Riding a pitching staff that ranks among the stingiest in metro area baseball history, top-ranked C. Milton Wright has become proficient this season at putting up zeros.
In Saturday's Class 3A state final, however, the Mustangs erased a zero from the program's record book.
Senior Brad Markey pitched a five-hitter, striking out seven as the Mustangs topped Huntingtown of Calvert County, 4-1, at Ripken Stadium, to earn its first state title in six tries.
"We have a successful softball program, a successful girls lacrosse program, a successful cross-country program. It's going to be nice to be able to walk into that gym now and see a banner hanging up for baseball," Mustangs coach Tony Blackburn said.
Wright (23-0), which recorded 12 shutouts this season — eclipsing a 36-year-old state record by Franklin — became the only metro-area team to claim a state title this season.
Much of the credit for the Mustangs' milestone goes to Markey (8-0), a 5-foot-10 right-hander who will continue his career next season at nationally ranked Georgia Tech. Markey breezed through the first five innings while facing just one over the minimum, and encountered his only trouble in the sixth. His ERA rose to 0.58.
Huntingtown (21-5) had scored double-digit runs 14 times this season, outscoring its playoff opponents 41-5. This time, however, the Hurricanes were no match.
"I got a scouting report on them, and I knew what they could and couldn't hit," Markey said. "Then with our defense behind me, [they] didn't worry me at all."
He got all the support he needed in the first three innings.
In the first, Colt Hancock reached on a throwing error, stole second, took third on a passed ball and scored when Markey grounded to second and reached when the throw pulled first baseman Spencer Wolfe off the bag.
The Mustangs took further advantage of Huntingtown's miscues in the third, loading the bases on a pair of singles and an error before catcher Andrew Clow's RBI infield single. Ryan Corn followed two batters later with a sacrifice bunt to first, scoring Andrew Gilley to make it 3-0.
Leading 4-0, Markey escaped his only threat in the sixth when, following three straight singles, a relay by shortstop Gilley cut down Joe Karbowsky at third to end the inning.
"We were pushing and pushing the whole time, and we made a little mistake there," Huntingtown coach Guy Smith said. "But I don't look at one play, one inning or one pitch as the game. If we would've gotten on them early or kept fighting, it would've been a different story."