Sports
Gaithersburg Baseball Dominates Churchill to Take Regional Title
Trojans move to state's final four on strength of 8-3 win over the Bulldogs.
The red-hot Gaithersburg Trojans struck early and often on Friday night, rolling past the Churchill Bulldogs 8-3 to win the Maryland 4A West Regional Championship at Gaithersburg High School.
Senior pitcher John Hallock held the Bulldogs scoreless through five innings while the Trojans' offense built a 7-0 lead.
The Trojans started the onslaught in the second inning. First, senior catcher Danny Freshley was hit by a pitch; Kevin Menso came in to pinch run. Hallock stroked a double that moved Menso to third, and senior Tyler Knight brought him home on a sacrifice bunt. Sophomore Connor Mitton followed that with an RBI single, and senior Zack Fetters hit a single to cap off the second inning with the Trojans ahead 3-0.
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Churchill threatened in their ensuing at-bat, getting runners on first and third with one out. Hallock responded with a strikeout, then Freshley threw out a would-be base stealer to end the inning.
The Bulldogs mounted the same threat in the top of the fourth, then hit a single to short center field. Fetters fielded the hit and gunned down the Bulldogs’ runner trying to score from third. Hallock followed that with another strikeout to keep the Bulldogs scoreless.
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Hallock then helped his own cause in the bottom half of the inning by blasting a double to deep center field. Junior Stephen Lee (#21) hit a single to drive in the Trojans’ pinch runner and push the lead to 4-0.
Gaithersburg added three more in the fifth inning. Churchill finally broke through with two runs in the sixth, but Gaithersburg answered with another run to go into the final frame up 8-2.
The Bulldogs loaded the bases against relief pitchers in their final at-bat, but managed only one run.
Friday night's victory was especially sweet for Coach Jeffrey Rabberman and the teams’ 14 seniors: it was the last game ever played on this diamond: a temporary field will be built during construction of the new Gaithersburg High School, which begins later this year.
The Trojans (17-6) now move on to the Maryland 4A semifinal on Tuesday against Severna Park, who won the East region with a 12-7 win over South River. The semifinal will be either at 4 p.m. or 7 p.m. at the University of Maryland.
The championship game is set for 7:30 p.m. Friday at Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen.
