frederick national little league
2011 - Present
• • 2011 • •
July 09, 2011
Local Roundup: LL tourney starts today
Little League Baseball
Three first-round games are scheduled for today, including two in the county. Defending state champion Brunswick hosts Frederick American and East Frederick hosts Four County. Thurmont goes on the road to Westminster for its first-round game. All games begin at 5 p.m. Frederick American was to have hosted Brunswick, but the location was switched because Austin F. Angleberger Stadium was flooded Friday by heavy rains. Frederick National has a first-round bye and faces the East Frederick-Thurmont winner at 5 p.m. Sunday in a winners bracket semifinal. The tournament is double-elimination and runs through Thursday.
July 13, 2011
Thurmont tops National
THURMONT -- Justin Stein sets his goals high.
"I want to play in the Little League World Series," he said after Thurmont's win over Frederick National in the winners' bracket final of the District 2 11-12 Little League Tournament Tuesday. He got one step closer to his dream of playing before a large crowd someday in the Little League World Series with Thurmont's 8-3 win. While district Little League play is a long way from youth baseballs biggest stage, no one can fault this athlete's resolve to play the game with determination. From his ninth spot in Thurmont's batting order, Stein showed this authority at the plate, belting a three-run home run with two out in the last of the third inning, breaking the game open and earning Thurmont a spot in Friday's district championship game at 6 p.m. What made this homer special for him was it was his first as an 11-12 all-star. After flying out to left field in the second, Stein got all of an 0-1 pitch in the third for a shot over the fence in center field. "I saw a lot of fastballs," Stein said. "I thought I might see a curveball on the pitch I hit out, but it was a fastball. I just waited on it." For Thurmont manager Phil Tylicki, Tuesday's win was a confidence-builder. "This team is special," he said. "It's nice to be able to get this win and have the chance to play before a home crowd in a championship game. I sort of knew in the beginning this team had a lot of potential." Thurmont took a 3-0 lead in the first. Thomas Wood and Michael Tylicki each doubled in a run. The third run scored on a wild pitch. Wood also singled in a run in the fourth. Tylicki drove in a run in the fifth with a sacrifice fly. Zack Scott was the winning pitcher, going four innings with two hits. Tylicki and Justin Hipkins closed out the win in the fifth and sixth, respectively. All three Thurmont pitchers were on pitch-count limits. All three are eligible for duty Friday. "We planned it that way," Phil Tylicki said. "We wanted everyone available for Friday's game." Tylicki and Wood each had two hits with a double. Scott also had two hits. National scored three runs in the sixth on a two-run homer by Alex Morrow and a single by Kendall Lebherz. "We came out firing in the sixth, but by then it was too late," National manager Chaz Stitely said. "We couldn't get going in the early innings." Ryan Berry and Lebherz each had two hits for National, which plays an elimination-round game at 6 p.m. Thursday against an opponent to be determined later.
July 15, 2011
Morrow, Berry help National reach final
Frederick National trailed Four County in the early innings of Thursday's District 2 11-12 Little League elimination-round game, but unlike Tuesday's five-run loss to Thurmont, the city team didn't wait until it was too late to rally. Ryan Berry and Alex Morrow made sure of that. The pair each belted a pair of home runs and National went on to rout the eastern county team, 22-12 (five innings), earning a rematch with Thurmont at 6 p.m. today at Thurmont in a potential district championship game. "We knew when we fell behind at the start of the game, it was now or never," Berry said. "We needed to come back right away." Berry had a two-run blast over the left-field wall in the first, then followed it up with a leadoff shot over the wall in right-center. "The first pitch I hit was a fastball, the second was a changeup," Berry said. Morrow nailed fastballs for his homers. His first was a three-run shot in the fourth. He followed that up with a one-out solo shot in the fifth. Both homers went over the wall in left-center. "Getting an extra day off helped us a lot," Morrow said. "We were able to refocus, knowing one more loss, and we were out of the tournament." National was to have played an elimination-round game Wednesday, after losing to Thurmont on Tuesday. Heavy rains forced tournament officials to postpone some games one day, giving National a day's rest and a chance to practice. "It gave us a chance to regroup," National manager Chaz Stitely said. "Today, you saw a different team out there. We made a few defensive mistakes, but we picked ourselves up and bounced right back. We learned a lot from that loss to Thurmont." Four County took a 5-0 lead to start the game. National cut that lead to 5-3 in the last of the first. Four County answered with three unearned runs in the second for an 8-3 advantage. National opened up its scoring attack in the last of the second, sending 13 batters to the plate and scoring eight runs to take an 11-8 lead. National added a pair of runs in the third and then batted around again in the fourth with 10 batters and six runs. National closed out the scoring with three runs in the fifth. Four County scored three runs in the fourth and one in the fifth. "National hit the ball well," Four County manager Pat Ronan said. "I believe this is the farthest a Four County 11-12 team has advanced in district play. It was a great run." Morrow and Mark Sanino each had four hits for National. John Fowkes had three doubles and drove in four runs. Nick Mayo had a triple. Charlie Ronan had two hits with a homer for Four County. Ryan Burke and Andrew Stein each had a triple.
July 16, 2011
Frederick National stays alive with victory over Thurmont
THURMONT ----There was no visible tension in the swings or throws of Frederick National Little League. Facing elimination on their opponent's home field Friday night, the Frederick National players were told by their coaches they had to prepare to play well and prepare to win. So, there was third baseman Dawson Hall jumping all over an 0-1 fastball for a three-run homer that dropped over the right field fence in the third inning. "That made everyone excited and let us score runs," Hall explained. There was starting pitcher Ryan Berry, one of the biggest players on a field of 11 and 12-year-olds, confounding hitters for almost five innings. "I had never seen that kid before. He's awesome," Thurmont Little League manager Phil Tylicki said. "I didn't think they had any pitchers and then they put this kid on the mound. I was like, 'Where did he come from?'" And there was shortstop Alex Morrow blasting a grand slam to left-center in the bottom of the fifth to leave no doubt there would be another game left in National's season. "Coach told me to stay back and (make contact) on my front foot," the right-handed Morrow said. "I did that" and the ball flew over the fence. Frederick National's 13-6 victory over Thurmont meant there would be one more game between the teams to decide the District 2 11-12 tournament champion. It will take place at 7 p.m. tonight at Staley Field, the home of Frederick National. "It would mean everything to hang a banner up there," Frederick National manager Chaz Stitely said. "For all of our players that are 12 years old that won't be here next year, to come back to that field to watch their friends play and know they have a banner up there, that would mean the world to them." This Frederick National team was not supposed to be in this position. The 11-12 team was considered to be the weak link under the organization's umbrella because, as Tylicki alluded to earlier, it lacked the arms. More was expected from the 9-10 and 10-11 teams. But Berry, with formidable size and a powerful right arm, has filled the big void on the mound. This was the second time he had worked five innings this postseason. He shut out Four County earlier in the tournament. Catcher Mark Sanino, with his keen eye and sharp sense of the game, has helped hold things together for National. He's been behind the plate for every game. And with timely hits, like the ones delivered by Hall, Morrow and first baseman Kendall Lebherz, National has played its best ball when the situation has demanded it. "I couldn't ask for more from my players right now," Stitely said. On the same field Tuesday night, National was simply overpowered in an 8-3 loss by Thurmont's bats and a combined effort on the mound from starter Zack Scott and relievers Michael Tylicki and Justin Hipkins. That put Thurmont within one victory of the District 2 championship and a berth in the state tournament, the next stop on the road to a possible spot in the Little League World Series. But now National is just as close. Thurmont finally got to Berry in the fifth inning, taking four runs off of him. Cory Worth and Justin Stein each had RBI singles. The team scored two more in the sixth. "National wanted the game more in the first four innings. I think we wanted the game more in the last few," Phil Tylicki said. "Losing doesn't feel good, but I told the boys we have another game (today). Once they leave this field, kids will be kids. They'll go home and get their ice cream. They rebound pretty well."
July 17, 2011
Thurmont - This title is worth the wait
For a few seconds in Saturday's District 2 Little League 11-12 championship game, nothing else mattered to Thurmont's Cory Worth. The center fielder was sizing up the fly ball coming his way in center field with two out in the sixth, figuring out just how to handle this all-important, final out. "Just let the ball come to me was what I was thinking," Worth said. "Just make sure of this last out." He had it measured to perfection all the way into his glove. He doesn't remember much after that. Too much celebration going on around him. "I remember bits and pieces, what happened in a few of the innings," Worth said. With that catch, Worth sealed Thurmont's first district 11-12 championship since 2006 with an 11-6 win over Frederick National at Robert B. Staley Stadium, sending the northern county team to next week's state tournament at Maugansville in Washington County. "I still have to pinch myself," said Thurmont manager Phil Tylicki, who is retiring as manager after this season. "It's a dream come true for me." Thurmont's next opponent is the District 4 champion (Baltimore, Anne Arundel, Howard counties) at 4 p.m. next Saturday. Saturday's match up between Thurmont and National ended up being, for the most part, the third and deciding game of a three-game series between the two teams. Thurmont won the winner's bracket final on Tuesday, defeating National at Staley Stadium, 8-3. National evened the series Friday with a 13-6 win at Thurmont, sending the game back to Staley Saturday for a winner-take-all contest.
"Yesterday, we were tired and nervous," Tylicki said. "Today, we just let them be kids."
With a more relaxed approach, Thurmont took the lead in the first inning and never trailed. Worth got a hold of a 1-0 pitch with two on and one out in the top of the first and sent it over the wall in right-center for a three-run home run and a 3-0 lead. Thurmont took advantage of two National errors and two passed balls for a run in the second, expanding the lead to 4-0. "We wanted to get up on them early," Thurmont's Thomas Wood said. "Get that lead right away." National stayed with Thurmont in the beginning. Back to back solo homers from Ryan Berry and Alex Morrow in the first, followed by an RBI single from Vincent Ceci and an error in the third, enabled National to tie the score at 4. Then came Thurmont's big inning, which all but put it on course for the win. Behind consecutive doubles from Jesse Burrier, Wood and Justin Hipkins, Thurmont batted around in the fourth, sending 10 batters to the plate and scoring six runs for a 10-4 lead. Burrier's solo homer in the sixth helped clinch the win for Thurmont. "I knew this could be a good team after we won the Tournament of Champions," Tylicki said. "The guys on this team knew each other and worked well together right away." National manager Chaz Stitely was surprised how low scoring the game was, considering each team had pretty-much exhausted its pitchers in Friday's game. "For the most part, I think both teams were done with their pitchers," he said. Hipkins picked up the win in relief, taking over for Wood, who worked 2 1-3 innings. Kendall Lebherz, John Fowkes and Jake Whiten pitched for National. Wood had three hits with a double. Michael Tylicki, Justin Stein and Burrier all had two hits. Berry had three hits, including his homer, for National. Fowkes also had a homer. Mark Sanino had two hits. "Both teams wanted this one, you could tell," Stitely said. "We just didn't bring our bats today."
