The Patterson Mill baseball team spent the bulk of its season successfully fending off challenges from larger schools. Now, the Huskies are getting the chance to pick on teams their own size in the Class 1A playoffs.
In Tuesday's state semifinals at McCurdy Field in Frederick, Pikesville became their latest victim.
Continuing the best statistical season in school history, No. 4 Patterson Mill got a two-hit shutout from starting pitcher Jake Sheesley and took advantage of four errors in a 7-0 win over the Panthers to extend its winning streak to 18.
Patterson Mill (21-3) advances to the Class 1A state final Monday at noon at Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen. There, the Huskies will face defending state champion Brunswick, a 6-5 winner over St. Michaels in the earlier game.
The challenge will be nothing new for the Harford County team, which has proven itself to be a giant-killer all season. Included on its resume are two wins each over Class 4A finalist Bel Air and 2015 3A semifinalist North Harford, as well as a regional final win over 2015 state finalist McDonough of Charles County.
"I keep saying that Harford County baseball is the best kept secret around," Patterson Mill coach Matt Roseland said. "I believe in our league. We want to be in the upper division playing all those teams because it prepares you for the moments like this."
Patterson Mill, making its fourth trip to the semifinals in six years, will be seeking its first state title.
This one quickly became one-sided, thanks in large part to Sheesley. The junior allowed just two singles, struck out 12 and walked two to improve to 4-0 on the season.
"Fastballs, curveballs, and off-speed were all looking pretty solid today," Sheesley said. "Eric [Raley] was giving me a good target behind the plate. We were doing the outside corner, and I was just nipping away at it all day."
The Huskies' lineup took care of the rest, getting to Pikesville starter Matthew Rozga for four runs in the second.
After putting together three straight singles to start the inning, they took the lead on an errant relay to first following a comebacker to the mound. Thomas Kragh's RBI single to right and Kyle Goudy's two-run single to right extended the lead.
Patterson Mill scored on a wild pitch in the third to make it 5-0, but couldn't push across runners on second and third with one out.
Meanwhile, the Panthers, making their second-ever trip to the semifinals, could do little against Sheesley.
Their best scoring chance came when catcher Shayan Farasat singled to center and took second on a bobble. But courtesy runner Miller Friedman was stranded when Sheesley struck out Matthew Ziegelstein looking.
Pikesville (10-10), which recovered from a 1-6 start this season to roll through a weak region — outscoring four Baltimore City playoff opponents by a combined score of 78-11 — didn't threaten again until Sheesley issued back-to-back walks in the seventh.