CHESTERTOWN — Washington swept Centennial Conference rival Dickinson in a baseball twin bill here on Saturday, winning the first game in eight innings because of the 10-run rule, 11-1, and rallying for a 17-16 victory in 10 innings in the nightcap.
The Shoremen improved to 16-12 on the season, and 4-2 in the CC. They have equaled last year’s win total in conference play.
In the opener, Washington pushed three runs across in the last of the third inning to give Michael Lewis all the run support he would need.
With one away, Matt O’Connor, Tahir Parker and Drew Kinsey singled in succession to stack the bases for Brett Connolly, whose groundout to the first baseman scored O’Connor for the first run of the afternoon.
Chase Ruppel then doubled to right-center to bring home Parker for what would hold up to be the winning run and Kinsey with the insurance run.
Dickinson [16-10, 2-4 CC] dented the scoreboard with two away in the top of the fifth inning when Miguel Reich [leadoff single] scored on a wild pitch.
It stayed 3-1 until the last of the seventh when two errors and a bunt single filled the bags. Kinsey’s sacrifice fly plated Brady Wozniak [error] followed by Connolly’s base hit to right that scored O’Connor [error] and Parker [bunt to the pitcher], and chased starter Sam Bliss [0-2].
Connolly would go on to score on a wild pitch by Zander Leckszas to extend the spread to 7-1.
James Pedas came on to pitch for the Red Devils in the eighth, and gave up four runs on four hits to end the game due to the 10-run rule. Kinsey, Connolly and Reese Hirsh each brought in a run, and Kinsey scored on a passed ball to put the Shoremen over the top.
Lewis, a junior transfer from conference rival Swarthmore, improved to 3-1 on the hill. He scattered four hits and three walks in 6 2/3 innings, while striking out six batters.
Junior Manny Aponte gave up two hits but did not issue a walk in 1 1/3 innings of shutout relief.
In game two, the Shoremen trailed by as many as eight runs before deadlocking at 16-all in the seventh inning, and would win it in the 10th on Connolly’s extra-base hit off the right field fence.
Washington scored four runs in the last of the seventh to send the game into extra innings, with help. Hirsh, batting in the cleanup spot, had the only hit — a two-run single to center field — but Washington benefited from five walks and a hit batter. Hirsh scored the tying run on a passed ball.
Kinsey led off the bottom of the 10th with a double down the right field line and scored one batter later on Connolly’s walk-off double.
Batting one-two-three in the lineup, Kinsey [3-for-6, 4 runs], Connolly [3-for-5, 3 runs] and Ruppel [2-for-5, 3 runs] each had three RBI.
Senior right-hander Elias Philiposian [two strikeouts, no walks] earned the win after pitching three innings of no-hit relief.
WHAT’S NEXT: The Shoremen travel to Swarthmore [18-7, 3-3 CC] on Tuesday, April 7 for a single nine-inning game. They will host the Garnet at 3:30 p.m. on Friday to complete the home-and-away series.
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In a preseason poll of the conference head coaches, three-time defending Centennial champion Johns Hopkins is picked to finish atop the standings. The Blue Jays received six first-place votes and 76 points.
Swarthmore [71 points] and Haverford [64 points] each received two first-place votes to finish second and third, respectively, in the coaches poll.
McDaniel was projected to place fourth with 58 points, followed by Franklin & Marshall with 54 points.
Washington was picked to finish last in the 10-school conference.