2011 - Conococheague (Williamsport)
District 2 Champions
Thurmont
Tournament Results:
District Round: Chaz Stitley
Frederick National vs Thurmont lost 8-3
Frederick National vs Four County won 22-12
Frederick National vs Thurmont won 13-6
Frederick National vs Thurmont lost 11-6
July 09, 2011
Local Roundup: LL tourney starts today
Little League Baseball
Three first-round games are scheduled for today, including two in the county. Defending state champion Brunswick hosts Frederick American and East Frederick hosts Four County. Thurmont goes on the road to Westminster for its first-round game. All games begin at 5 p.m. Frederick American was to have hosted Brunswick, but the location was switched because Austin F. Angleberger Stadium was flooded Friday by heavy rains. Frederick National has a first-round bye and faces the East Frederick-Thurmont winner at 5 p.m. Sunday in a winners bracket semifinal. The tournament is double-elimination and runs through Thursday.
July 13, 2011
Thurmont tops National
THURMONT -- Justin Stein sets his goals high.
"I want to play in the Little League World Series," he said after Thurmont's win over Frederick National in the winners' bracket final of the District 2 11-12 Little League Tournament Tuesday. He got one step closer to his dream of playing before a large crowd someday in the Little League World Series with Thurmont's 8-3 win. While district Little League play is a long way from youth baseballs biggest stage, no one can fault this athlete's resolve to play the game with determination. From his ninth spot in Thurmont's batting order, Stein showed this authority at the plate, belting a three-run home run with two out in the last of the third inning, breaking the game open and earning Thurmont a spot in Friday's district championship game at 6 p.m. What made this homer special for him was it was his first as an 11-12 all-star. After flying out to left field in the second, Stein got all of an 0-1 pitch in the third for a shot over the fence in center field. "I saw a lot of fastballs," Stein said. "I thought I might see a curveball on the pitch I hit out, but it was a fastball. I just waited on it." For Thurmont manager Phil Tylicki, Tuesday's win was a confidence-builder. "This team is special," he said. "It's nice to be able to get this win and have the chance to play before a home crowd in a championship game. I sort of knew in the beginning this team had a lot of potential." Thurmont took a 3-0 lead in the first. Thomas Wood and Michael Tylicki each doubled in a run. The third run scored on a wild pitch. Wood also singled in a run in the fourth. Tylicki drove in a run in the fifth with a sacrifice fly. Zack Scott was the winning pitcher, going four innings with two hits. Tylicki and Justin Hipkins closed out the win in the fifth and sixth, respectively. All three Thurmont pitchers were on pitch-count limits. All three are eligible for duty Friday. "We planned it that way," Phil Tylicki said. "We wanted everyone available for Friday's game." Tylicki and Wood each had two hits with a double. Scott also had two hits. National scored three runs in the sixth on a two-run homer by Alex Morrow and a single by Kendall Lebherz. "We came out firing in the sixth, but by then it was too late," National manager Chaz Stitely said. "We couldn't get going in the early innings." Ryan Berry and Lebherz each had two hits for National, which plays an elimination-round game at 6 p.m. Thursday against an opponent to be determined later.
July 15, 2011
Morrow, Berry help National reach final
Frederick National trailed Four County in the early innings of Thursday's District 2 11-12 Little League elimination-round game, but unlike Tuesday's five-run loss to Thurmont, the city team didn't wait until it was too late to rally. Ryan Berry and Alex Morrow made sure of that. The pair each belted a pair of home runs and National went on to rout the eastern county team, 22-12 (five innings), earning a rematch with Thurmont at 6 p.m. today at Thurmont in a potential district championship game. "We knew when we fell behind at the start of the game, it was now or never," Berry said. "We needed to come back right away." Berry had a two-run blast over the left-field wall in the first, then followed it up with a leadoff shot over the wall in right-center. "The first pitch I hit was a fastball, the second was a changeup," Berry said. Morrow nailed fastballs for his homers. His first was a three-run shot in the fourth. He followed that up with a one-out solo shot in the fifth. Both homers went over the wall in left-center. "Getting an extra day off helped us a lot," Morrow said. "We were able to refocus, knowing one more loss, and we were out of the tournament." National was to have played an elimination-round game Wednesday, after losing to Thurmont on Tuesday. Heavy rains forced tournament officials to postpone some games one day, giving National a day's rest and a chance to practice. "It gave us a chance to regroup," National manager Chaz Stitely said. "Today, you saw a different team out there. We made a few defensive mistakes, but we picked ourselves up and bounced right back. We learned a lot from that loss to Thurmont." Four County took a 5-0 lead to start the game. National cut that lead to 5-3 in the last of the first. Four County answered with three unearned runs in the second for an 8-3 advantage. National opened up its scoring attack in the last of the second, sending 13 batters to the plate and scoring eight runs to take an 11-8 lead. National added a pair of runs in the third and then batted around again in the fourth with 10 batters and six runs. National closed out the scoring with three runs in the fifth. Four County scored three runs in the fourth and one in the fifth. "National hit the ball well," Four County manager Pat Ronan said. "I believe this is the farthest a Four County 11-12 team has advanced in district play. It was a great run." Morrow and Mark Sanino each had four hits for National. John Fowkes had three doubles and drove in four runs. Nick Mayo had a triple. Charlie Ronan had two hits with a homer for Four County. Ryan Burke and Andrew Stein each had a triple.
July 16, 2011
Frederick National stays alive with victory over Thurmont
THURMONT ----There was no visible tension in the swings or throws of Frederick National Little League. Facing elimination on their opponent's home field Friday night, the Frederick National players were told by their coaches they had to prepare to play well and prepare to win. So, there was third baseman Dawson Hall jumping all over an 0-1 fastball for a three-run homer that dropped over the right field fence in the third inning. "That made everyone excited and let us score runs," Hall explained. There was starting pitcher Ryan Berry, one of the biggest players on a field of 11 and 12-year-olds, confounding hitters for almost five innings. "I had never seen that kid before. He's awesome," Thurmont Little League manager Phil Tylicki said. "I didn't think they had any pitchers and then they put this kid on the mound. I was like, 'Where did he come from?'" And there was shortstop Alex Morrow blasting a grand slam to left-center in the bottom of the fifth to leave no doubt there would be another game left in National's season. "Coach told me to stay back and (make contact) on my front foot," the right-handed Morrow said. "I did that" and the ball flew over the fence. Frederick National's 13-6 victory over Thurmont meant there would be one more game between the teams to decide the District 2 11-12 tournament champion. It will take place at 7 p.m. tonight at Staley Field, the home of Frederick National. "It would mean everything to hang a banner up there," Frederick National manager Chaz Stitely said. "For all of our players that are 12 years old that won't be here next year, to come back to that field to watch their friends play and know they have a banner up there, that would mean the world to them." This Frederick National team was not supposed to be in this position. The 11-12 team was considered to be the weak link under the organization's umbrella because, as Tylicki alluded to earlier, it lacked the arms. More was expected from the 9-10 and 10-11 teams. But Berry, with formidable size and a powerful right arm, has filled the big void on the mound. This was the second time he had worked five innings this postseason. He shut out Four County earlier in the tournament. Catcher Mark Sanino, with his keen eye and sharp sense of the game, has helped hold things together for National. He's been behind the plate for every game. And with timely hits, like the ones delivered by Hall, Morrow and first baseman Kendall Lebherz, National has played its best ball when the situation has demanded it. "I couldn't ask for more from my players right now," Stitely said. On the same field Tuesday night, National was simply overpowered in an 8-3 loss by Thurmont's bats and a combined effort on the mound from starter Zack Scott and relievers Michael Tylicki and Justin Hipkins. That put Thurmont within one victory of the District 2 championship and a berth in the state tournament, the next stop on the road to a possible spot in the Little League World Series. But now National is just as close. Thurmont finally got to Berry in the fifth inning, taking four runs off of him. Cory Worth and Justin Stein each had RBI singles. The team scored two more in the sixth. "National wanted the game more in the first four innings. I think we wanted the game more in the last few," Phil Tylicki said. "Losing doesn't feel good, but I told the boys we have another game (today). Once they leave this field, kids will be kids. They'll go home and get their ice cream. They rebound pretty well."
July 17, 2011
Thurmont - This title is worth the wait
For a few seconds in Saturday's District 2 Little League 11-12 championship game, nothing else mattered to Thurmont's Cory Worth. The center fielder was sizing up the fly ball coming his way in center field with two out in the sixth, figuring out just how to handle this all-important, final out. "Just let the ball come to me was what I was thinking," Worth said. "Just make sure of this last out." He had it measured to perfection all the way into his glove. He doesn't remember much after that. Too much celebration going on around him. "I remember bits and pieces, what happened in a few of the innings," Worth said. With that catch, Worth sealed Thurmont's first district 11-12 championship since 2006 with an 11-6 win over Frederick National at Robert B. Staley Stadium, sending the northern county team to next week's state tournament at Maugansville in Washington County. "I still have to pinch myself," said Thurmont manager Phil Tylicki, who is retiring as manager after this season. "It's a dream come true for me." Thurmont's next opponent is the District 4 champion (Baltimore, Anne Arundel, Howard counties) at 4 p.m. next Saturday. Saturday's match up between Thurmont and National ended up being, for the most part, the third and deciding game of a three-game series between the two teams. Thurmont won the winner's bracket final on Tuesday, defeating National at Staley Stadium, 8-3. National evened the series Friday with a 13-6 win at Thurmont, sending the game back to Staley Saturday for a winner-take-all contest.
"Yesterday, we were tired and nervous," Tylicki said. "Today, we just let them be kids."
