Stunning 1st for Lions
Howard scores four in seventh for 5-4 walk-off win over Severna Park
On the final pitch of the final at-bat of Howard baseball’s final game of the season, junior Ryan Kulick just wanted to put the ball in play.
“We can’t go down on a strikeout there,” Kulick said. “We’ve got to make them make a play.”
The No. 4 Lions’ comeback in Friday’s 4A state championship, a 5-4 win over No. 5 Severna Park, was already improbable and nearly identical to last year’s state semifinals between the two teams. In that game, starter Cameron Clark shut down the Lions for 62⁄ innings before reaching the 105-pitch limit, forcing him to exit with the Falcons up 3-1. Next came back-to-back run-scoring hits before CamRobinson, downto his final strike, won the game with an RBI single.
Now, back to the bottom of the seventh inning Friday. Kulick stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs, two runs already in during the frame. Clark, who again threw a gem — striking out 11 batters while giving up just three hits and an unearned run — again left the game one out away from victory because of the pitching limit. Enter sophomore Evan Lewis.
Kulick swung through and fouled off the first two pitches, putting him in a familiar hole. Kulick and his teammates insisted he’s had plenty of two-strike hits this season, but past statistics don’t seem to apply to moments like this.
Kulick then fouled off two more pitches. All he wanted was to make contact. But then he saw “a perfect pitch,” which he has not seen much this year because pitchers usually avoid throwing it right down the middle. He crushed it, lining it to center field, then moments later saw the center fielder slowing up.
That’s because Jerry O’Neill was on his way to home plate for the game-winning run, securing a victory for Howard and the first state championship in program history.
“I was like, ‘We just won states,’ ” Kulick said. “I couldn’t believe it. I blacked out.”
Howard (20-5) followed six mediocre innings at the plate with an eye-opening effort in the seventh frame. It started with back-to-back hits from the No. 6 and No. 7 hitters, which riled up the Lions faithful before a strikeout prompted them to simmer down. After a walk, Clark recorded another strikeout. He exited with the bases loaded.
Down to his final strike, junior Jerry O’Neill (1-for-3) worked the count full before earning a base on balls to force home the Howard’s second run. Awild pitch during the next at-bat brought the Lions within 4-3. Lewis composed himself and got two strikes on Brian Jakubek, who went hitless in three at-bats, but could not put him away. Lewis’ second walk reloaded the bases and set the stage for a hit Kulick and this program will always remember.
“You can’t write it up any better than this,” Lions coach Nick Hoffner said. “Our guys, they just never think that they’re out of a game, and that’s what it’s all about.”