Falcons look like contenders

The calendar said March 31, 2016, but one can be forgiven for mistakenly thinking it was the end of May 2015.

That's when Severna Park made a run to the Class 4A State championship game with Spencer Dietrich's work on the mound and Stephen Boushell's efforts at the plate helping to lead the way.

Those two, now seniors, looked quite familiar on Thursday. Dietrich allowed no runs on four hits in five innings of work, while Boushell had two hits, including a home run, and reached base three times as Severna Park defeated Northeast, 9-0.

Dietrich went 6-2 with a 2.15 ERA as a junior, and he has added a potentially filthy change-up to his fastball-curveball repertoire, but his biggest asset on the mound is his make-up.

"Spencer is Spencer; he is a bulldog who simply does not get rattled," Severna Park coach Eric Milton said. "He is a different person on the mound, and we know he is going to be solid every time he goes out there."

After retiring the first two Northeast batters in the top of the second, Dietrich surrendered consecutive singles to Richard Johnson and Tyler Green, but he retired TJ Ratliff on a grounder to third to end the threat. It was the only time he allowed a runner into scoring position.

"You gotta throw strikes and make them swing the bats; make the hitters get themselves out," Dietrich said. "You just trust in your defense and attack the zone."

Green, a sophomore lefty, got the nod on the mound for the Eagles, and he looked good in the first, retiring the side on 12 pitches. But Boushell changed that quickly in the second, sending the third pitch he saw to lead off the inning to dead center to give Severna Park the early lead. Boushell added a single and reached base on a hard-hit error as well.

The bats have been slow in the early going for the Falcons, at least by their lofty standards, and Boushell was happy with the needed performance at the plate.

"We have not had the start we wanted offensively, but our pitching has kept us in it," Boushell said. "Our lineup is strong throughout and there are going to be people on base, so there will be plenty of opportunities. This was our first real test to perform as a team and I could not ask for anything more."

After Boushell's home run, Hallet had a single, Luke Childress was hit by a pitch and Ben Hollingsworth reached on a bunt down the third base line that nobody played. Tyler Winship followed with a grounder to third that could have been a double play, but after getting the lead runner at home, an error scored two runs and a wild pitch brought Winship home later.

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Hallet did some damage himself the next inning, belting a two-run home run to nearly the same spot as Boushell.

"The bats have been behind early this season, but today, they were much better," Milton said. "We were facing one of the best pitchers in the county today and, to come out like we did and put some runs on the board --- hopefully that serves as a springboard for us."

The Falcons tacked on three more runs and Dietrich, Jake Guy and Kyle Weiner combined on the shutout. Hollingsworth and Trae Singleton joined Hallet and Boushell with two hits each in the 11-hit attack.

"With this lineup, you know that you are going to get run support every time you go out there," Dietrich said." This was the best hitting performance of the year, and it should only get better."

Northeast was limited to six singles, and the early indication is that Severna Park plans on being stingy all season long.

"We graduated 10-11 guys, but we have 11 juniors that are very talented," Milton said. "I expect us to be competitive in the county and be one of the best teams around again."

WP: Dietrich (2-0). LP: Green. HR: SP – Boushell, Hallet. RBI: SP – Hallet 2, Boushell, Anawalt, Singleton..