With a more relaxed approach, Thurmont took the lead in the first inning and never trailed. Worth got a hold of a 1-0 pitch with two on and one out in the top of the first and sent it over the wall in right-center for a three-run home run and a 3-0 lead. Thurmont took advantage of two National errors and two passed balls for a run in the second, expanding the lead to 4-0. "We wanted to get up on them early," Thurmont's Thomas Wood said. "Get that lead right away." National stayed with Thurmont in the beginning. Back to back solo homers from Ryan Berry and Alex Morrow in the first, followed by an RBI single from Vincent Ceci and an error in the third, enabled National to tie the score at 4. Then came Thurmont's big inning, which all but put it on course for the win. Behind consecutive doubles from Jesse Burrier, Wood and Justin Hipkins, Thurmont batted around in the fourth, sending 10 batters to the plate and scoring six runs for a 10-4 lead. Burrier's solo homer in the sixth helped clinch the win for Thurmont. "I knew this could be a good team after we won the Tournament of Champions," Tylicki said. "The guys on this team knew each other and worked well together right away." National manager Chaz Stitely was surprised how low scoring the game was, considering each team had pretty-much exhausted its pitchers in Friday's game. "For the most part, I think both teams were done with their pitchers," he said. Hipkins picked up the win in relief, taking over for Wood, who worked 2 1-3 innings. Kendall Lebherz, John Fowkes and Jake Whiten pitched for National. Wood had three hits with a double. Michael Tylicki, Justin Stein and Burrier all had two hits. Berry had three hits, including his homer, for National. Fowkes also had a homer. Mark Sanino had two hits. "Both teams wanted this one, you could tell," Stitely said. "We just didn't bring our bats today."
2011 - Conococheague (Williamsport)
District 2 Champions
Thurmont
Tournament Results:
District Round: Chaz Stitley
Frederick National vs Thurmont lost 8-3
Frederick National vs Four County won 22-12
Frederick National vs Thurmont won 13-6
Frederick National vs Thurmont lost 11-6
• • 2012 • •
2012 AS, Mgr; -Coach
Mark Sanino; Jack Maruskin; Dawson Hall; John Fowkes; Nicholas Bishop; Gabe Stitley; Jacob Hagy; Dalton Fowler; Brett Coughlin; Zach Willett; Jacob Berry; Tyler Rhoderick; Nico Ryave
July 11, 2012
Little League Baseball: National gets off to good start
Frederick National's batters faced a parade of Four County pitchers in Tuesday's District 2 11-12 Little League Tournament-opener at Robert B. Staley Stadium, and none had much success against them. The hosts banged out 13 hits in a 14-4 win over the Padres, sending National into a 6 p.m. winners' bracket game today at Thurmont, which had one of two first-round byes in the double-elimination tournament. "We needed to come out and get that first win in the tournament," National's Dawson Hall said. "Getting a good start in the tournament is important." Four County shut out National through the first two innings, and had a short-lived, 1-0, lead in the last of the second, thanks to a National error. The rest of the game was all National. National scored four runs in the third on an RBI double from Gabe Stitely, a single by Nicholas Bishop and two on three Four County errors. National batted around in the fourth, scoring five runs. Two scored on a single to right by Stitely. One scored on another single by Bishop. Two scored on another Four County error. National led 9-3 after four innings before adding two runs in the fifth and three in the sixth. Stitely had two hits with three RBIs to lead National. Mark Sanino and Hall each had two hits. Four County manager Eric Reese knew National's potential at the plate, so he decided to use most of his pitchers, limiting pitch counts on all but two of them. Under Little League pitching rules, a pitcher may pitch in the next game with no rest if they throw 20 pitches or less. "We were hedging our bets," Reese said. "National hit the ball well, not surprising, so we went ahead and used up two of our pitchers today. That way, we would have plenty of pitchers ready for our next game." Four County drops into the elimination bracket, where it faces an undetermined opponent at 6 p.m. Thursday. Dalton Fowler pitched a complete-game victory for National with four strikeouts. "Dalton's fastball and change-ups were working well," National manager Chip Stitely said. "He had good control and did a really nice job." Josh Watson and Kyle Mummey each had a home run for Four County.
July 14, 2012
Brunswick reaches District 2 Little League title game
Three Brunswick pitchers combined on a two-hitter with 16 strikeouts in a 9-3 win over Frederick National in the winners' bracket final of the District 2 11-12 Little League Tournament Friday at Robert B. Staley Stadium. The win sends Brunswick into Sunday's 5 p.m. championship, needing just one win to win the district title outright and advance to the state tournament, which it is hosting starting July 21. National hosts defending district champion Thurmont in an elimination-round game at 6 p.m. today. The winner faces Brunswick for the district crown. Brunswick's Tyler Ebberts was the starter, going three innings and throwing 71 pitches with no hits and eight strikeouts. Zach Heffner followed, going 2 1-3 innings with 33 pitches, two hits and five strikeouts. Austin Stockman closed out the win in the sixth with two strikeouts. Brunswick led the entire game. It took a 2-0 lead in the first on a two-run home run by Aaron Fitzwater. Luke Struss had a leadoff homer in the second, giving Brunswick a 3-0 advantage. Brunswick batted around in the third, scoring five runs. Dominic Naylor singled in a pair of runs. Ebberts drew a bases-loaded walk to force in a run. Three more runs scored on the combination of two National errors. Brunswick led 7-0 after three innings. Naylor doubled in Brunswick's final run in the sixth. He went 2-for-4 with three RBIs. Fitzwater was 2-for-4 with his homer and a double. National scored all of its runs in the third on two Brunswick errors. Jacob Berry had an RBI.
July 15, 2012
National reaches District 2 LL title game
Mark Sanino and Jacob Berry hit home runs as Frederick National clinched its spot in the District 2 11-12 Little League Championship game with a 10-6 win over Thurmont on Saturday at Staley Stadium. Thurmont led 3-2 after the first inning, but National took over with a five-run third and never relinquished the lead in the losers' bracket final.John Fowkes went 3-for-3 with a double and four RBIs for National, while Sanino drove in two runs and Berry drove in three. Jack Maruskin added three hits. The winning pitcher was Dawson Hall, who went five innings and gave up just one earned run. Sanino came on in relief for the save. For Thurmont, Thomas Wood homered and Tristan Grimes doubled. National travels to Brunswick today at 5 p.m. to determine the state representative. The state tournament, which begins next Saturday, will be held at Brunswick.
July 16, 2012
11-12 Little League: Fitzwater strikes for Brunswick
BRUNSWICK -- Aaron Fitzwater wanted Brunswick to wrap up another District 2 11-12 Little League Baseball championship in a hurry. So, he got off to a good start Sunday at the plate and on the mound. He belted three home runs in four plate appearances for five RBIs, then scattered seven Frederick National hits with no earned runs as Brunswick chalked up the district crown with an 11-1 win over National in five innings. "I wanted to get this over with," Fitzwater, a league-leading home run hitter said . "So I just waited for my pitches." What he waited on were fastballs. When he made contact, he left little doubt where the ball was going. Fitzwater belted a 0-1 pitch off National starter Dalton Fowler over the fence in left-center field in the first for a two-run homer, giving Brunswick a 2-0 lead. He followed that up with a leadoff shot over the center-field fence on a 3-0 count in the third. He came back from an 0-2 count against National reliever Jack Maruskin in the fifth for a two-run homer. His chance at four homers in one game was spoiled when he was hit by a pitch on a 1-2 count in the fourth. Fitzwater was a little disappointed he didn't get the fourth one. "Still, we're going to the states," Fitzwater said. "That's the big thing." What makes this district title special is Brunswick will have home-field advantage for next week's state tournament. Brunswick's bid for the state tournament was awarded last January. It's the third time in league history Brunswick has hosted the 11-12 state tournament. It played host to the tourney in 1968 and 1984, winning the state crown in 1984. While Fitzwater was happy his team is returning to the state tournament, he admitted he prefers going on the road to play in state tournament. "I was kind of disappointed," Fitzwater said. "I look forward to going away, staying in a hotel. It's kind of fun." Brunswick manager Mark Tarleton sees things a little differently. "The fact you get a chance to play at home, in front of your home crowd, it means a lot," he said. "This is a prestigious event. To both host and play in it, adds to the excitement." Not being one to let Fitzwater have all the fun, Dominic Naylor followed Fitzwater's homer in the fifth with a solo shot over the fence in left, also off a fastball. "Having these guys in the 4-5 hole, it goes without saying," Tarleton said. "I see good balance all the way through this lineup. When we put this team together, we had a feeling this group was special." Most of Brunswick's team is made up of players from last year's state 10-11 championship team. Coincidentally, Brunswick hosted last year's 10-11 and 9-10 state tournament. "We have a couple of new faces, but for the most part, they're about the same," Tarleton said. "They know what has to be done. They play with a lot of confidence." Brunswick had 11 hits in Sunday's game, scoring in every inning. It scored a run in the second on a wild pitch, then got two runs in the third, one of which was Fitzwater's leadoff homer. A bases-loaded walk forced across a run in the fourth. Brunswick batted around in the fifth, scoring five runs, three scoring on the combined homers of Fitzwater and Naylor. Fitzwater struck out six batters with one walk. Even in the face of Brunswick's power, National wasn't afraid to challenge them. "Brunswick has a very good team," National manager Chip Stitely said. "They're very intimidating, but we didn't back down. Even when they were hitting those homers, our pitchers weren't afraid to challenge them." Nick Bishop drove in National's lone run with a one-out single in the first. National had the bases loaded in the first before Fitzwater retired the next two batter to end the threat. "Aaron got into a little bit of a jam there in the first, but he did a great job pitching his way out of it," Tarleton said. Tyler Ebberts had three hits with a triple for Brunswick. John Fowkes had three hits for National. Mark Sanino had a double. Brunswick has a first-round bye in the state tournament and won't play a game until 3 p.m. Sunday.
