Host and top seed John Carroll claimed a 6-3 win against second seed Calvert Hall in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference championship series opener Saturday in a game that quickly became secondary after a health scare in the fourth inning.
While departing the game with two outs in the bottom of the frame, Calvert Hall starting pitcher Ryder Sowa was overcome by heat and unable to make it back to the visitors’ dugout.
The sophomore standout was lying outside the third base line for 20-plus minutes while trainers, players and coaches helped provide shade, water and ice until paramedics arrived. Sowa was taken to the hospital via ambulance and, an hour following the end of the game, Calvert Hall athletic director Dan Mulford said he is doing fine after more care and fluids.
The Patriots (27-8) led 4-3 at the time of the incident and after a 30-minute delay, they tacked on two more runs to move one win away from the program’s first conference championship. They can wrap up the crown Sunday with the teams traveling to Joe Cannon Stadium for Game 2 set for 5 p.m.
During the delay, players from both teams joined in the middle of the diamond, took a knee and said a prayer for Sowa. After the game, he was still on everybody’s mind.
“He’s a great kid and this is about way more than baseball,” John Carroll coach Darrion Siler said. “Our mission here is to build young men and I know that’s what they believe at Calvert Hall, too. You hate to see something like that happen to such a great young man. Their trainer, our trainer and staff did a great job responding.”
Something had to give on Saturday with the Cardinals (23-10) riding a 10-game winning streak and the Patriots on an eight-game roll.
In a game that featured four home runs — two from each team — the Patriots’ three-run third inning proved the biggest.
Trailing 3-1, Joey Coudon (4-for-4 with a homer and three runs scored) line a single up the middle with one out, stole second and then Casey Caprenter followed with a two-run homer to tie the game at 3. With two outs, catcher Dallas Brooks drew a walk and pinch runner Nic Stockson stole second and scored on Drew Jourdan’s double for the 4-3 lead.
After allowing single runs in the first three innings, John Carroll pitcher Brooks Mueller settled in effectively to get the complete-game win. Leaning on his slider to get out righties and a cutter for lefties, he allowed two earned runs and six hits, while striking out six Cardinals.
“It’s been a great season, a long journey. I started out rough today. but ended good and we’re looking forward to getting the dub tomorrow and bring home the championship,” he said.
For the Cardinals, leadoff batter Kaden Barmer went 4-for-4 with a homer to open the game and two doubles. Thomas Pilarski hit a homer over the fence in dead center in the second.
Calvert Hall coach Brooks Kerr was appreciative of the alert action taken by both teams’ training staffs on Sowa. The welfare of their teammate was naturally with the team the rest of the game.
“It was just a scary moment for sure and then obviously you kind of lose your way a little bit and it takes you a little time to come back from it,” Kerr said.
In a must-win situation on Sunday, the Cardinals will send out senior pitcher Peter Bashore, while the patriots try to wrap up the crown with junior Pierce Quinn. If necessary, Game 3 will return to Joe Cannon on Monday with a time yet to be determined.
“We got to be ready to play tomorrow and we will. There’s no question in my mind — we’re not giving up by no means,” Kerr said.
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Calvert Hall — 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 — 3 6 0
John Carroll — 1 0 3 0 1 1 x — 6 10 1
WP: Mueller
LP: Sowa
2B: CH — Barmer 2; JC — Rhine, Jourdan. HR: CH — Barmer, Pilarski; JC — Coudon, Carpenter
