ST. MICHAELS — The Saints have played their way into the semifinals of the state Class 1A baseball tournament with back-to-back-to-back wins of 10 runs or more.
It’s a streak that started in the second round of the East Region I tournament Saturday morning, May 10 when host St. Michaels eliminated Kent County, 10-0.
St. Michaels (15-5), the region’s top seed, pushed seven runs across in the last of the fifth inning to abruptly end the game.
“Toward the end they found the gaps … just popped ’em in there,” KCHS head coach Jason Conner said of the Saints, who held a modest 3-0 lead after four innings.
Senior right-hander Tanner Beck pitched well enough and the Trojans played solid defense, Conner said of Scottie Ford behind the plate, the infield of Noah Taylor at first, Nate Sutton at second, Noah Iacona at shortstop and Hunter Hawn at third, and the outfield of Zayvion Brown, Tyrel “Teeter” Dean and Braden Wilson.
But in the home half of the fifth, a couple of walks and base hits to center field opened the proverbial floodgates for the Saints.
The game was halted due to the 10-run mercy rule.
“That’s the crazy part,” Conner said. “We were hitting the ball, but just right to them. We had lots of flyouts to the deep outfield, they played us deep for some reason, and we pulled the ball down the third base line for groundouts.”
“Everyone was making contact, hard hits, but we couldn’t find holes,” Conner said.
And, he added, “St. Michaels did not make mistakes.”
The Trojans finish 3-15.
Conner is wrapping up his fourth year, and with his youngest squad — five freshmen and a sophomore on the roster of 16 that included only two seniors.
“I’m proud of the boys,” he said. “They were resilient and got better,” something that opposing coaches also recognized.
The win-loss record is not an accurate indication of the players’ hard work and enthusiasm, Conner said.
KCHS gained momentum toward the end of the regular season with competitive games against Snow Hill, Kent Island and Washington, and then upset host Cambridge in the opening round of the region tournament, 11-10, in nine innings.
“Players that struggled through most of the season picked up toward the end of the season, which provides encouragement for next year,” Conner said.
Meantime, the Saints’ 2025 season continues.
St. Michaels defeated North Dorchester, 11-1, in the East Region I final on Wednesday, May 14 and then routed Chesapeake Math and IT Academy-North in a state quarterfinal on Friday, 18-1, that was stopped in the bottom of the fourth inning due to a severe thunderstorm.
Next up for St. Michaels is Pikesville (14-6) on Tuesday, May 20 at McCurdy Field in Frederick.
The other Class 1A state semifinal pairing is No. 1 seed Allegany (14-4) and Smithsburg (15-6), also on Tuesday at McCurdy Field.