2012 - Brunswick Railroaders
District 2 Champions
Brunswick Railroaders
Tournament Results:
District Round:
Frederick National vs Four County won 14-4
Frederick National vs Brunswick lost 9-3
Frederick National vs Thurmont won 10-6
Frederick National vs Brunswick lost 11-1
2012 AS, Mgr; -Coach
Mark Sanino; Jack Maruskin; Dawson Hall; John Fowkes; Nicholas Bishop; Gabe Stitley; Jacob Hagy; Dalton Fowler; Brett Coughlin; Zach Willett; Jacob Berry; Tyler Rhoderick; Nico Ryave
July 11, 2012
Little League Baseball: National gets off to good start
Frederick National's batters faced a parade of Four County pitchers in Tuesday's District 2 11-12 Little League Tournament-opener at Robert B. Staley Stadium, and none had much success against them. The hosts banged out 13 hits in a 14-4 win over the Padres, sending National into a 6 p.m. winners' bracket game today at Thurmont, which had one of two first-round byes in the double-elimination tournament. "We needed to come out and get that first win in the tournament," National's Dawson Hall said. "Getting a good start in the tournament is important." Four County shut out National through the first two innings, and had a short-lived, 1-0, lead in the last of the second, thanks to a National error. The rest of the game was all National. National scored four runs in the third on an RBI double from Gabe Stitely, a single by Nicholas Bishop and two on three Four County errors. National batted around in the fourth, scoring five runs. Two scored on a single to right by Stitely. One scored on another single by Bishop. Two scored on another Four County error. National led 9-3 after four innings before adding two runs in the fifth and three in the sixth. Stitely had two hits with three RBIs to lead National. Mark Sanino and Hall each had two hits. Four County manager Eric Reese knew National's potential at the plate, so he decided to use most of his pitchers, limiting pitch counts on all but two of them. Under Little League pitching rules, a pitcher may pitch in the next game with no rest if they throw 20 pitches or less. "We were hedging our bets," Reese said. "National hit the ball well, not surprising, so we went ahead and used up two of our pitchers today. That way, we would have plenty of pitchers ready for our next game." Four County drops into the elimination bracket, where it faces an undetermined opponent at 6 p.m. Thursday. Dalton Fowler pitched a complete-game victory for National with four strikeouts. "Dalton's fastball and change-ups were working well," National manager Chip Stitely said. "He had good control and did a really nice job." Josh Watson and Kyle Mummey each had a home run for Four County.
July 14, 2012
Brunswick reaches District 2 Little League title game
Three Brunswick pitchers combined on a two-hitter with 16 strikeouts in a 9-3 win over Frederick National in the winners' bracket final of the District 2 11-12 Little League Tournament Friday at Robert B. Staley Stadium. The win sends Brunswick into Sunday's 5 p.m. championship, needing just one win to win the district title outright and advance to the state tournament, which it is hosting starting July 21. National hosts defending district champion Thurmont in an elimination-round game at 6 p.m. today. The winner faces Brunswick for the district crown. Brunswick's Tyler Ebberts was the starter, going three innings and throwing 71 pitches with no hits and eight strikeouts. Zach Heffner followed, going 2 1-3 innings with 33 pitches, two hits and five strikeouts. Austin Stockman closed out the win in the sixth with two strikeouts. Brunswick led the entire game. It took a 2-0 lead in the first on a two-run home run by Aaron Fitzwater. Luke Struss had a leadoff homer in the second, giving Brunswick a 3-0 advantage. Brunswick batted around in the third, scoring five runs. Dominic Naylor singled in a pair of runs. Ebberts drew a bases-loaded walk to force in a run. Three more runs scored on the combination of two National errors. Brunswick led 7-0 after three innings. Naylor doubled in Brunswick's final run in the sixth. He went 2-for-4 with three RBIs. Fitzwater was 2-for-4 with his homer and a double. National scored all of its runs in the third on two Brunswick errors. Jacob Berry had an RBI.
July 15, 2012
National reaches District 2 LL title game
Mark Sanino and Jacob Berry hit home runs as Frederick National clinched its spot in the District 2 11-12 Little League Championship game with a 10-6 win over Thurmont on Saturday at Staley Stadium. Thurmont led 3-2 after the first inning, but National took over with a five-run third and never relinquished the lead in the losers' bracket final.John Fowkes went 3-for-3 with a double and four RBIs for National, while Sanino drove in two runs and Berry drove in three. Jack Maruskin added three hits. The winning pitcher was Dawson Hall, who went five innings and gave up just one earned run. Sanino came on in relief for the save. For Thurmont, Thomas Wood homered and Tristan Grimes doubled. National travels to Brunswick today at 5 p.m. to determine the state representative. The state tournament, which begins next Saturday, will be held at Brunswick.
July 16, 2012
11-12 Little League: Fitzwater strikes for Brunswick
BRUNSWICK -- Aaron Fitzwater wanted Brunswick to wrap up another District 2 11-12 Little League Baseball championship in a hurry. So, he got off to a good start Sunday at the plate and on the mound. He belted three home runs in four plate appearances for five RBIs, then scattered seven Frederick National hits with no earned runs as Brunswick chalked up the district crown with an 11-1 win over National in five innings. "I wanted to get this over with," Fitzwater, a league-leading home run hitter said . "So I just waited for my pitches." What he waited on were fastballs. When he made contact, he left little doubt where the ball was going. Fitzwater belted a 0-1 pitch off National starter Dalton Fowler over the fence in left-center field in the first for a two-run homer, giving Brunswick a 2-0 lead. He followed that up with a leadoff shot over the center-field fence on a 3-0 count in the third. He came back from an 0-2 count against National reliever Jack Maruskin in the fifth for a two-run homer. His chance at four homers in one game was spoiled when he was hit by a pitch on a 1-2 count in the fourth. Fitzwater was a little disappointed he didn't get the fourth one. "Still, we're going to the states," Fitzwater said. "That's the big thing." What makes this district title special is Brunswick will have home-field advantage for next week's state tournament. Brunswick's bid for the state tournament was awarded last January. It's the third time in league history Brunswick has hosted the 11-12 state tournament. It played host to the tourney in 1968 and 1984, winning the state crown in 1984. While Fitzwater was happy his team is returning to the state tournament, he admitted he prefers going on the road to play in state tournament. "I was kind of disappointed," Fitzwater said. "I look forward to going away, staying in a hotel. It's kind of fun." Brunswick manager Mark Tarleton sees things a little differently. "The fact you get a chance to play at home, in front of your home crowd, it means a lot," he said. "This is a prestigious event. To both host and play in it, adds to the excitement." Not being one to let Fitzwater have all the fun, Dominic Naylor followed Fitzwater's homer in the fifth with a solo shot over the fence in left, also off a fastball. "Having these guys in the 4-5 hole, it goes without saying," Tarleton said. "I see good balance all the way through this lineup. When we put this team together, we had a feeling this group was special." Most of Brunswick's team is made up of players from last year's state 10-11 championship team. Coincidentally, Brunswick hosted last year's 10-11 and 9-10 state tournament. "We have a couple of new faces, but for the most part, they're about the same," Tarleton said. "They know what has to be done. They play with a lot of confidence." Brunswick had 11 hits in Sunday's game, scoring in every inning. It scored a run in the second on a wild pitch, then got two runs in the third, one of which was Fitzwater's leadoff homer. A bases-loaded walk forced across a run in the fourth. Brunswick batted around in the fifth, scoring five runs, three scoring on the combined homers of Fitzwater and Naylor. Fitzwater struck out six batters with one walk. Even in the face of Brunswick's power, National wasn't afraid to challenge them. "Brunswick has a very good team," National manager Chip Stitely said. "They're very intimidating, but we didn't back down. Even when they were hitting those homers, our pitchers weren't afraid to challenge them." Nick Bishop drove in National's lone run with a one-out single in the first. National had the bases loaded in the first before Fitzwater retired the next two batter to end the threat. "Aaron got into a little bit of a jam there in the first, but he did a great job pitching his way out of it," Tarleton said. Tyler Ebberts had three hits with a triple for Brunswick. John Fowkes had three hits for National. Mark Sanino had a double. Brunswick has a first-round bye in the state tournament and won't play a game until 3 p.m. Sunday.
2012 - Brunswick Railroaders
District 2 Champions
Brunswick Railroaders
Tournament Results:
District Round:
Frederick National vs Four County won 14-4
Frederick National vs Brunswick lost 9-3
Frederick National vs Thurmont won 10-6
Frederick National vs Brunswick lost 11-1
• • 2013 • •
2013 AS - Danny Miler, Mgr; David Fogle-Coach
Gabe Stitley; Tyler Rhoderick; Zach Robertson; Justin Bolden; Michael Hill; Matt Fowkes; Michael McGee; Noah Shoemaker; Collin Bitler; David Charlebois; Jack Burdette; Leonardo Doherty; Andrew Zabetakis
THURMONT — Monday's District 2 11-12 Little League Tournament opener between host Thurmont and Frederick National hardly resembled the first game of a tournament. "It looked more like a championship game," Frederick manager Danny Miller said following his team's 6-3, nine-inning win. "I'm watching what's going on out on the field and I'm thinking: 'Wow, this is a great game!'" True, both teams played well, as if it were for a district championship, tight with good pitching and defense on both sides. It wasn't until some fatigue set in during the top of the ninth when National took advantage of three Thurmont errors to break a 1-1 tie, scoring five unearned runs, then holding Thurmont to two runs in the last of the ninth to preserve the win. Until the sixth, both starting pitchers, Frederick National's Justin Bolden and Thurmont's Brianna Fowler, had their way with opposing batters until they left the game after reaching their pitch-count limit (85). Bolden held Thurmont to an earned run through six innings with four hits and 10 strikeouts. "My fastball worked pretty well, so did my slider." His pitching counterpart, Fowler, allowed an unearned run through 5 1/3 innings on three hits with nine strikeouts. She frustrated National with her mix of fastballs and curveballs. "I would lead with a fastball, then go with the curveball," Fowler said. "I wanted to keep the batters off balance." "Brianna hit every zone with her pitches," Thurmont manager Les Fisher said. "She did exactly what she was supposed to do." "She had us off balance all right," Miller said. "We weren't getting anything off of her, she pitched great. I was watching her pitch count, sort of wondering when she would have to leave the game. I figured maybe then, we'd have a chance." Even when Fowler left the game in the sixth, it wasn't until the ninth when National broke the tie and won the game. David Charlebois led off the ninth, reaching base on an error. Gabe Stitley flew out to left field. Tyler Rhoderick singled Charlebois to second. Then, Bolden singled to left, scoring Charlebois, giving National a 2-1 lead. National went on to score four more runs. Mike McGee singled in a run, the other three scored on two Thurmont errors. National led 6-1 heading into the last of the ninth. "All of our pitchers did good jobs, we just gave National nine outs with our mistakes," Fisher said. "You just can't do that against a good team like National." Thurmont took a 1-0 lead in the second when Mark Rogers grounded out to the shortstop with Fowler on third and none out. National tied the score at 1 in the sixth on an error. Jack Burdette had two hits with a triple for National. Ryan Fisher and Cole Flick each had a double for Thurmont. National moves on to today's winner's bracket semifinal round, where it hosts Montgomery County at 6 p.m. at Robert B. Staley Stadium. Thurmont will play today's Brunswick at East Frederick loser in an elimination-round game at 6 p.m. Wednesday at a site to be determined.
