Spalding wears conference crown
Cavaliers get the better of John Carroll for MIAA A title
Archbishop Spalding might have physically traveled farther than John Carroll to Harford Community College on Monday, but the Cavaliers weren’t going to notice the mileage. Their long road to a Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference crown was finally over.
The exuberance hit senior pitcher Eddie Sargent when he dealt his final strike and his teammates crashed into him, water bottles spraying like confetti.
Spalding avenged last year’s shortcomings with a 7-2 victory over the Patriots, claiming its first conference title since 2016 and fifth overall.
“We came up short last year and since then, we worked for this,” Sargent said. “I’m happy to see everyone celebrating now.”
Coach Joe Palumbo and his staff have worked to build the program back to the A Conference menace it was when the Cavaliers won four titles from 2011 to 2016.
This year’s team was a perfect 17-0 in the league.
“Undefeated in conference, first time under Palumbo,” said senior shortstop Caleb Estes, a Maryland commit. “I wouldn’t want to go out any other way.”
Sargent led the way, holding John Carroll hitless from the fourth inning on while finishing with 12 strikeouts. The UMBC commit was backed by a flawless defense, anchored by Estes, who was playing with a purpose.
“My partner in crime, Brady at second base, I wanted to do it for him,” Estes said. “It’s truly bigger than baseball.”
Second baseman Brady Hannon lost his father Glenn, 55, in April. Hannon described
his father as someone who had an impact on the Spalding community as a mentor and coach.
The day after his father’s death, Hannon said he went to his team to be surrounded by them.
“I needed to be around all the guys. But to get this feeling now, it just doesn’t top this,” Hannon said. “Now just seeing everyone come together, getting it done. It really means a lot.
“I just know he’s looking down and he’s like, ‘Really good job.’”
After Spalding beat the Patriots, 1-0, earlier in the playoffs, it came as no surprise that neither team could do much early against the starting pitching. Patriots hurler Matt Archibald mostly hammered the inside part of the plate, forcing the Cavaliers to chase; Sargent, once warmed up, tricked Patriots into swings and misses.
It seemed it’d stay that way as Sargent whiffed two straight batters to open the third inning. Then, the top of the order, now familiar with Sargent, returned.
The Cavaliers starter surrendered a single and a pair of walks to quickly load the bases. John Carroll junior Ethan Ruiz made him pay. The shortstop carved a hole between first and second base, enough time for two speedy teammates to round the bags and score.
Sargent recovered, dealing his third strikeout of the frame — but a crooked number burned behind him on the scoreboard.
Archibald’s command slipped then too. The aced walked the first three batters. If one shortstop could make magic out of that situation, so could another. Estes belted a shot deep down the third base line, sending two Cavs home to tie the game.
Therein lied the difference, Palumbo said.
The Cavaliers got used to Archibald when the teams met last. They weren’t going to be fooled by the same pitches again.
As they returned to the dugout, Sargent assured his team of one thing: he’d throw strikes.
“The team bouncing back the next inning, it really gave me confidence that these guys really wanted it and I knew they had my back,” Sargent said.
Sargent sat down three consecutive Patriots to bring his bats back out as quickly as he could in the fourth to keep the momentum. Catcher Ethan McNally cracked a high fly ball to center field, while right fielder Kyle Garrett stormed down the final 90 feet with the go-ahead run.
Sargent took his cue. At top form, the UMBC commit punched out another two batters in the 1-2-3 top of the fifth, screaming his approval as he dealt the final strike.
That’s what’s special about Sargent, Palumbo said. When something doesn’t work, the senior always switches to something that does.
“When everybody thinks it seems [to have] gotten to him, he finds another gear,” Palumbo said. “He starts mixing pitches. He had a way about him and a look in his eyes that he was not going to lose tonight.”
And it wasn’t just Sargent, either. In the sixth, it was Maryland commit Estes gathering outs.
John Carroll walked in a run in the bottom of the sixth, but could’ve gotten out with minimal damage. But then, pitcher Kyle McCracken balked.
One run quickly spiraled into three — Estes plating another two runners — and when Spalding returned to the field for the last time, it did so partying.
“Our goal is to be playing in this game every year,” Palumbo said. “And if you’re here, you might as well you might as well win it.”