It was cloudy and cold when Hall starter Mike Fackler took the hill for coach Lou Eckerl. Fackler was 2-0 and had a 3-0 lead thanks to a two-run homer by Dustin Rothschild going into the top of the fourth. The Eagles, however, erupted for five runs in the fourth, knocking Fackler out of the game. AACS sent 11 men to the plate and grabbed a 5-3 lead, and a diving grab by Hall left-fielder Justin Fratantuono kept the Eagles from scoring at least two more runs in their big inning. Fratatnuono snared a sinking liner off the bat of Thomas Williams with the bases loaded that ended the inning.
The Cardinals answered with three runs in the bottom of the fourth to regain the lead. Colin Gimblet and Alex Murphy both had key doubles in the home fourth and Alex Pastouris picked up an RBI with a sac fly as the Hall regained the lead, 6-5. The Cardinals added to their lead when Matt Bosse whacked a 2-run homer in the bottom of the sixth. Rothschild and Bosse each had two RBI for the Hall, and Pastouris, Fratantuono and Gimblet all had one.
Bryan Williams, Graham Lane Farmer, Philip Michael, and Steven Ridings all had RBI’s for the Eagles.
Garrett Walther took over in relief for the Hall in the fifth, and the fire-balling right-hander retired 9-of-10 Eagles, fanning six along the way.
“My curve ball was working and my location on my fastball was definitely on,” said Walther. Despite the cold, the junior righty said that the weather wasn’t a factor.p>”When you get in the game, you don’t really feel it.”
Murphy had three hits for the Hall, adding a triple and a single to his fourth inning double.
Eagle center-fielder FX Graham was 4-for-4 for coach Talbott Watkins. Graham had an RBI and scored a run.
Calvert Hall 9, Annapolis Area Christian 5
AACS 000 500 0 – 5 6 3
CH 120 312 – 9 9 1
Ridings, Mahaffey and Farmer; Fackler, Deaver (4), Walther (5) and Murphy.
WP-Walther LP-Mahaffey
2B: CH-Murphy, Sutton, Gimblet
3B: CH-Murphy
HR: CH-Rothschild, Bosse
