(LA PLUME, Pa.) – The season came to an end as No. 2 Wilson fell to top-seeded Keystone in the CSAC Championship on Saturday afternoon. The Phoenix put up a strong fight to finish as the runners-up once again and split the day after defeating No. 3 Cairn in an elimination game that started in the morning.
Highlighting the day was the play of
Michael Marrale (5th, Sykesville, Md. / Old Dominion) who provided plenty of fireworks for the Blue and White. Overall he hit three home runs on the day to make him the CSAC leader.
The Basics
Scores: Game 1 – No. 2 Wilson 14, No. 3 Cairn 6
Game 2 – No. 2 Wilson 8, No. 1 Keystone 10
Venue: Mathewson Field
Records: No. 2 Wilson 34-10, No. 1 Keystone 30-12, No. 3 Cairn 22-21
How It Happened (Game 1 vs. No. 3 Cairn)
- It didn't take long for the Phoenix to get the bats hot as Jordan McKenzie (Jr., White Plains, Md. / Southern Maryland) and Dean Mercer (Sr., Dunedin, Fla. / Clearwater Central Catholic) singled to set up Marrale. He followed up with his first round trip of the day as he cleared the fence in left center for a 3-0 lead. Wilson wasn't done, however, and ended up loading the bases afterwards. Jordan Daphney (So., Countryside, Fla. / Brunswick) added to the lead with a sacrifice fly to score Alex Seidleck (So., Crownsville, Md. / Indian Creek) and a throwing error allowed Doc Daniels (So., Deal Island, Md. / Crisfield) to score after Brady Andre (Jr., Brookeville, Md. / Sherwood) stole second.
- The Highlanders were able to answer with a pair of runs in the top of the second. After loading the bases themselves, Cairn scored the first run on a fielder's choice and another one batter later on a single to left.
- Both teams added three runs combined over the third and fourth innings. Wilson opened that trend as Garrett Griebel (Fy., Kent Island, Md. / Kent Island) doubled to left center to score Daphney. Cairn returned serve with a three-run homer in the top of the fourth. Marrale added more damage in the bottom of the frame with a double and scored on an error on the next play. Three batters later Andre singled to right to score Gerald Buchanan (Gr., Olney, Md. / Montgomery CC) to make the score 8-5.
- The scoring remained stagnant until the bottom of the seventh when Grieble singled up the middle and advanced to third after an error on the center fielder. It proved pivotal as he scored on a wild pitch shortly after.
- The rest of the runs were scored in the eighth. The Highlanders opened up with a pair of base hits and added a walk to load the bases before another single plated their last run. Wilson was also able to fill the base paths before Daphney cleared them on a double to right center to score Andre, Daniels and Seidleck to make the score 12-6. Griebel brought him in on a base hit through the right side and eventually scored on a Marrale single to right center.-
Inside The Numbers (Game 1 vs. No. 3 Cairn)
- Seth Smart (Fy., Seaford, Del. / Woodbridge) recorded the win after coming on in relief to end the year at 5-0. He allowed one run on four hits and three walks while punching out four in 3.1 innings of work.
- Overall the battery fanned 13 batters with starter Brayden Stutzman (Fy., Mt. Airy, Md. / South Carroll) striking out six, Emilio Rodriguez (Fy., Baltimore, Md. / Archbishop Curley) sitting down both batters he faced, and Ben Metz (So., Denver, Pa. / Garden Spot) adding the final one.
- Marrale, Mercer and Griebel all went 3-for-5 from the plate to lead the hit parade. Daniels and Andre both had multiple hit games as well.
- Marrale and Daphney paced the Phoenix with four RBI each. All nine batters in the lineup scored at least once with Mercer, Marrale, Daniels, Seidleck and Daphney scoring twice.
How It Happened (Game 2 vs. No. 1 Keystone)
- Hoping to keep the momentum rolling from the first game victory, Wilson got off to a hot start as Marrale went yard for the second time on the day in the bottom of the first. The Phoenix added to the lead with four more runs in the second. Daphney belted in a pair of them with a base hit to right center to circle around Seidleck and Andre. Three batters later McKenzie went down the right field line for a triple to score Griebel. A double by Mercer brought him in for a 5-0 lead.
- Keystone eventually scored in the bottom of the third, but Wilson was able to extend the lead once again in the sixth. A couple of errors aided the Phoenix as Andre scored on an infield error and Daphney scored on a ground out.
- The Giants started their rally in the bottom of the sixth. Four hits and an error helped fuel the comeback as they scored five runs. Marrale led off the seventh with his third home run of the day to make it 8-6, but Keystone completed its comeback with four runs in the eighth.
Inside The Numbers
- Marrale had another 3-for-5 game to cap off the tournament. He was a triple shy of the cycle in the game. Overall on the day he was 6-for-10 with three home runs, two doubles, six RBI, and four runs scored.
- Seidleck also had a multiple hit game as he was 2-for-4 with a walk. McKenzie and Daphney both added multiple RBI games.
- Chase Supensky (Fy., Baltimore, Md. / Towson) started the game and did extremely well given he also pitched on Wednesday. He struck out five and allowed one earned run on eight hits and a walk in 6.0 innings of work.
- Wilson wraps up its best season in its short program history at 34-10 surpassing last year's team that went 31-11. In five years and only three full seasons, the Phoenix have gone 114-43.
