Published: May 26, 2008 12:23 am         

BW wins state title

Spartans overwhelm The Heights in 13-0 final

Chandler Tomlinson had three hits and put the finishing touches on a dominating Bishop Walsh performance by striking out the side in the seventh inning as the Spartans routed The Heights, 13-0, to win the Maryland Class B Private Schools baseball state tournament on Sunday.

Coach Sam Torres’ Spartans put it all together on a sunny Sunday afternoon. They pounded out 15 hits, played errorless defense, and had three pitchers team for a four-hit shutout.

The result was the third state baseball championship in school history. BW had won the Class B state crown in 1995 and 1997 under coach Lee Miller.

“It’s surprising when you get into a championship game and win 13-0,’’ Torres admitted. “Today it was sort of a methodical approach. The hitters hit, the pitchers pitched, we ran well ... the guys really put it all together. Everyone brought their ‘A Game’ and the result was a grand finish.”

The Spartans were 8-3 over the final 11 games and finished the year with an overall record of 14-13. They went 4-1 in the double-elimination state tournament.

Tomlinson doubled and singled twice, Ray Miller had three singles, Eric Diamond a double and single, Tyler Smearman a pair of singles and Neal Eshleman a double against The Heights.

Starting pitcher Chris Stein and relievers Aaron O’Rourke and Tomlinson combined on a four-hitter with 10 strikeouts and three walks, with just one walk coming over the final six innings.

Defense and pitching got the Spartans off to a solid start on Sunday. Then the offense took over.

In the first inning, the first two batters for The Heights drew walks. After a strikeout, Stein got the cleanup hitter to hit a grounder to third baseman Tomlinson, who stepped on third and threw to first for an inning-ending double play.

In the second inning, after a single and a hit batter, Stein struck out two straight batters to get out of the inning. And in the third after two singles, Stein fanned the No. 4 and No. 5 batters to close out the inning.

“The keys were the pitchers hitting their spots and the defense making the plays like they did in the first inning with the double play,’’ said Torres. “That gave pitchers confidence that the defense would make the plays behind them.

“Offensively, we have been hitting the ball well the last part of the season. In the five tournament games we score 53 runs.”



The Spartans erupted for six runs in the second inning, which proved to be more than enough support for the pitchers.

Tomlinson doubled and Eric Diamond and Jonathan Cullen walked to load the bases. O’Rourke and Miller drew bases-loaded walks to force in the first two runs. Eshleman followed with a two-run double and Zac Hare had a two-run single.

In the third, Cullen singled, stole second and scored on a single by Tyler Smearman to make it 7-0.

A five-run seventh sealed things. Eric Diamond singled, Cullen walked and pinch-hitter Sam Hawkins singled home Diamond. Pinch-hitter Marshall Porter singled home Cullen, and Miller stroked a two-run single. Tomlinson’s third hit of the day chased home Miller with the final run.

Tomlinson made quick work of The Heights in the bottom of the seventh, fanning the side on just 11 pitches.

BW scored 37 runs in its last three games — which included come-from-behind semifinal round wins at St. Maria Goretti. The Spartans, with one loss and facing elimination in the tournament, trailed Goretti 6-1 in the first game and won 11-10. They were down 4-0 in the second, and won that one 13-11.

Chase McDonough doubled for The Heights, which finished the year 18-10.