July 10, 2013
Marker leads Brunswick to win
James Marker has sort of a special diet, which he claims helps him get more power in his hitting for Brunswick's 11-12 Little League all-star baseball team. "I eat a peanut butter (crunchy style) and jelly sandwich right before each game," the 12-year-old said. "It gives me some added energy." Watching him lead Brunswick to a 12-2, five-inning win over host East Frederick in a winners' bracket semifinal game on Tuesday might lead one to think he might've eaten a triple-decker sandwich — one deck for each home run he hit. Marker belted three homers, one each in the third, fourth and fifth, and drove in five runs, guiding Brunswick to a Thursday winners' bracket final, hosting Frederick National, which defeated Montgomery County, 16-4 (five innings) in Tuesday's other winners' bracket game.
Frederick National 16, Montgomery County 4
Frederick National hit five home runs in the game, which was stopped after five innings. They were hit by Gabe Stitely, Justin Bolden, Matt Fowkes, Noah Shoemaker and Jack Burdette. Stitely added a double, while Bolden and Shoemaker each singled.
July 11, 2013
Thurmont survives in wild one
Les Fisher didn’t try to explain how his team slugged three homers and plated 19 run Wednesday night. He just accepted it for what it most likely was. “That’s an anomaly,” said the manager of the Thurmont Little League 11-12 year-old all-star team. “We’re more of a line-drive, station-to-station team. For some reason the balls were flying out of the park tonight for both sides. I don’t preach going for the long ball. I preach line drives and going for the extra base.” Fisher added: “Sometimes line drives do make their way out of the park, but there was a bunch of moon shots tonight.” Thurmont slugged its way past host East Frederick 19-17 in a nearly three-hour contest at Max Kehne Park, a second-round elimination game in Maryland’s District 2 tournament. The teams combined for six homers in the game and Thurmont staved off a nine-run bottom of the sixth rally by East Fredrick to hang on for the victory. Thurmont will play Westminster, which beat Montgomery County 10-4 Wednesday, today at 6 p.m. in a semifinal elimination game in the loser’s bracket. Thurmont trailed 7-4 entering the fourth inning, but Austin Reed singled home a run with the bases loaded and then Christian Michael stepped up to the plate and flipped the course of the game. He belted a grand slam over the left field fence, putting the visitors ahead 9-7. “That was my first home run ever. That was awesome,” said Christian, 12, who added he didn’t know he had hit his first homer when it left his bat. “I thought it would just be a line drive.” An eight-run fifth inning, highlighted by back-to-back two-run doubles from Ryan Fisher and Michael, gave Thurmont some breathing room and a 17-8 lead. Brianna Fowler extended her team’s lead to 11 in the fifth when she scored on a throwing error during her two-out RBI double. And as it turned out, those two runs would be necessary. East Frederick scored nine times and sent 12 batters to the plate in the bottom of the sixth, the first five reaching on walks or singles before Evan Way hit into an RBI force out at second, which cut Thurmont’s lead to 19-11. Connor Smoak struck out the next batter, Clay Gazelle, for the second out of the inning, but East Frederick continued to rally. Dadrian Greeno hit an RBI double and Andrew Frizell followed with an RBI infield single. Greeno then scored on a wild pitch, Justin Ritter walked and Dalton Kephart slugged a three-run homer, his second of the game to bring the score to 19-17. Zack Cunningham, who also homered Wednesday, then flew out to end the game. East Frederick manager Ron Wolfe said not once in the game, even trailing by eleven, did his players get down on themselves, which is indicative of his team’s character. “This team is one of the hardest-working teams. I’ve been coaching baseball for almost 20 years,” said an emotional Wolfe, pausing to regain his composure. “Half an hour early to practice, disciplined, they’d run through walls for you. I don’t know what the final total was in the last inning, but to be down that many and come back says a lot.” Thurmont’s started Wednesday’s offensive barrage with a three-run first inning courtesy of Cole Flick’s three-run homer. East Frederick plated its first run in the bottom of the first, but Flick went deep again in the third, a solo shot that extended Thurmont’s lead to 4-1. East Frederick took its only lead of the game in the bottom of the third, when Kephart and Cunningham hit back-to-back home runs – a three-run and a solo shot, respectively — on consecutive pitches to put their team ahead 5-4. Way and Greeno added RBI singles to cap the six-run inning. East Frederick used three pitchers and Thurmont used six. Michael finished 3-for-5 with two doubles, a home run and six RBIs, Flick also went 3-for-5, homering twice and driving in four and Fisher went 3-for-5 as well with a pair of doubles and RBIs for Thurmont. Kephart went 2-for-4 with two homers and six RBIs, Ritter was 2-for-2 with two doubles and three walks and Greeno went 4-for-5 with two doubles and two RBIs for East Frederick. Cunningham had three hits and came a double shy of the cycle, driving in three runs.
July 12, 2013
Brunswick heads to title game
BRUNSWICK — Tyler Polesky knew he and his Brunswick Little League 11-12 all-star teammates could ill-afford to take Frederick National for granted on Thursday. "They've got good hitting, pitching and defense," the 12-year-old said. "Sort of like us." With that in mind, Polesky and his team took on National in what has turned out to be another typical District 2 rivalry game between the two teams. As in previous meetings through the years, it came down to a big finish to decide the winner. Brunswick had the big finish, scoring four runs in the top of the fifth inning to break a 4-4 tie, tacking on a pair of runs in the sixth, then holding off National down the stretch for a 10-7 win in a winners' bracket final, which puts the defending district champion back in Saturday's 5 p.m. championship game at Brunswick. Polesky had two hits with a double and three RBIs, helping to lead Brunswick to the win. Brunswick manager Jason Cooper has known all along his team can hit. Polesky's efforts were no surprise. Still, Cooper remained wary about National, especially since his team had two easy wins in its first two games — an 18-1 win over Four County and a 12-2 win over East Frederick. "Top to bottom, National can hit," Cooper said. "Even their No. 9 guys in the batting order can come up with big hits. We knew this game wasn't going to be like our first two." Brunswick, the only undefeated team left in the double-elimination tournament, will host today's elimination-round winner between National and Thurmont. Thurmont eliminated Westminster on Thursday, 16-3, earning a rematch with National, which defeated Thurmont on Monday, 6-3, in nine innings. While National manager Danny Miller is hoping for a rematch with Brunswick on Saturday in the district title game, he knows his team has to get past a Thurmont team which stretched his team to the limit on Monday before National won the game. Against Brunswick, he had to go three deep in his pitching. "Brunswick can hit the ball, that's for sure, and they've got a balanced lineup." Miller said. "They got us in those two big innings. Hopefully, we can come back on Friday." Brunswick got on top early with four runs in the second. Lucas Stroud led off with a walk. Eric Fields followed with a two-run home run over the fence in right-center field to give Brunswick a 2-0 lead. Polesky drove in another run with one-out single to left. James Marker pushed across a run when he grounded into a fielder's choice. National scored once in the second on a fielder's choice, then got two runs in the third on a fielder's choice and a double-steal, which cut Brunswick's lead to 4-3. National tied the score in the fourth on an RBI double from Gabe Stitley. Then, Brunswick batted around in the fifth for four runs. Stroud had a leadoff homer, Polesky doubled in a pair of runs, then Marker singled in a run. Brunswick's runs in the sixth scored on an RBI single from Nick Tucker and an error. National tried to rally in the last of the sixth with two out. Stitley had a one-out solo homer over the fence in right field, and two runs scored on an error before Beachley retired the last batter on a groundout, picking up the win in relief. Marker had three hits with two RBIs. Stroud, Kadin Roberts, Bryan Beachley and Tucker all had two hits. Tyler Rhoderick led National with four hits.
July 13, 2013
Thurmont rallies past National, faces Brunswick today
Since starting practice a few short weeks ago, Thurmont 11-12 Little League manager Les Fisher hoped his team was able to jell quick enough to make a run in the District 2 Tournament. "You practice for 2 1/2 weeks, searching for an identity," he said. "I think we've got one now." The featured trait of this year's Thurmont team has been its ability to recover after a bad outing or inning, then take control of the game for the win. In Friday's 13-9 win over Frederick National in a final elimination-round game, Thurmont did just that. Thurmont came back from giving up six runs in the third, scoring six runs in the fifth, erasing a deficit, then holding off National the last of the sixth for the win, earning Thurmont a spot in today's district championship game at undefeated Brunswick at 5 p.m. "Hitting, pitching, defense and pride," Thurmont shortstop Ryan Fisher said, describing how his team handles itself this year. "Always doing your best is what we've strived for." In Friday's win, Fisher set the example for the rest of his team to follow, hammering out four hits, including a home run, a double and five RBIs. "He's right," Les Fisher said of his son's outlook. "Swing the bats, play hard, run the bases well and let the game take care of itself." Thurmont had four of the game's seven homers. Cole Flick had two for Thurmont, a leadoff shot in the second, then a solo homer in the third. Logan Dinterman had a leadoff homer in the fifth. "They can flat out hit the ball, they swung the bats well," National manager Danny Miller said. "Hats off to them for that." A win by Brunswick today gives it the district crown outright. If Thurmont wins today, it hosts an extra game at 5 p.m. Sunday to determine a district champion. "We know we have to win two against Brunswick, but it goes back to playing our game." National stung Thurmont early when Gabe Stitley had a leadoff home run over the wall in right field in the last of the first. Thurmont answered with six runs, highlighted by homers from Fisher and Flick homers, in the second, which gave it a 6-1 lead. National got back a run in the last of the second on an RBI single from Stitley. Flick's second homer of the game in the third gave Thurmont a 7-2 lead. National then batted around for seven runs in an 11-batter third, which gave it a 9-7 lead. Thurmont, which committed three crucial errors in the third, seemed on the verge of self-destruction. It got redemption in the fifth when it batted around (11 batters), scoring six runs to retake the lead, 13-9. "They got the clutch hits when they needed them," Miller said. "We didn't. When we made contact, we always seemed to hit it at somebody." Gage Randall had three hits with a double for Thurmont. Stitley was the game's overall leading hitter with four hits, a homer and two RBIs. Justin Bolden had two hits with a homer for National. David Charlebois had two hits with a homer and two RBIs.
