Bel Air used another strong pitching performance and some timely hitting to capture the Class 4A North Region baseball championship Friday.
The Bobcats (17-4) beat visiting Howard (16-6), 3-0, scoring all three runs in the third inning, while senior Jack Jenkens pitched into the seventh as the Bobcats recorded their third straight playoff win.
The Bobcats will meet Bowie in Tuesday's state semifinal at 4 or 7 p.m. The game will be played at the University of Maryland's Shipley Field.
Jenkens scattered five hits, walked a pair and struck out five over six and third innings to keep his team ahead.
"Nothing's ever easy, I mean well tip our hats to the Howard team, they've got a good ball club," Bel Air head coach John Swanson said. "We battled back and forth there for a few innings, Jenkens was dealing on the mound again, as he has been of late and the entire season."
With Jenkens on his game and after squandering runners in scoring position in both the first and second innings, Bel Air was able to push three runs across in the third against Lions starter JR Faulkner. It was Jenkens that started the rally with a one-out walk. Ryan Hale, a courtesy runner quickly stole second and Luke Beyers drew a walk as well.
Andrew Cotton flew out for the second out, but Zach Radcliffe stepped in and singled to the opposite field, scoring Hale. Mike Koski followed with a long ball to right field that went as a two-run double, plating both Beyers and Radcliffe. Faulkner got Drew Gagnon to ground out to escape further trouble, but the damage was done and it was Faulkner's last batter. Faulkner allowed four hits and four walks, while striking out one.
Jenkens, meanwhile, set the Lions down in order in the first and third innings, but in the second, ran into a little trouble. Eric Greenbaum singled with one out and Ryan Vale singled with two away. Jenkens got Cameron Robinson on a grounder to second to end the inning.
Other than a walk with two outs in the fourth to Greenbaum, Jenkens was in a groove into the sixth. Craig Wiley snapped a string of five straight retired by Jenkens with a one-out infield single in the sixth. Wiley was quickly erased when Jenkens got Sam Jacobson to roll into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play. Michael Yetter, to Beyers, to Gagnon.
"I thought we had a couple opportunities to score, we had runners in scoring position multiple times," Lions head coach Nick Hoffner said. "The biggest thing, they made a couple plays when they really needed to today, so I give those guys all the credit. Their pitcher, he got locked in there for about three innings. We finally got to him a little bit in the last couple of innings and finally got him out of there in the seventh, but it was just a too little, too late unfortunately. We'd like to thank these guys for hosting us today and moving the game up to 12 (noon). We definitely appreciate that." The game was played at noon to accommodate Howard's prom Friday night.
Bel Air was having its own problems offensively off Lions reliever senior Austin Aguilera. Aguilera issued walks to Liam Bowers (4th) and Cotton (5th), but the Bobcats could not capitalize. Aguilera also hit Gagon leading off the sixth, but he was caught stealing.
"It sucks, we worked hard all year, won three games in the playoffs," Aguilera said. "We lost to Sherwood the past two years, we finally beat them this year to give them their first loss. I'm just proud of our guys for fighting."
Jenkens came to the mound in the seventh, looking to finish of the complete game. Howard had other ideas and the fight Aguilera eluded to.
Casey Crawford singled to start the inning. Greenbaum also singled, but Jayden Cowan bounced into a fielder's choice. Greembaum's courtesy runner, Matt Flynn, was forced at second, but Cowan was safe at first, leaving runners on the corners and Vale stepping to the plate as the potential tying run. Jenkens then walked Vale to load the bases, and that was all for the Bobcat starter.
"My arm started to get a little tired towards the end, but I was trying to focus as much as I could and I walked that second batter and I guess it was better to put in another pitcher," Jenkens said. "It's always a team effort, a great group of guys we got here and we could not ask for any better group of coaches. The way we work together, not just on the baseball field, but off, it's such a big family, I couldn't ask for better teammates."
Swanson came to the mound and brought Yetter from shortstop on to finish. He did.
Yetter threw two pitches to Robinson and the second ended the game. Robinson hit a weak grounder right back to Yetter, who threw home to Cotton for one and Cotton threw to Gagnon at first for two. The classic 1-2-3 double play.
"Definitely want to tip our hats to Howard, but our guys were ready to play today," Swanson said. "From last night we had talked about making sure that we do everything right. From the time you get up in the morning to brush your teeth, to the time you put your shoes on, to the time that you come to school and go through your classes. Both of them today. Make sure you do everything right."
"That way, when we come out on the field, we do everything right and I think what you saw right here, for the most part, we did everything right," he said.