POTOMAC PARK — Cumberland Rotary used a big fifth inning to beat the Cresaptown Eagkes, 7-6, in Game 1 of a Hot Stove Junior Division semifinal playoff series on Thursday at Hamilton Field.
Rotary now holds a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series.
“We knew what we’d get, it’s gonna be competitive baseball, and that’s exactly what it was,” said Rotary head coach A.J. Zembower. “We came in and closed it out at the end, and again, Game 2 tomorrow, and we’ll see if we can do it again.
“Our bats are starting to come back hot. We were quiet for a little while, now we’re starting to really pick the bats back up, putting the ball in play, and striking out less.”
Cresaptown took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, with Kyran Freeman and Noah Dicken coming around to score, but Rotary’s Channing Logsdon scored on a wild pitch to pull one back.
Both starting pitchers then settled in well, and although both teams had opportunities to score, the score remained 2-1 until the bottom of the fourth, when Rotary scored to tie the game at 2-2.
In the top of the fifth, Cresaptown took a 4-2 lead when Dalton Evans smacked a two-run double to center field.
Rotary answered with a four-run fifth inning. With the bases loaded, Isaiah Welsh hit a ball that was misplayed by the left fielder, allowing all three runners on base to score and Welsh to reach second. He later scored on a ball hit by Isaac Metcalf.
Both teams scored a run in the sixth inning, leaving Cresaptown to face a 7-5 deficit in the top of the seventh.
Evans scored on a sacrifice fly to cut Rotary’s lead to one, but it proved to be too little, too late, and Rotary won by a final score of 7-6.
“Small mistakes, mental mistakes on our end ultimately let up most of the runs on our side,” said Cresaptown assistant coach Mark Smearman. “When you make mistakes, the other team capitalizes on them, not much you can do.
“We did fairly well at the plate, most of the kids had good at-bats, weren’t swinging at any wild, we capitalized when we could, just came up a little short.”
Logsdon and Daulton Harper each scored two runs in the win for Rotary. Logsdon, Wyatt Twigg and Carson Wilhelm each accounted for one of Rotary’s three hits on the day. Most of Rotary’s damage was done by walks and wild pitches, with the team drawing nine walks.
Max Haines started on the mound for Rotary. He pitched 4 1/3 innings, surrendering two runs on zero hits and four walks. He struck out 9. Harper and Twigg also saw action on the mound. Logsdon was credited with the save, pitching the final inning for Rotary.
Evans led Cresaptown’s offense, collecting one hit, three RBIs, one walk, one sacrifice fly and one hit-by-pitch. Freeman had the other of Cresaptown’s two hits on the day. He came around to score three times and walked twice.
Braeden Laffey started on the mound for Cresaptown. He lasted three innings, giving up one run on zero hits and two walks while striking out five. Freeman pitched two innings in relief, giving up five runs on two hits and five walks. He struck out one.
Evans took the loss on the mound for Cresaptown. He gave up one run on one hit and two walks in his only inning of work. He struck out two.
Rotary won Game 2, 16-12, to take the series.
More information on that game will be in Monday’s edition of the Times-News.