After a three-hour game in bone-chilling drizzle and ending in near darkness, River Hill coach Rick Lloyd downplayed the significance of his team's 8-6 victory over No. 11-ranked, Class 1A state champion Glenelg yesterday.

"It's a sign of what's to come," Lloyd said of his team's first win ever over the Gladiators. "The county has eight teams that can all beat each other, and the games are going to come down to the last out. Today, we won."

Lloyd could not downplay his team's 12 base hits, as the third-year Hawks (2-0) stole Glenelg's trademark batting thunder.

Miguel Montanez led the Hawks with three hits. Arin Gelletly had a double, a single and three RBIs. Levi Haslip also had two hits and an RBI. Chris Kowgios and Brandon Massie each had RBI singles.

"We did well at the plate, and they had an off day," said Hawks starting pitcher Mike Verbos, who lasted 4 1/3 innings, throwing 98 pitches and allowing five hits and five unearned runs.

Defense was almost River Hill's downfall, as the Hawks made eight errors.

"We need drastic improvement defensively," Lloyd said.

Glenelg (1-1) had a chance to rally in the last inning amid descending darkness when its first two batters reached on errors. Gelletly, the Hawks relief pitcher who threw 2 2/3 innings, struck out the next three batters.

"It was tough in the dark," Gelletly said. "I couldn't see the signs."

The Gladiators actually had chances to win in each of the last three innings. Unlike last season, when come-from-behind, late-inning rallies were the norm, Glenelg repeatedly could not get the crucial hit.

And the Glenelg top-of-the-fifth inning ended on Mike Rice's attempted steal of home.

Glenelg coach Tom Thrasher thought Rice was safe, and the Gladiators protested the out call heartily.

"Mike's one of our fastest kids and can go from third to home in 3.2 seconds. We timed their pitcher's delivery to home at four seconds, so we knew he could steal it. We thought he slid under the tag."

That out ended a three-run inning that featured two River Hill errors, two walks, a single and a balk.

Glenelg also struggled defensively, making four errors.

"Neither team played up to its standards because of the weather," Verbos said.

15-K, five-inning game

North County junior righthander Justin Baker recorded a baseball oddity in Ferndale yesterday as the host Anne Arundel countians (1-1) routed Gwynn Park, 15-2, in five innings.

Baker struck out the first nine Prince George's County batters he faced and ended up recording all 15 outs via the 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