2013 - Berlin Little League
District 2 Champions
Brunswick Railroaders
Tournament Results:
District Round: Danny Miller
Frederick National vs Thurmont won 6-3
Frederick National vs Montgomery County won 16-4
Frederick National vs Brunswick lost 10-7
Frederick National vs Thurmont Lost 13-9
2013 AS - Danny Miler, Mgr; David Fogle-Coach
Gabe Stitley; Tyler Rhoderick; Zach Robertson; Justin Bolden; Michael Hill; Matt Fowkes; Michael McGee; Noah Shoemaker; Collin Bitler; David Charlebois; Jack Burdette; Leonardo Doherty; Andrew Zabetakis
THURMONT — Monday's District 2 11-12 Little League Tournament opener between host Thurmont and Frederick National hardly resembled the first game of a tournament. "It looked more like a championship game," Frederick manager Danny Miller said following his team's 6-3, nine-inning win. "I'm watching what's going on out on the field and I'm thinking: 'Wow, this is a great game!'" True, both teams played well, as if it were for a district championship, tight with good pitching and defense on both sides. It wasn't until some fatigue set in during the top of the ninth when National took advantage of three Thurmont errors to break a 1-1 tie, scoring five unearned runs, then holding Thurmont to two runs in the last of the ninth to preserve the win. Until the sixth, both starting pitchers, Frederick National's Justin Bolden and Thurmont's Brianna Fowler, had their way with opposing batters until they left the game after reaching their pitch-count limit (85). Bolden held Thurmont to an earned run through six innings with four hits and 10 strikeouts. "My fastball worked pretty well, so did my slider." His pitching counterpart, Fowler, allowed an unearned run through 5 1/3 innings on three hits with nine strikeouts. She frustrated National with her mix of fastballs and curveballs. "I would lead with a fastball, then go with the curveball," Fowler said. "I wanted to keep the batters off balance." "Brianna hit every zone with her pitches," Thurmont manager Les Fisher said. "She did exactly what she was supposed to do." "She had us off balance all right," Miller said. "We weren't getting anything off of her, she pitched great. I was watching her pitch count, sort of wondering when she would have to leave the game. I figured maybe then, we'd have a chance." Even when Fowler left the game in the sixth, it wasn't until the ninth when National broke the tie and won the game. David Charlebois led off the ninth, reaching base on an error. Gabe Stitley flew out to left field. Tyler Rhoderick singled Charlebois to second. Then, Bolden singled to left, scoring Charlebois, giving National a 2-1 lead. National went on to score four more runs. Mike McGee singled in a run, the other three scored on two Thurmont errors. National led 6-1 heading into the last of the ninth. "All of our pitchers did good jobs, we just gave National nine outs with our mistakes," Fisher said. "You just can't do that against a good team like National." Thurmont took a 1-0 lead in the second when Mark Rogers grounded out to the shortstop with Fowler on third and none out. National tied the score at 1 in the sixth on an error. Jack Burdette had two hits with a triple for National. Ryan Fisher and Cole Flick each had a double for Thurmont. National moves on to today's winner's bracket semifinal round, where it hosts Montgomery County at 6 p.m. at Robert B. Staley Stadium. Thurmont will play today's Brunswick at East Frederick loser in an elimination-round game at 6 p.m. Wednesday at a site to be determined.
July 10, 2013
Marker leads Brunswick to win
James Marker has sort of a special diet, which he claims helps him get more power in his hitting for Brunswick's 11-12 Little League all-star baseball team. "I eat a peanut butter (crunchy style) and jelly sandwich right before each game," the 12-year-old said. "It gives me some added energy." Watching him lead Brunswick to a 12-2, five-inning win over host East Frederick in a winners' bracket semifinal game on Tuesday might lead one to think he might've eaten a triple-decker sandwich — one deck for each home run he hit. Marker belted three homers, one each in the third, fourth and fifth, and drove in five runs, guiding Brunswick to a Thursday winners' bracket final, hosting Frederick National, which defeated Montgomery County, 16-4 (five innings) in Tuesday's other winners' bracket game.
Frederick National 16, Montgomery County 4
Frederick National hit five home runs in the game, which was stopped after five innings. They were hit by Gabe Stitely, Justin Bolden, Matt Fowkes, Noah Shoemaker and Jack Burdette. Stitely added a double, while Bolden and Shoemaker each singled.
July 11, 2013
Thurmont survives in wild one
Les Fisher didn’t try to explain how his team slugged three homers and plated 19 run Wednesday night. He just accepted it for what it most likely was. “That’s an anomaly,” said the manager of the Thurmont Little League 11-12 year-old all-star team. “We’re more of a line-drive, station-to-station team. For some reason the balls were flying out of the park tonight for both sides. I don’t preach going for the long ball. I preach line drives and going for the extra base.” Fisher added: “Sometimes line drives do make their way out of the park, but there was a bunch of moon shots tonight.” Thurmont slugged its way past host East Frederick 19-17 in a nearly three-hour contest at Max Kehne Park, a second-round elimination game in Maryland’s District 2 tournament. The teams combined for six homers in the game and Thurmont staved off a nine-run bottom of the sixth rally by East Fredrick to hang on for the victory. Thurmont will play Westminster, which beat Montgomery County 10-4 Wednesday, today at 6 p.m. in a semifinal elimination game in the loser’s bracket. Thurmont trailed 7-4 entering the fourth inning, but Austin Reed singled home a run with the bases loaded and then Christian Michael stepped up to the plate and flipped the course of the game. He belted a grand slam over the left field fence, putting the visitors ahead 9-7. “That was my first home run ever. That was awesome,” said Christian, 12, who added he didn’t know he had hit his first homer when it left his bat. “I thought it would just be a line drive.” An eight-run fifth inning, highlighted by back-to-back two-run doubles from Ryan Fisher and Michael, gave Thurmont some breathing room and a 17-8 lead. Brianna Fowler extended her team’s lead to 11 in the fifth when she scored on a throwing error during her two-out RBI double. And as it turned out, those two runs would be necessary. East Frederick scored nine times and sent 12 batters to the plate in the bottom of the sixth, the first five reaching on walks or singles before Evan Way hit into an RBI force out at second, which cut Thurmont’s lead to 19-11. Connor Smoak struck out the next batter, Clay Gazelle, for the second out of the inning, but East Frederick continued to rally. Dadrian Greeno hit an RBI double and Andrew Frizell followed with an RBI infield single. Greeno then scored on a wild pitch, Justin Ritter walked and Dalton Kephart slugged a three-run homer, his second of the game to bring the score to 19-17. Zack Cunningham, who also homered Wednesday, then flew out to end the game. East Frederick manager Ron Wolfe said not once in the game, even trailing by eleven, did his players get down on themselves, which is indicative of his team’s character. “This team is one of the hardest-working teams. I’ve been coaching baseball for almost 20 years,” said an emotional Wolfe, pausing to regain his composure. “Half an hour early to practice, disciplined, they’d run through walls for you. I don’t know what the final total was in the last inning, but to be down that many and come back says a lot.” Thurmont’s started Wednesday’s offensive barrage with a three-run first inning courtesy of Cole Flick’s three-run homer. East Frederick plated its first run in the bottom of the first, but Flick went deep again in the third, a solo shot that extended Thurmont’s lead to 4-1. East Frederick took its only lead of the game in the bottom of the third, when Kephart and Cunningham hit back-to-back home runs – a three-run and a solo shot, respectively — on consecutive pitches to put their team ahead 5-4. Way and Greeno added RBI singles to cap the six-run inning. East Frederick used three pitchers and Thurmont used six. Michael finished 3-for-5 with two doubles, a home run and six RBIs, Flick also went 3-for-5, homering twice and driving in four and Fisher went 3-for-5 as well with a pair of doubles and RBIs for Thurmont. Kephart went 2-for-4 with two homers and six RBIs, Ritter was 2-for-2 with two doubles and three walks and Greeno went 4-for-5 with two doubles and two RBIs for East Frederick. Cunningham had three hits and came a double shy of the cycle, driving in three runs.
July 12, 2013
Brunswick heads to title game
BRUNSWICK — Tyler Polesky knew he and his Brunswick Little League 11-12 all-star teammates could ill-afford to take Frederick National for granted on Thursday. "They've got good hitting, pitching and defense," the 12-year-old said. "Sort of like us." With that in mind, Polesky and his team took on National in what has turned out to be another typical District 2 rivalry game between the two teams. As in previous meetings through the years, it came down to a big finish to decide the winner. Brunswick had the big finish, scoring four runs in the top of the fifth inning to break a 4-4 tie, tacking on a pair of runs in the sixth, then holding off National down the stretch for a 10-7 win in a winners' bracket final, which puts the defending district champion back in Saturday's 5 p.m. championship game at Brunswick. Polesky had two hits with a double and three RBIs, helping to lead Brunswick to the win. Brunswick manager Jason Cooper has known all along his team can hit. Polesky's efforts were no surprise. Still, Cooper remained wary about National, especially since his team had two easy wins in its first two games — an 18-1 win over Four County and a 12-2 win over East Frederick. "Top to bottom, National can hit," Cooper said. "Even their No. 9 guys in the batting order can come up with big hits. We knew this game wasn't going to be like our first two." Brunswick, the only undefeated team left in the double-elimination tournament, will host today's elimination-round winner between National and Thurmont. Thurmont eliminated Westminster on Thursday, 16-3, earning a rematch with National, which defeated Thurmont on Monday, 6-3, in nine innings. While National manager Danny Miller is hoping for a rematch with Brunswick on Saturday in the district title game, he knows his team has to get past a Thurmont team which stretched his team to the limit on Monday before National won the game. Against Brunswick, he had to go three deep in his pitching. "Brunswick can hit the ball, that's for sure, and they've got a balanced lineup." Miller said. "They got us in those two big innings. Hopefully, we can come back on Friday." Brunswick got on top early with four runs in the second. Lucas Stroud led off with a walk. Eric Fields followed with a two-run home run over the fence in right-center field to give Brunswick a 2-0 lead. Polesky drove in another run with one-out single to left. James Marker pushed across a run when he grounded into a fielder's choice. National scored once in the second on a fielder's choice, then got two runs in the third on a fielder's choice and a double-steal, which cut Brunswick's lead to 4-3. National tied the score in the fourth on an RBI double from Gabe Stitley. Then, Brunswick batted around in the fifth for four runs. Stroud had a leadoff homer, Polesky doubled in a pair of runs, then Marker singled in a run. Brunswick's runs in the sixth scored on an RBI single from Nick Tucker and an error. National tried to rally in the last of the sixth with two out. Stitley had a one-out solo homer over the fence in right field, and two runs scored on an error before Beachley retired the last batter on a groundout, picking up the win in relief. Marker had three hits with two RBIs. Stroud, Kadin Roberts, Bryan Beachley and Tucker all had two hits. Tyler Rhoderick led National with four hits.
