HANOVER — Fort Cumberland had more hits than Funkstown, played mistake-free defense and Myles Bascelli tossed a gem, but Tuesday just wasn’t Post 13’s day.
Funkstown took a one-run lead on a bloop single by Derek Kline in the fourth inning, and it proved to be decisive, as the Skunks’ pitching stranded eight Fort Cumberland runners despite Post 13’s 7-3 edge in base hits.
Fort Cumberland waged a two-out rally putting two on in the seventh inning, and a hard-hit ball off the bat of Kohen Madden seemed destined for center field.
It skipped off the artificial turf into the glove of Funkstown shortstop Hayden Hose’s glove, and he touched second base for the final out to hand Fort Cumberland a 2-1 defeat in the Maryland American Legion state championship game on Tuesday at Joe Cannon Stadium.
“We out-hit them. We played really good defense. Just, the hits were spaced out, we couldn’t connect two or three hits together,” Fort Cumberland manager Brian McAlpine said. “We made a nice run, a lot of fun. Sucks to come in second place, but I’m proud of them. I’m proud of the group.”
Fort Cumberland (14-7) has advanced to the state championship round in four of the past five seasons, but it wasn’t able to muster the timely offense it found during title runs in 2023 and ‘24.
It did in spurts. Coye Resh leveled the tally at 1 with a two-out RBI single up the middle in the fourth inning, but Funkstown, aided by a leadoff walk, answered thanks to Klein’s well-placed poke in the next half-inning.
Funkstown right-hander Shawn Higgins, the Hagerstown Herald-Mail Washington County Pitcher of the Year at South Hagerstown in the spring, ran into trouble in the seventh.
After retiring the first two hitters, Higgins gave up an infield single by Cole Ricker and walked Colt Resh.
He passed the baton to righty Heath Githens, a Smithsburg graduate committed to Prince George’s Community College, and Githens recorded the final out.
Fort Cumberland’s offensive struggles spoiled a strong start by the right-handed Bascelli, who took the loss despite allowing just two runs on three hits in six innings with four strikeouts to three walks.
Bascelli faced a bases-loaded one-out jam in the first inning and a second-and-third, one-out scenario in the fourth, and he did well to limit the damage on both occasions and keep Fort Cumberland attached.
“Everything was working for me,” said Bascelli. “The only thing I had a problem with is locating my fastball a little bit. I’ll be honest, the umpires were squeezing me a little bit. … You have to be strong mentally. You gotta have some faith in your defense behind you, and I did.”
Coye Resh led the way for Fort Cumberland going 2 for 3. Madden scored Post 13’s lone run.
George Mantz drove in Funkstown’s first run in the opening frame, chopping a high grounder to Bascelli on the mound that hung up too long on a bounce to get the runner at the plate with the bases loaded.
Bascelli got the safe out at first, and he induced a flyout to strand a pair in scoring position.
Higgins earned the win, holding Fort Cumberland to a run on seven hits in 6 2/3 innings with two strikeouts and three walks.
His catcher, Ryan Darr, caught a Post 13 runner trying to steal second base in the third.
Madden was honored as the tournament’s top pitcher after finishing with a 0.00 earned-run average.
Funkstown’s Gavin Ramarge was tourney Most Valuable Player, and Concord commit Grant Semler was tabbed as the top hitter, finishing with a .667 clip at the plate.
For Fort Cumberland, it was a magical run after dropping its opening-night game to La Plata, 6-4, in nine innings.
Post 13, with Madden ineligible to pitch after the first game, was able to claw all the way back to the title game with consecutive victories over Cecil County, 18-7, St. Mary’s, 7-3, and Sharptown, 8-5, in elimination games.
In the end, a storybook ending wasn’t in the cards, but Fort Cumberland made memories that will last a lifetime.
“It’s the best feeling you’ll ever feel, honestly,” Bascelli, a member of Post 13’s 2024 championship team, said of playing in the state tournament. “These younger kids, they don’t really get to experience it. Two years ago was probably the best tournament I’ve ever had in my life. I had so much fun.
“This is my favorite part of baseball. This team, these young kids — I’m glad they got to experience this. They deserve to experience this.”