Game 1 | Game
2
ABERDEEN, Md. - Reigning CAC Player of the
Week, Stevenson baseball junior Jeff Bihy
(Baltimore/Eastern Tech) gave the Mustangs their third
walk-off win in the last six games before a controversial call in
the bottom of the 11th ended their six-game win streak in a CAC
doubleheader versus Wesley Tuesday at Yankee Stadium Field.
Bihy's sacrifice fly to center capped a four-run seventh inning
as the Mustangs (8-2, 3-2 CAC) took a 7-6 victory in game one to
extend their win streak to six. He had a hit in both games to
extend his hitting streak to 10.
In game two, junior Brandon Krochune (Baltimore/Digital
Harbor) was called out at home on a questionable call that
thwarted Stevenson's attempt to tie the game and force a 12th
inning in a 2-1 loss.
After both teams scored a run in the first, Wesley (4-3, 1-1
CAC) finally broke open the 1-1 tie in the top of the 11th when
Jake Dunn scored on a wild pitch by Mustang senior Derrick
Nason (Catonsville/Reservoir).
In the bottom of the inning, Krochune led off with a double
before being sacrificed to third by junior Dustin Tarlow
(Finksburg/Westminster) who made his first appearance
since suffering a hamstring injury in the team's second game at
Greensboro on February 20.
Junior Steve Krider (Westminster/Westminster)
then hit a ball into the hole at short where the Wolverines' Rob
Benedict made a diving stop and jumped to his feet and made a throw
home.
It appeared as if Krochune had beat the throw with a head-first
slide under the tag of Wesley catcher Billy Crowe (see below), but
was called out by home plate umpire Michael Weaver.
Matt Faulkner then retired senior Dan Leonard
(Cambridge/South Dorchester) to end the game and pick up
his first win of the season.
The Wolverines managed to pick up their first conference win of
the season despite leaving 12 runners on base and going 1-for-17
with runners in scoring position. The team was not responsible for
either of its two runs as Dunn scored the game-winning run on a
wild pitch and Kevin Murphy scored in the top of the first on a
passed ball.
After Murphy gave Wesley a 1-0 lead, the Mustangs tied it in the
bottom of the first on a solo home run to right by sophomore
Justin Anderson (Shrewsbury, Pa./Calvert Hall).
Not to be overlooked by the controversial ending to the
11-inning contest is the strong pitching performance of
Stevenson freshman James Castellano (Rockaway, N.J./Morris
Hills). In his first career start, he scattered five hits
over six innings while striking out six and allowing one unearned
run.
In game one, Stevenson rallied from a four-run deficit in the
first inning and a 6-3 margin in the seventh with its second
walk-off in as many days.
The Mustangs trailed 4-0 after the top of the first, but got two
runs back in the bottom of the inning on RBIs from Krochune and
senior George Papuchis (Damascus/Good Counsel).
Leonard's sacrifice fly to right in the fourth scored freshman
Brad Blum (Olney/Magruder) in the fourth to pull
the Mustangs within one, but the Wolverines added two more in the
fifth on RBIs, including a bases loaded walk by Tyler Burns, to
take a 6-3 advantage.
Krochune had a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the seventh to
tie the game before Bihy drove in freshman Heath Johnson
(New Castle, Del./Charter School of Wilmington) for the
game-winning run.
Anderson and senior Ryan Baione
(Waldorf/Westlake) each had three hits while Krochune was
1-for-3 with two RBIs.
Sophomore Patrick Quinn (Mt.
Airy/Linganore) earned his second win of the season
after holding Wesley scoreless and allowing just one hit over
two-and-one-third innings.
Stevenson begins a three-game series with Gallaudet on Thursday
when they travel to Washington, D.C., for a 2:30 p.m., contest.