July 13, 2013
Thurmont rallies past National, faces Brunswick today
Since starting practice a few short weeks ago, Thurmont 11-12 Little League manager Les Fisher hoped his team was able to jell quick enough to make a run in the District 2 Tournament. "You practice for 2 1/2 weeks, searching for an identity," he said. "I think we've got one now." The featured trait of this year's Thurmont team has been its ability to recover after a bad outing or inning, then take control of the game for the win. In Friday's 13-9 win over Frederick National in a final elimination-round game, Thurmont did just that. Thurmont came back from giving up six runs in the third, scoring six runs in the fifth, erasing a deficit, then holding off National the last of the sixth for the win, earning Thurmont a spot in today's district championship game at undefeated Brunswick at 5 p.m. "Hitting, pitching, defense and pride," Thurmont shortstop Ryan Fisher said, describing how his team handles itself this year. "Always doing your best is what we've strived for." In Friday's win, Fisher set the example for the rest of his team to follow, hammering out four hits, including a home run, a double and five RBIs. "He's right," Les Fisher said of his son's outlook. "Swing the bats, play hard, run the bases well and let the game take care of itself." Thurmont had four of the game's seven homers. Cole Flick had two for Thurmont, a leadoff shot in the second, then a solo homer in the third. Logan Dinterman had a leadoff homer in the fifth. "They can flat out hit the ball, they swung the bats well," National manager Danny Miller said. "Hats off to them for that." A win by Brunswick today gives it the district crown outright. If Thurmont wins today, it hosts an extra game at 5 p.m. Sunday to determine a district champion. "We know we have to win two against Brunswick, but it goes back to playing our game." National stung Thurmont early when Gabe Stitley had a leadoff home run over the wall in right field in the last of the first. Thurmont answered with six runs, highlighted by homers from Fisher and Flick homers, in the second, which gave it a 6-1 lead. National got back a run in the last of the second on an RBI single from Stitley. Flick's second homer of the game in the third gave Thurmont a 7-2 lead. National then batted around for seven runs in an 11-batter third, which gave it a 9-7 lead. Thurmont, which committed three crucial errors in the third, seemed on the verge of self-destruction. It got redemption in the fifth when it batted around (11 batters), scoring six runs to retake the lead, 13-9. "They got the clutch hits when they needed them," Miller said. "We didn't. When we made contact, we always seemed to hit it at somebody." Gage Randall had three hits with a double for Thurmont. Stitley was the game's overall leading hitter with four hits, a homer and two RBIs. Justin Bolden had two hits with a homer for National. David Charlebois had two hits with a homer and two RBIs.
2013 - Berlin Little League
District 2 Champions
Brunswick Railroaders
Tournament Results:
District Round: Danny Miller
Frederick National vs Thurmont won 6-3
Frederick National vs Montgomery County won 16-4
Frederick National vs Brunswick lost 10-7
Frederick National vs Thurmont Lost 13-9
• • 2014 • •
2014 AS - Danny Miler, Mgr; Coach: Ty Smallwood, Dale Wastler
Noah Shoemaker; Shane Bowie; Matt Fowkes; Chris Shores; Finn McCourtney; Alex Tyeryar; AJ Enriquez; Ian Kline; Jacob Orr; Aidan Foland; Joey Pinto; Josh Roberson
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Little League Game slated in District 2 11-12
Four County 1, Thurmont 0
MOUNT AIRY — Four County will face Frederick National in a winners’ bracket game at 6 p.m. on Wednesday at a site to be determined. Thurmont drops into the losers’ bracket and plays an elimination round game at 6 p.m. on Thursday.
Thursday, July 3, 2014
National soars thanks to Orr
Jacob Orr’s five hits, including two home runs, led Frederick National in a four-inning, 24-2 rout of Four County in a winners’ bracket game of the District 2 Little League 11-12 Tournament on Thursday at Robert B. Staley Stadium. Orr’s homers came in the first and fourth. He also had a double with six RBIs. National and Brunswick play a winners’ bracket final Saturday at 6 p.m. The site of the game will be at Brunswick. Brunswick defeated East Frederick 4-2 on Thursday. Saturday’s winner advances to the district championship game at 6 p.m. on Monday. Thurmont hosts East Frederick in an elimination-round game at 6 p.m. today. That winner faces Four County at 6 p.m. on Saturday
Friday, July 4, 2014
Rinehart grand slam propels Thurmont
THURMONT — One swing of Matt Rinehart’s bat in the top of the sixth inning was the insurance Thurmont needed to clinch a win over East Frederick in the District 2 11-12 Little League Tournament on Thursday. With one out and the bases loaded, Rinehart blasted a grand slam over the center field fence, breaking open a close game and powering Thurmont to a 7-0 win in the elimination round. The win earns Thurmont a rematch at Four County at 6 p.m. Saturday. Four County won the first-round meeting last Saturday, 1-0. Thurmont led East Frederick 2-0 in the top of the sixth inning and worked to add to the advantage. Garrett Mayhew led off the sixth for Thurmont, reaching first base on a dropped third strike. Zach Whitmore followed with a single to right, then Colby Horning walked to load the bases. Ryan Lucas lined out to right field, bringing Rinehart to the plate. His grand slam gave Thurmont a 6-0 lead. Two errors gave Thurmont its seventh run. Thurmont took a 1-0 lead in the first on an RBI single to right by Bryson Caballero. Rinehart hit a sacrifice fly to right in the second. He would’ve had another sacrifice fly in the fourth, but the run was negated when the umpires ruled a runner on first had left the base early on a pitch. Little League rules state a runner may not attempt to advance on a pitch until the ball crosses home plate. Lucas led Thurmont with three hits. Connor Wood was the winning pitcher in relief. Robert Wachter had two hits for East Frederick. Brunswick hosts Frederick National in the winners’ bracket final at 6 p.m. Saturday. That winner hosts Monday’s championship game at 6 p.m.
Sunday, July 6, 2014
Little League: Brunswick in the driver's seat
BRUNSWICK — Behind back-to-back home runs from Matt Walker and Kane Miller and a strong pitching performance from left-hander Bryce Shaffer, Brunswick moved into the driver’s seat Saturday for another District 2 11-12 Little League title. With a 5-0 home win over Frederick National, Brunswick advanced to the winner’s bracket final and needs just one more win to wrap up its 24th District 2 title for 11- and 12-year-olds and fifth in the last six years. “It looks pretty good when it all comes together,” Brunswick manager Drew Hawes said. After two scoreless innings, Walker, the team’s shortstop, gave Brunswick the spark it needed in the bottom of the third inning by ripping the first pitch he saw over the wall in center field for a two-run home run. It followed Reece Roell, one of the team’s faster players, getting hit on the knee by a pitch with one out in the inning. Walker, a good contact hitter to go with his solid work in the field, said, “I wasn’t trying to hit a home run. I was just trying to get a base hit. It came with luck, I guess.” The next batter, Miller, is more of a power hitter. He laid into the first pitch he saw for a no-doubt-about-it homer that also sailed over the wall in center. “That’s the second (home run for Miller) in two games,” Hawes said. “Actually, I think that’s No. 10 on the year for Kane. During the season, he had seven, and he also hit one during the Tournament of Champions.” Brunswick added two more in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Tyler Pearl and a bouncing single up the middle by Walker. That provided Shaffer with all of the run support he would need. Over 4 2-3 innings, Shaffer held Frederick National at bay. He scattered two hits, struck out six and walked four. When Frederick National put runners on second and third with no outs in the fourth, Shaffer struck out three consecutive batters to pull himself and his team out of a jam. Shaffer came out of the game with two outs in the fifth inning after hitting the 85-pitch limit. “Bryce did an excellent job,” Hawes said. “He threw strikes. He kept us in the game.” Miller came on in relief and retired all four batters he faced, including two by strikeout. He got the final out of the fifth inning and then retired National in order in the top of the sixth. Hawes also praised his team’s defense, saying it didn’t give National extra chances in any inning. “We work on defense every day and try to improve on everything that we can,” Walker said. Despite the loss, Frederick National is still alive in the tournament. It will face Thurmont, a 12-2 winner over Four County on Saturday, at 6 p.m. today in an elimination game. The site of the game depended on a coin flip. “Our kids are just going to have to find the bats tomorrow because we didn’t hit today,” Frederick National manager Danny Miller said. “We are going to have to hit tomorrow.” Frederick National and Thurmont will have to win three consecutive games to win the District 2 championship. Brunswick, on the other hand, has yet to lose in this double-elimination tournament. It will need just one more win to claim the title. Today’s Frederick National-Thurmont winner will advance to face host Brunswick at 6 p.m. Monday. If Brunswick loses that game, there will be one game to decide the District 2 11-12 champion at 6 p.m. Tuesday. “We are in the driver’s seat,” Walker said. “We believe that, if we stick together as a team, we will win the game.”
Monday, July 7, 2014
Sixth-inning rally sparks win for Frederick National LL 10-0
An eight-run explosion in the sixth inning lifted Frederick National LL All-Stars to a 10-0 win in six innings over Thurmont at Thurmont MD on Sunday. Frederick National LL All-Stars scored in the sixth on a two-run error, a two-run double by Jacob O, an error, a two-run double by Matt F, and an RBI single by Josh R. Orr racked up two RBIs on one hit for Frederick National LL All-Stars. Noah S's six strikeouts were enough to push Frederick National LL All-Stars past Thurmont. Frederick National LL All-Stars' pitcher gave up just six hits over five shutout innings. Colby H took the loss for Thurmont. He lasted just 4 2/3 innings, walked one, struck out eight, and allowed two runs. Frederick National LL All-Stars closer Josh R put away the final three outs to record the save. The game was never in doubt after the third, as Frederick National LL All-Stars scored two runs on an RBI double and a ground out.
