HANOVER — Garrett County’s bats arrived a day late to the state tournament, but when the hits came, they did so in bunches.
Bunt singles, hard line drives, seeing-eye knocks and gappers added up to 12 hits and double-digit runs on the scoreboard, and Landon Yoder tossed a three-hit gem to keep host Severna Park off it.
Garrett County Post 71/208/214 lived to fight another day, bludgeoning Severna Park Post 175, 11-1, in an elimination game on Day 2 of the Maryland American Legion state tournament Saturday at Joe Cannon Stadium.
“We’re in a dogfight now. You win, you’re moving on. You lose, you’re going home. I thought we played like that,” Garrett County manager Phil Carr said.
“We talked about that yesterday at dinner last night. … First inning set the tone for the whole day.”
Garrett County (18-6-1) is back in action against Old Mill Post 276 (18-5-2) in another win-or-go-home game on Sunday at 10 a.m.
The day’s longest blast was perhaps the sweetest, as Jake Chambers clubbed a 400-foot missile to center field for a double, just one pitch after he was plunked, perhaps intentionally, an inning prior.
Severna Park took issue with a high tag by the first baseman earlier in the game, and Chambers took the first pitch of his next at-bat off the helmet.
Chambers’ double was one of five extra-base hits by Garrett County on the day.
“We came down here to win some ballgames, don’t want to go home early,” Chambers said. “Fight as a team. Do it as a team.”
Jared Haskiell doubled twice and scored three times, Liam Stewart was 3 for 4 with a double, two bunt singles, two ribbies and two runs, Reece Tasker doubled in two runs, Ryan Bird and Cole Folk both drove in a pair, and Brayden Upole singled twice.
Garrett exploded for four runs in the first inning, a reversal of the three-run hole it dug for itself in a loss to St. Mary’s to open the tournament, and it added two runs in the second, one in the fourth, three in the fifth and one in the sixth.
“Compared to yesterday we swung it much better. We were more patient,” Carr said. “We looked for good pitches to hit.”
Garrett needed just a fraction of that run support with Yoder dealing.
The right-hander held Severna Park to a run on three hits across seven innings, striking out four and walking one. Yoder expended just 92 pitches to go the distance.
“That’s the kind of kid he was all spring for us (at Northern) and has been all summer,” Carr said. “He’s been a guy that, before we lost Jared and Luke (Ross), he was that third guy. … He only gave up two earned runs all summer.”
Garrett County could have pulled Yoder after upping its lead to 10-1 in the top of the fifth to save him for later in the tournament but elected not to.
Yoder was at 57 pitches, which would have allowed him to return Tuesday on two days rest if Garrett can win its next two elimination games.
“We’re just looking at one game at a time,” Carr said. “Robert (Deatelhauser) can come back Tuesday if we can get there. … We just said, it’s a positive thing to win a game at the state tournament. We’ve had a lot of teams in years come down here and go 0-2.”
Jason Tebbe hit a sac fly in the second inning for Severna Park’s lone run, but the frame was a win for Garrett, as Yoder limited the damage after the bases were loaded with nobody out.
Yoder responded by holding Severna Park scoreless over the next five innings, surrendering just one hit and walking none over that span.
Garrett’s defense again shined, committing just one error to lead off the seventh. Its middle infield turned a 6-4-3 double play two batters later to end the game.
The day’s defensive highlight came when Haskiell made a diving catch in shallow right field to take away a Severna Park hit.
Dalton Hall took the loss for Severna Park, allowing six runs on five hits in an inning of work. Middle reliever Eric Woodruff fared the best against Garrett, as the right-hander allowed a run on two hits in three frames of middle relief.
Garrett County faces a stiff test Sunday against Old Mill, which knocked out Caroline with a 10-2 rout Saturday.
Old Mill was dropped to the loser’s bracket Friday, falling to last year’s state runner-up Cecil County, 7-3.
Garrett will likely start one of Bird and Stewart with Caleb Hinebaugh, Folk, Chambers and Cole Parks in the bullpen.
Haskiell, who has been nursing an arm injury, could be available to throw an inning or two, Carr said.
“They swing it pretty well,” Carr said. “We’re going to be down to try to piece some stuff together (on the mound).”