Brendan Butler and KJ Hockaday both had big days at the plate for John Carroll School’s baseball team Friday afternoon as the No. 6 Patriots blasted top-ranked Calvert Hall College, 20-9, at windy Carlo Crispino Stadium in Towson. The Bel Air school handed the Cardinals (8-5 overall, 3-1 MIAA A) their first setback in MIAA A Conference play.
Hockaday, who’s headed to the University of Maryland, had two home runs, a double and 5 RBI. Butler, a Towson University recruit, whacked two doubles and a homer and 7 RBI to lead a five-inning 14-hit parade for coach Joe Stetka.
The Patriots (2-1 MIAA) grabbed a 3-0 lead in the top of the first when Butler hit a three-run homer. In the second, Hockaday’s three-run job gave John Carroll a 6-1 advantage.
Butler highligted a six-run rally in the third with a double, then the Patriots added three more in the fourth as Hockaday went out the park for a two-run special. Butler’s two-run double sparked a five-run fifth as John Carroll led 20-1.
“I was seeing the ball good,” said Butler. The whole team was seeing the ball great.”
“We all saw the ball well today,” Hockaday said. “We all came in expecting to win the ball game, and Trent Shaw pitched a great game.”
Calvert Hall made things somewhat respectable with eight runs in the fifth inning. Centerfielder Alex Pastorius continued his hot hitting for the Towson school with a homer, triple and drove in three runs.
Nick Naumann, Josh Brown Sean Nelson and Tim Ryan all had two hits for the Patriots as Hockaday scored five runs. John Carroll welcomes defending league champ and No. 2 Gilman School Monday afternoon.
The Cardinals look rebound Saturday with games against Atlantic Shores (VA) and St. Albans (D.C.). Monday, the Cardinals host D.C. area power DeMatha Catholic on LaSalle Road.
No. 6 John Carroll 20, No. 1 Calvert Hall College 9
JC 3 3 6 3 5-20 14 1
CH 1 0 0 0 8-9 9 3
Shaw, Kirby (5) and Brown; Fackler, Hankey (2), Deever (4) and Murphy
WP-Shaw; LP-Fackler
2B: John Carroll-Butler 2, Hockaday, McGee, Brown, Ryan; Calvert Hall-Walther, Rothschild
3B: Calvert Hall-Pastorius
HR: John Carroll-Hockaday 2, Butler; Calvert Hall-Pastorius
