POTOMAC PARK — No. 5 Fort Hill took a three-run lead in the early stages Tuesday, but Brunswick is the defending Class 1A state champion for a reason.
The Railroaders trailed 3-0 and didn’t take their first lead until the fifth inning. There was no panic, as the Frederick County squad rocketed 16 base hits to come back to beat Fort Hill, 12-4, at the Hot Stove Complex.
“I thought we played a really solid baseball game,” Fort Hill manager Tanner Brode said. “(We had) eight hits. We clean up a couple things in the field, things may go in our favor. Usually when we play a solid game like that we come out on the winning side of things.
“Today that wasn’t the case because we played a really solid baseball team. I’d put them up there in the category of competing for the 1A state championship again.”
Fort Hill (8-6) plated three runs in the first inning, and Brunswick (13-4) scored two in the third and one in the fourth to level the game at 3-3 entering the fifth.
Carson Eye gave Brunswick the lead for good with an RBI double that one-hopped the left-field fence, and the Railroaders tacked on two more in the frame and six more in the sixth to remove all doubt.
Brunswick didn’t miss many barrels early, but it hit several hard-hit balls right at Fort Hill defenders who made the plays. Eventually, however, those baseballs found green grass.
University of Maryland commit Ty Kaunas was held to a 1 for 3 day by Fort Hill’s pitching, but the Railroaders’ deep lineup was on full display as four other batters — Carter Vinar, Colin Pearre, Justin Ricketts and Eye — all had three hits.
Vinar provided the game’s biggest knock in the form of a bases-clearing triple in the sixth inning. Pearre and Eye added two ribbies each, and Ricketts doubled.
“We started a little slow,” said Brunswick manager Roger Dawson, who has won more than 400 games. “Once we got our bats going I thought we were in pretty good shape. My freshman (Logan) Lowery threw a pretty good game. That was his first start.
“We ended up taking care of business in the middle and late innings.”
The right-handed Lowery recorded the victory on the mound allowing four runs (two earned) on eight hits with three strikeouts to two walks in 5 2/3 frames of work.
Fort Hill’s Carson Bender hit safely three times, including an RBI single in the first. Bender later stole home in the frame on a first-and-third play.
The Sentinels’ other run came across on an error. Brunswick’s first baseman missed a strong throw across the diamond from the shortstop Kaunas, and it hit him in the face allowing a runner to score.
The fielder was down for several minutes but remained in the game and played all seven innings.
Colt Resh joined Bender in the multi-hit club with two singles.
Righty Bobby Brauer was given the ball on the bump to start for the Sentinels, and he exited with a 3-2 lead after three innings.
Brauer, who was on a pitch count, allowed two runs on six hits and walked two. Colt and Coye Resh and Nick Brown finished the game for the Sentinels in relief.
Fort Hill will try to end its three-game skid when it heads to No. 4 Petersburg (12-4) on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
“This team has exceeded expectations,” Brode said. “Being a young team, not a lot of upperclassmen to lead the way, they’ve exceeded all of our expectations.”