Abell Takes 1st Step

Lavale's Jack Abell baseball team took the first game of the Championship Series from Farrady's Tuesday night at Frostburg by a final score of 8-2. The game however was much closer than the final score indicated.

Abell struck first with two runs in the first inning. Colton Sivic reached on an error and advanced to second on a Jack Hawkins single. When Sivic stole third, the ball was thrown into left field and Sivic came home on the throw. With one out, Dylan Shockey walked. Nate Condor stroked a single to left, driving in Hawkins and Abell had a 2-0 lead after one.

Farrady wasted no time in tying the score. The leadoff hitter stroked a single off of starter Jack Hawkins. With one out, the third batter hit a deep shot to straight away center for a 2 run home run. (The player hit a good pitch--the pitch was at the knees but the batter simply went down, got it, and drove it.)

Abell creeped ahead in the third. After a Dylan Shockey hit, Condor cranked a double to right center. Shockey hesitated at first, and was sent home, but was thrown out at the plate. Condor went to third on the throw, and came home on a Brooke Knieriem fielders choice.

Josh Van Meter came on in the fourth to try and preserve a one run lead and he did just that. He go through the heart of the Farrady order in the fifth as he did a very nice job of mixing up his pitches to keep the power hitters off of the basepaths.

Abell broke the game open in the top of the sixth. Trenton Swan reached base, and advanced on a walk to Sivic. With one out, consecutive singles by Van Meter, Shockey, and Condor broke the game open. Walks by Knieriem and and Broadway added to the Abell total as they took an 8-2 lead into the bottom of the sixth. Nate Condor came on to close out the sixth and preserve the Abell victory.

Once again, it was a team effort to get the victory. Jack Hawkins did a great job stifling the potent Farrady offense. He did a very good job of staying on his game after the Farrady home run. As usual, Josh Van Meter was stellar on the mound, keeping Lavale's slim lead through the middle innings. The Abell defense was great; there was only a meaningless error in the sixth inning. The defense executed perfectly when Farrady tried a double steal as the play went 2-6-2-5 for the out (for those of you scoring at home). Additionally, Abell threw out a runner at third as Swan to Van Meter to Sivic made the third out.

Nate Condor had three hits and both Jack Hawkins and Dylan Shockey had two.

Abell tries to clinch the series Wednesday night at Ort Field.