City all-stars make most of 'once-in-a-lifetime opportunity' to play at Oriole Park

The game itself was far from a classic, with numerous passed balls, wild pitches, and errors, but the teams were still playing for city bragging rights.

"I know a lot of people on the other team," said Digital Harbor catcher Chris Day, who contributed a double in the win. "I respect them, but it's still nice to say we won."

Early on, it didn't look like that would be the case for the East team. After the east-siders took a 1-0 lead on a throwing error in the first, the West team responded with eight runs in the third inning.

The West tied the game on an Alex Mardiney (Gilman) sacrifice fly to right field that scored Malik Holloway (Douglass), and then the west-siders strung together a series of wild pitches and hit batsmen around a Brian Crowder (Douglass) single and a Jason King (Gilman) triple to take the 8-1 lead.

The East responded in the bottom of the inning, using a Zach Loewenberger (Friends) double to ignite a furious rally and cut the lead to 8-6. They also benefited from several wild pitches and a passed ball in the inning.

After getting another run in the bottom of the fourth on a Luke Nakich (Curley) pop-up that scored Jerrod Smith (FAET) and cut the lead to 8-7, the East took the lead for good in the fifth.

The East tied it on an overthrow that allowed Eric Exum (Digital Harbor) to score, and then got walks to Major Bullock (Dunbar) and Jamar Hawkins (City). After a strikeout, Day doubled to center. The hit scored both Bullock and Hawkins, and gave the East a 10-8 lead that it would never relinquish.

"We just kept battling," said Dunbar manager Bernie White. "You could see the fight in these kids. They got down 8-1 and they just never gave up."

Curley's Jordan Menfee, who contributed a triple in a five-run sixth for the East team, called playing in the game "a great experience."

"I got to play with a group of people I never knew before and make some new friends," he said. "The fact that it was here just made it all the more special. It's something I'll never forget."

East 15, West 8

West 008 000 0 -- 8 4 3

East 105 135 x – 15 10 3

Spence, Gustos (3), McGranan (3), Marshall (6), Lynch (7), Smith (7) and Day; Corn , Morris (2), Glover (3), Lopez (4), Lawrence (5), Crowder (5), Maggio (6) and Holloway, Overmier. 3B: W – King, E – Menfee, Cassidy. 2B: W – Morris, E – Loewenberger, Day.