HANOVER — After three anxiety-inducing conquests to open the state tournament, Fort Cumberland put Old Mill away early Monday.
Post 13 scored three runs in the first inning, and a four-run outburst in the fourth — punctuated by a two-run no doubter off the bat of Carson Bradley — and a complete game by Bobby Brauer guided Fort Cumberland to an 8-2 victory at the Maryland American Legion state tournament on Monday.
Fort Cumberland (20-6) will face Cecil County Post 15 Tuesday at 10 a.m. for the state championship.
“These close games, they’re not the style of play that we’re accustomed to,” Fort Cumberland manager Brian McAlpine said. “(In previous games), we were giving teams opportunities to beat us. We weren’t taking advantage.
“Today, early in the game we did really well. … I thought I’d get four or five innings out of Bobby. He went way above and beyond what I was expecting.”
Before last summer, Fort Cumberland had gone 47 years without winning a state championship. It’s now in the driver’s seat for a second straight title.
Post 13 defeated Wicomico, 7-6, in the state finals in 2023 at McCurdy Field.
Like last year, Fort Cumberland has won the first four games of the 2024 state tournament, defeating St. Mary’s, 1-0, Boonsboro, 7-6, Cecil County, 3-2, and Old Mill.
By virtue of starting 4-0, Fort Cumberland only has to beat Cecil County once Tuesday for the championship. Cecil has to defeat Post 13 twice.
Fort Cumberland is 9-1 in the state tournament over the last two years. Post 13 is seeking its seventh title, which would give it a tie with Cheverly Post 108 for fourth-most in state history.
Fort Cumberland entered Monday’s game intending for it to be a bullpen game, but Brauer — a rising Fort Hill sophomore who had pitched sparingly over the summer — threw a complete game.
The right-hander allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits with three strikeouts in seven innings of work.
Brauer blanked Old Mill over the first five innings, and Fort Cumberland built an 8-0 lead.
“I threw to contact,” Brauer said. “This defense we have, it’s pretty cool. I didn’t strike a single guy out and gave up two runs. It’s nice to have confidence in the guys behind me and just let them go to work.
“I’ve kind of been waiting for my opportunity all year, and I got it. I wasn’t going to let it go to waste.”
There was some question whether Brauer would finish the game after allowing two runs on three hits in the sixth inning, but he answered the call to garner a complete game.
“I want to thank (coach McAlpine) for letting me finish,” Brauer said.
Fort Cumberland had several standouts at the plate, but none shone brighter than catcher Carson Bradley.
The Mountain Ridge grad and current Allegany College player gave Fort Cumberland its first offense with a two-run single during a three-run first inning.
Bradley then pushed Post 13 to a comfortable margin with a two-run shot over the left-field fence at Joe Cannon Stadium.
“I’ve just been trying to take some pitches early in counts and then look to attack fastball,” said Bradley, who scored three times. “Got a fastball up and in, and I just tried to pull it.”
A batter after Bradley’s bomb, Myles Bascelli nearly left the yard with a long fly ball to left center that resulted in a triple.
He later scored on an error for Fort Cumberland’s final run.
Bascelli also had an RBI double in the first inning. Bryce Madden was 2 for 4 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI, and Caedon Wallace (Allegany College commit) doubled.
Fort Cumberland swiped six bases. Madden (Glenville State commit) and Landon McAlpine (Salem University) stole two each.
Brady Tingen paced Old Mill going 2 for 4 with a double. Jake Kokosinski and AJ Cozzone scored the squad’s runs.
Gavin Wagner took the loss, allowing four runs on four hits in two innings of work. Devin Mauerer and Trey Martini pitched in relief.
After a spotless start through four games of tournament play, Fort Cumberland finds itself a win away from a second straight state championship.
Last year, it lost the first game of the finals to Wicomico, 4-2, and needed to overcome a 6-2 deficit in the final inning of Game 2 to lift the trophy.
Post 13 wants to end the tournament after one game this time.
“We’re fully stacked for tomorrow with ‘Allegany row,’” said coach McAlpine, referring to Bryce and Kohen Madden, Bascelli and Landyn Ansel, who are all available to pitch Tuesday.
“We’re looking pretty good as far as our pitching goes tomorrow.”