitch the fourth and part of the fifth. He allowed just two hits and no runs to keep the score in favor of the Senators. Allen Miller (Shepherd College) entered and earned the rare eight-out save as he went 2.2 innings at the back end, striking out just one and facing the minimum eight hitters to close out the win for the Senators.

 

GAME TWO

The second game of the day started off very similarly. The Braves jumped out to an early lead – 3-0 after two frames – and looked destined for a similar game script. A single combined with an error put leadoff man Jeffrey Coakley (Mansfield) in scoring position. He would be driven in by the most consistent source of offense on the Braves: Halligan, who picked up his second RBI of the day to that point. This time, though, he would wait to score on a single by Andrew Schaeb (Marymount). That single was Schaeb’s first RBI of the season. The second inning would see only one Braves run scored against starter Jacob Whiteman (Towson) as Halligan drove in his second run in as many innings with a sacrifice fly.

During this offensive surge for the Braves, starter Tom Bourque (William & Mary) turned in a solid outing, going three innings, giving up a pair of hits while striking out five and walking just a single batter. The Braves turned to Ryan DeMartin (Georgetown) for the next two innings. He gave up a pair of runs, both solo home runs. The first of these was hit by Vondohlen, who got a little payback at the Braves, this time with his bat, on his third homer of the season. Kenneth McKinley (Middle Tennessee State)led off the fifth and, like his college teammate, homered.

Matthew Wright (VMI) would switch from the designated hitter slot in the lineup to the mound in the sixth inning. He got a scoreless inning that was ended by a 4-6-3 double play. In the bottom of the frame, he knocked in the first of three runs scored by the Braves in the inning, hitting an RBI double to make it 4-2 before scoring on a JT Landwehr (Mt. St. Mary’s) single. Another run scored on an error by the catcher.

The score stood at 6-2 heading into the final frame. Wright would retire the side in a scoreless inning, earning the save as well as the win for the Braves to salvage the split of the doubleheader. 

While the split of the doubleheader does not mean much in the grander scope of the league, the teams proved once again that the three teams behind the Aces – the Senators, Braves and Grays – are all incredibly evenly matched when playing against one another.