A dynamic duo
Merrill’s homer, Carparelli’s arm lift Severna Park past Leonardtown in region final
The first out-of-county opponent for the Severna Park baseball team was no different than the 14 before.
Facing Southern Maryland Athletic Conference opponent Leonardtown Saturday afternoon, the Falcons remained undefeated with a 6-0 win to win the Class 4A East Region II championship.
It’s Severna Park’s ninth region title and fourth in the last six seasons.
The Falcons entered the day as one of three undefeated teams remaining in Class 4A, meaning they will receive the first, second or third seed and will host a state quarterfinal game on Monday. Their opponent has yet to be determined.
Jackson Merrill, a University of Kentucky commit and possible high choice in the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft next month, crushed a 3-2 pitch with first base open for a threerun home run in the second inning to give Falcons pitcher Nick Carparelli a comfortable advantage to work with.
The senior right-hander did the rest, pitching a complete-game shutout and allowing seven hits, no walks and striking out four while throwing 92 pitches.
But the result was decided on the bat of the professional prospect.
“Yeah, I’d pitch to me. I’d go right at me. I’m not going to get a hit every time. That’s what I want to do, but at the same time, I’m going to get out,” said Merrill. “It’s part of the game. So I wouldn’t say put me on first because you have Tucker McDonough and Luke Herz batting behind me, I just think the whole situation was a lose-lose for the pitcher.”
Herz put the Falcons on the board in the first inning when he took Leonardtown starting pitcher Dylan Rowe deep to left field.
In the second, senior catcher Drew Crowley led off with a walk and took second on a wild pitch. Senior left fielder Daniel Key followed with a single to center to score Crowley but he was thrown out at second. Two batters later, James Henson was hit by a pitch and Evan Stefanovich singled and stole second to set up Merrill’s moment.
Rowe made the mistake on the seventh pitch that cost him as Merrill launched the offering about 380 feet.
Severna Park coach Eric Milton admitted he wouldn’t have
pitched to Merrill in that situation if he were in the other dugout.
“I wouldn’t have thrown him a pitch. I would have put him on before without throwing him a pitch,” Milton said, referring to an intentional walk. “That’s the unknown and they probably didn’t know Jackson. Not being in this county and not really knowing. They got him out the first time up and probably thought they could get away with one. I would’ve never pitched to him.”
Merrill did what he usually does. But Milton was equally impressed with the performance of Carparelli, who himself has put together a stellar run heading into postseason play.
“That’s what he does. That’s maybe two or three straight shutouts for him in a row,” Milton said. “Get the lead, throw strikes, play defense. I tell these guys all the time. It’s a simple game, but it’s difficult. If we keep doing what we’ve been doing, we’ll be fine.”
That was all Carparelli needed to get into a groove. After struggling in the first inning — he threw 26 pitches — the righty buckled down. He allowed two hits in both the first and third innings then three hits in the fifth inning.
“We talked before the game that their first three or four hitters were obviously their best. They’re a good team and they ran the count deep and my job was just to throw strikes,” said Carparelli, who threw 70% of his pitches for strikes. “They battled. It wasn’t anything that I didn’t expect. It was the same philosophy as always — throw strikes, trust my defense and occasionally punch out a few guys here and there when I need to.”
Severna Park added another run in the fifth inning when McDonough and Herz each had one-out singles and Crowley lofted a popup into no-man’s land in left field. As three players converged on the ball, none of them went for it, allowing McDonough to race home with the sixth and final run of the game.
With more of the unknown ahead and only one off day to prepare for a team they don’t know who they will face, Milton said it’s just a matter of sticking to what they know.
“I know it’s a cliché, but it’s one game at a time. It doesn’t matter who we play,” Milton said. “We just need to take care of our business on our side of the ball. Again, pitch, play defense, scratch off a few runs and just keep going strong.”