FREDERICK, Md. – The Hood College baseball team entered yet another box score frenzy against Notre Dame of Maryland and not only had to take on heavy precipitation late, but took on the eye of the storm as the Gators tacked on nine runs in the final two innings to take down the Blazers 17–11 to Tuesday afternoon at Frederick Community College.
On the Mound
Tyler Knill (Frederick/Frederick) got the start allowing two hits and no earned runs in the first two innings.
Jim Ledford (Stafford, Va./Mountain View) allowed just one hit in two innings of work and struck out two.
Austin Ferreira (Huntingtown, Md./Huntingtown) in 1.1 innings of relief struck out two and did not allow a run.
Inside the Batter's Box
Jonathan Tyndall (Felton, Del./Lake Forest) scored twice and collected two hits including a homer.
Wes Brine (Baltimore, Md./Parkville) notched two RBIs on the day via single and sacrifice.
Cole Sims (Elkton, Md./Saint Mark's) provided a multi-hit day and two RBIs of his own.
Inside the Box Score
Jonathan Tyndall (Felton, Del./Lake Forest) started the game with a sweet swing to left field for a solo home run to left field to give the Blazers a quick 1–0 advantage in the bottom of the first. Hood kept the pressure on when Amrit Brown (Asheville, N.C./Asheville) reached base and later scored on a sacrifice fly from Michael Janicki (Leesburg, Va./Tuscarora). Colin Moeller (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township) followed with an RBI single down the right-field line, capping a three-run first inning and giving Hood a 3–0 lead after one.
Notre Dame responded in the second, capitalizing on defensive miscues to plate four unearned runs and take a 4–3 lead. Hood answered again in the bottom half of the inning, benefiting from aggressive some miscues on the other side including a fielder's choice from the first basement turned into two runs to right field as Hood reclaimed the lead, 5–4, after two innings.
NDMU added runs in the fourth and fifth to extend its lead, but Hood continued to grind offensively. In the bottom of the fifth, Deshawn Branch (Davidsonville, Md./South River) and Michael Janicki (Leesburg, Va./Tuscarora) reached base before Moeller laid down a sacrifice bunt to set up a Aiden Tesche (Avondale, Pa./Salesianum School) RBI-groundout and a Brine RBI single up the middle to tie the game at 7–7.
The teams traded runs in the sixth. Notre Dame pushed one across in the top half, but Hood answered quickly as Vile used his speed to manufacture a run. After reaching on a hit-by-pitch, Vile stole second and third and came home on a sacrifice fly from Sims, knotting the score once again at 8–8.
Hood briefly regained the lead in the bottom of the seventh. Moeller drew a walk and the speedy Kamari Chisolm (Gainesville, Va./Bishop O'Connell) got the pinch-run bid and proceeded to steal third base before scoring on Brine's sacrifice fly to right field, giving the Blazers a 9–8 edge as rain began to pour onto the field.
The eighth inning proved pivotal. Notre Dame erupted for four runs in the top half, using a combination of walks, hit batters, and timely hits to surge ahead, 12–9. Hood continued to fight, answering with two runs in the bottom of the inning. Blaine Smith (Hume, Va./Fauquier) smoked a pinch-hit RBI triple over center fielder's head, and Sims followed with an RBI single to bring Hood within one at 12–11.
Any momentum was short-lived, however, as Notre Dame broke the game in the ninth inning with five runs on three hits and three walks, pushing the lead to 17–11.
Up Next
The squad will head back to conference play this weekend in the biggest MAC Commonwealth series of the season against second-place Widener on Friday, April 17 and Saturday, April 18.
Game one will be at 3:30 on Friday in Chester, Pennsylvania before the Pride travels to Frederick to take on the Blue & Grey for a Saturday doubleheader with pitch set for noon. Senior Day festivities will be held pregame at FCC.
