Published: May 23, 2008 09:32 am         

BW has Goretti on the ropes

Spartans, leading 11-6, need six outs to reach championship game

HAGERSTOWN - Bishop Walsh's bats got hot late in the first game and stayed hot throughout the second against St. Maria Goretti in the Maryland Private Schools Class B state semifinals Thursday at Goretti.

Bishop Walsh, which had lost at Goretti 7-3 last week in the double-elimination tournament, beat the Gaels 11-10 in Thursday's first game.

That forced a second game, which was suspended because of darkness in the sixth inning with a grand slam by Neal Eshleman in the inning helping the Spartans to an 11-6 lead. The game will be resumed today, at Goretti at 1 o'clock, with the bases loaded and none out for BW.

The winner of the suspended game will play The Heights of Potomac for the state championship.

In the first game win, the Spartans trailed 6-4 after five innings, then erupted for seven runs in their final two at-bats.

A four-run sixth gave BW its first lead, 8-6, and a three-run seventh made it 11-6 and was crucial as Goretti rallied for four runs in the bottom of the seventh but fell a run short of forcing extra innings.

Zac Hare hit a two-run homer and a single, Eric Diamond had a double and two singles, Ray Miller a triple and single and Chandler Tomlinson two singles for BW (12-13).

Down 6-4, Jon Cullen and Tyler Smearman began the sixth-inning comeback with walks and Miller reached on a bunt single to load the bases. Eshleman and Chandler Tomlinson drove in the runs with two-run singles.

In the seventh, Diamond singled, Smearman reached on an error and Connor O'Rourke walked to load the bases. Miller chased home all three with a triple to make it 11-6.

Aaron O'Rourke, who relieved in the second inning, struck out six and was the winning pitcher. He struck out the final batter with the bases loaded after Goretti had scored four times in the seventh.

Alec Zoretich tripled and singled and David Bowen and Nick Martin doubled and singled for Goretti (12-8).