Hot weather rejuvenated Glenelg starting pitcher Jeff Starcher's sore arm, and he won his second straight championship game.

Hot bats and good defense took care of the rest, as defending champion Glenelg won its fifth state baseball title yesterday, defeating Williamsport in the Class 1A final at Joe Cannon Stadium, 12-2.

Glenelg's win was its 11th straight, and the 21-4 team won the school's fourth state title in six years.

Starcher threw with grit for his 10th win against two losses. His teammates backed him up with 13 hits, including five doubles. And they made just one error. The game ended after six innings because of the 10-run slaughter rule.

Jon Hughes, who had the game-winning hit in the state title game last season, came through again with a 3-for-3 effort.

2A: Centennial falls again

For Centennial in its state championship game yesterday, the pivotal play was a fourth-inning dribbler down the third-base line that couldn't have gone more than 10 feet.

"We caught a lucky break on that dribbler," said Walkersville coach Paul Merrill, whose Frederick County team tied the game 1-1 on that hit and went on to win the state title over Centennial, 9-5.

Walkersville (21-3) had two outs and the bases loaded at the time. Centennial starting pitcher Steve Fredrick already had escaped serious jams in the first and second innings and appeared to be off the hook again when Lane Strobel struck the weak hit. Fredrick raced over, decided the ball would not roll foul, but threw too late to catcher Matt Deuchler as a run scored.

The next Walkersville batter, Nick Clabaugh, cleared the bases with a double. Pat Calloway followed that with a double and the Lions led 5-1.

It was Centennial's third loss in the state final, and seventh disappointing trip to the final four. The Eagles are still looking for their first state title.

3A: South Carroll, easily

The second-ranked South Carroll Cavaliers lived up to the seasonlong hype about its talented pitching and potent offense by winning its first state title, 8-1, over the Raiders of St. Mary's County at Joe Cannon Stadium in Harmans.

The memory of last season's 1-0 loss to Thomas Johnson in the West region semifinals can be extinguished, as well title-game losses in 1981 and 1995. The Cavaliers became the third team from Carroll County to claim a state championship.

They did in resounding fashion, scoring four runs in the opening inning and a complete-game two-hitter by senior Brandon Woodard.

Woodard, part of South Carroll's dynamic staff of Division I prospects, struck out 14 batters and walked six to improve to 8-1.

With a host of pro and college scouts in the stands, Woodard didn't allowed a hit until the fourth inning. Leonardtown's only run came in the fifth inning.

Baseball

State finals

Yesterday's results

Class 1A

Glenelg 12, Williamsport 2

Class 2A

Walkersville 9, Centennial 5

Class 3A

S. Carroll 8, Leonardtown 1

Class 4A

Glen Burnie 3, Perry Hall 1