It wasn't a storm watch issued by Arundel coach Bernie Walter on Tuesday. Rather it was a warning -- and his Wildcats didn't listen.

One day after top-ranked Arundel posted a sterling, 8-0 opening-day victory over Frderick's Thomas Johnson, the same team didn't show up in Gambrills.

The host Wildcats were upset yesterday by No. 15 Old Mill, 6-3.

It was the third straight year that the Patriots (1-1) have defeated the Wildcats in their first meeting.

Arundel went on to the Class 4A East region final the two previous years and ultimately won the state championship last season. Walter is hoping for a rerun but has concerns.

The veteran coach was on to something when he said after Tuesday's opener featuring a nine-hit attack that "we had some really poor at-bats early in the game."

It was ditto yesterday, but this time the slow start carried through seven innings resulting in four hits and 11 runners left on base from the third through the seventh innings. Arundel left the bases full in the fourth and sixth innings.

"I saw it [lack of aggressive hitting] yesterday, and they [players] didn't hear that, because I guess they know better than I do," said Walter.

"I'm really disappointed with our attitude at home plate hitting. We had plenty of opportunities. All we had to do was the hit the ball in a couple of those situations when we had the right guys up there and we could have scored some more runs."

Senior right-hander Derrick Dawson made sure the Wildcats didn't in his varsity debut. Dawson pitched his team into the sixth inning, then got help from lefty Jay Long and Jimmy Jackson.

"We had it a little rough yesterday [7-5 loss to No. 20 Broadneck] but played a lot better defense today and pulled it out," said Dawson, who gave up just four hits in 5 1/3 innings, struck out five but walked seven.

Six of Dawson's walks came in his last three innings, but his defense bailed him out by playing flawlessly.

With a 6-1 lead, Dawson got the first batter in the sixth but proceeded to walk the bases loaded. Old Mill coach Mel Montgomery called for sophomore Long.

Long coaxed Arundel leadoff hitter Chris Fernandes to pop to short but hit Ryan Erhard with a pitch and walked Norris Roy to make it 6-3.

Montgomery then took Jackson off shortstop and gave him the ball. Jackson got Arundel's cleanup batter, John McCurdy, on a fly ball to right to end the threat and retired three of the four batters he faced in the seventh to preserve the victory.

"Jimmy is a battler, and he did a real good job against a good hitting team," said Montgomery.

Old Mill spoiled the debut of Arundel sophomore righthander Chip Ziegler, who didn't get the same kind of support Patriots hurlers did.

Ziegler, a transfer from Old Mill, went five innings and yielded only four hits, walked two and struck out 10 but was victimized by five errors, one his on a pickoff attempt.

All but two of the six Old Mill runs off Ziegler were unearned.

"Ziegler pitched well -- was gutsy pitching out of holes that we got him into," said Walter.

"His only problem was getting behind hitters."

Brandon White guessed right (fastball) on a 2-0 pitch and homered off Ziegler to start the game. Scott Koscielniak also hit a solo homer in Old Mill's three-run first inning.

The Patriots added two unearned runs in the third and one in the fifth when Ziegler's errant pickoff attempt to first resulted in the speedy Jason Galloway racing to third and scoring on Quentin Cruppenink's sacrifice fly.

Arundel's first run came in the second on Mike Fox's sacrifice fly, which scored McCurdy, who had doubled and taken third on a balk.

North County 15, Gwynn Park 2: Junior right-hander Justin Baker recorded an oddity in Ferndale as the host Knights (1-1) routed the Prince Georges County school in five innings. Baker struck out the first nine batters he faced and recorded all 15 outs via strikeout in a pitching a four-hitter. The game was shortened to five innings because of the 10-run mercy rule.

Pub Date: 3/25/99