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
Little League: National stays alive
Win sets up showdown for District 2 title tonight against Brunswick at Staley Stadium
BRUNSWICK — Trailing Brunswick by a run in the sixth inning, Frederick National needed to turn the game around in a hurry if it expected to stay alive in the District 2 Little League 11-12 Tournament. The team had been two-hit up until that point. Then, all of a sudden, National’s bats came alive. Back-to-back RBI singles from Aidan Foland and Jacob Orr erased the deficit, giving National a one-run lead. Two batters later, Matt Fowkes drilled a bases-loaded, two-run double to left field. The comeback was on. National finished the sixth batting around (12 batters), scoring six runs and going on to defeat Brunswick, 8-3. “I knew we had to go out and score some runs,” Fowkes said. “We weren’t hitting our best at the beginning. Then, we finally got some hitting. I just think it was just a mental thing with us. We finally got going. We never give up.” The win forces an extra, winner-take-all game to decide the district champion. It will be played at National’s Robert B. Staley Stadium at 6 p.m. today. The winner advances to the state tournament, which begins Saturday at North East in Cecil County. “We just tried to keep things positive,” Frederick National manager Danny Miller said. “We kept telling them we only needed one run to stay in this game, and they can get more runs easily.” National’s comeback in the sixth started when Alex Tyeryar led off with a walk. Finn McCourtney also drew a walk. Brunswick reliever Trevor Barnhouse was relieved in favor of Matt Walker. Foland greeted him with an RBI single to left, tying the score at 3. Orr’s single put National ahead, 4-3. Fowkes’ double made it a 6-3 game. RBI singles from Josh Roberson and AJ Enriquez rounded out the scoring. “We’ve got a good hitting team,” Miller said. “We just haven’t been showing it yet. In the sixth, we showed we could hit.” Brunswick took a 2-0 lead in the first on an RBI single by Walker and a sacrifice fly by Dalton Cooper. National scored a run in the second on a wild pitch. Brunswick answered with a two-out, solo home run by Walker, which gave Brunswick a 3-1 lead. National pulled within 3-2 in the fifth on a leadoff homer by Shane Bowie. “We took some good rips in that last inning,” Miller said. Roberson pitched a complete-game victory with two strikeouts. “We just didn’t get it done, you want to win at home,” Brunswick coach Drew Hawes said. “Baseball’s a game of momentum. They started hitting it where we weren’t. We had them down.” Walker led Brunswick with two hits, including his homer.
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Little League: Rain out postpones Championship Game
Rain forced postponement of the Frederick National versus Brunswick District Little League Championship game at Staley Stadium. The game will be played tonight at 6pm.
Thursday, July 10, 2014
Orr leads National to Little League district title
Second baseman gets key hit, double play in team’s first state berth since 2008.
Jacob Orr is a busy, go-to player just about everywhere. Whether it’s playing travel ball with the Frederick Rangers 12-and-under team or being a member of Frederick National’s 11-12 Little League team, the 11-year-old seems to come through in clutch situations. Against Brunswick on Wednesday, his one-out RBI single broke a tie. Then, he turned a crucial double play in the fifth. From there, his team gained momentum on its way to a 5-1 win and the district championship at Robert B. Staley Stadium. “I have my own batting cage, so I work out every day,” Orr said of his dedication to the game. “It’s great to be a part of something like this.” In addition to leading National to the state tournament, Orr has been selected to play in USSSA Baseball’s Northeast Region All-American games, beginning July 30 at Walt Disney World in Florida. Wednesday’s win gave National its first district championship since 2008. National advances to the state 11-12 tournament on Saturday, where it plays a 4 p.m. game at North East in Cecil County. “This is a team that just won’t quit,” Frederick National manager Danny Miller said. “We fought back after almost being eliminated last week. This is a great group of kids.” National took a 1-0 lead in the first on a one-run single to left field by Matt Fowkes. Brunswick answered in the bottom of the third on a leadoff home run over the wall in left field by Aiden Fitzwater. Then came National’s comeback. Alex Tyeryar drew a leadoff walk, followed by a single from Aidan Foland. After a strikeout, Orr drilled a shot to left, which scored special pinch-runner Joey Pinto from second. Shane Bowie walked, and Noah Shoemaker followed with a single up the middle, scoring Foland and giving National a two-run lead. National made it 5-1 in the fifth. With one out, Tyeryar doubled to right-center before Foland hit a 1-2 delivery from Tyler Pearl over the wall in straight-away center for a two-run homer. Orr got National out of a jam in the bottom of the inning. With no outs and Matt Walker on first, Kane Miller hit a sharp grounder to Orr at second. Orr tagged Walker as he went by, then fired the ball to Shoemaker at first to complete a double play. “The ball was right there as the runner was going by,” Orr said. “I just reached out to tag him.” Orr and Foland each had two hits. Matt Fowkes nearly pitched a complete-game victory for National, but he left the game with one out in the sixth when he reached his pitch-count limit. He allowed eight hits with five strikeouts. AJ Enriquez closed out the sixth on the mound. “Fastballs, that’s all he threw today,” Miller said of Fowkes. “It was a good game all the way around,” Brunswick manager Drew Hawes said. “Good hitting, good pitching. We just didn’t have the timely hitting.” Walker had three hits with a double for Brunswick. Bryce Shaffer had two hits with a double.
Friday, July 11, 2014
Set to take their shot
Frederick National’s run through the District 2 11-12 Little League tournament was sort of a learning experience for manager Danny Miller, and he’s been coaching since his high schools days in the early 1980s. “I found out we’ve got more than just a couple of pitchers,” Miller said. “We’ve got good pitching depth. All of them can do the job.” The job at hand, starting Saturday, is the state tournament. National opens with a matchup against District 6 champion Easton at 4 p.m. in the state 11-12 tournament at North East in Cecil County. “We played Easton two years ago in the opening round of the state 9-10 tournament,” Miller said. “I remember we won that game 11-2, but I don’t know much more about the team.” As for National, Miller’s going to start Noah Shoemaker in Saturday’s game. Miller said Shoemaker is “loose, ready to go,” not having pitched since Sunday. Other key pitching candidates for National include Matt Fowkes, AJ Enriquez and Josh Roberson. Miller won’t be afraid to go deep in his pitching if necessary Typically, second baseman Jacob Orr leads off for National’s lineup. Over the past two games, Orr has three hits, including a hit to drive in the go-ahead run in his team’s 5-1 win over Brunswick in Wednesday’s district championship game. Shortstop Shane Bowie bats second. He had two hits, including a leadoff home run in National’s 8-3 win over Brunswick on Tuesday. Shoemaker bats third in the order, followed by Fowkes, the starting catcher, in the fourth spot. Roberson, bats fifth, either pitching or at third base. The rest of the order includes Chris Shores (left field), Alex Tyeryar (third base), Joey Pinto (right field) and Ian Kline (center field). Their spots in the batting order vary from sixth through ninth. Miller gave his team off Thursday, with one more practice today before Saturday’s game. Frederick National plays again, win or lose, on Sunday. A win sends it to a 4 p.m. game. A loss means it plays at 1 p.m.
Sunday, July 13, 2014
National Loses to Easton in Round 1
NORTH EAST — About all Frederick National manager Danny Miller could do was watch in utter amazement as Easton rolled in the opening round of the state tournament at North East Little League. “They’re loaded,” Miller said of Easton. “I haven’t seen anyone hit the ball as hard as they did. They’re just plain good.” Easton hammered out 21 hits in the four-inning game. Of those hits, four were home runs. National was held to four hits. Aiden Foland, Alex Tyeryar, Chris Shores and Finn McCourtney all had singles. National plays an elimination-round game at 4 p.m. today against Arbutus, which lost to Sharpsburg, 11-1.
Monday, July 14, 2014
Little League: Frederick National stays alive
Shane Bowie, Aidan Foland and Ian Kline combined on a one-hitter Sunday at North East as Frederick National defeated Arbutus 9-0 in a state 11-12 Little League tournament elimination game. Bowie pitched four no-hit innings, striking out four for District 2 champion Frederick National, which will play District 8 champ West Salisbury at 7:30 p.m. today in another elimination game. At the plate, Bowie and Kline each had a double, while Noah Shoemaker collected two hits.
Thursday, July 17, 2014
Both local squads ousted from states
NORTH EAST — Jacob Orr’s solo home run in the first inning was the only lead National had before West Salisbury came back for the win 10-2, ending National’s season. “There are a lot of good teams in this tournament,” Frederick manager Danny Miller said. Alex Tyeryar doubled. Noah Shoemaker pitched four innings with four strikeouts
2014 - West Salisbury Little League
District 2 Champions
Frederick National
Tournament Results:
District Round: Danny Miller
Frederick National vs Four County won 24-2
Frederick National vs Brunswick lost 5-0
Frederick National vsThurmont won 10-0
Frederick National vs Brunswick won 8-3
Frederick National vs Brunswick won 5-1
State Round: Danny Miller
Frederick National vs Easton lost
Frederick National vs Arbutus won 9-0
Frederick National vs West Salisbury lost 10-2
2014 AS - Danny Miler, Mgr; Coach: Ty Smallwood, Dale Wastler
Noah Shoemaker; Shane Bowie; Matt Fowkes; Chris Shores; Finn McCourtney; Alex Tyeryar; AJ Enriquez; Ian Kline; Jacob Orr; Aidan Foland; Joey Pinto; Josh Roberson
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Little League Game slated in District 2 11-12
Four County 1, Thurmont 0
MOUNT AIRY — Four County will face Frederick National in a winners’ bracket game at 6 p.m. on Wednesday at a site to be determined. Thurmont drops into the losers’ bracket and plays an elimination round game at 6 p.m. on Thursday.
Thursday, July 3, 2014
National soars thanks to Orr
Jacob Orr’s five hits, including two home runs, led Frederick National in a four-inning, 24-2 rout of Four County in a winners’ bracket game of the District 2 Little League 11-12 Tournament on Thursday at Robert B. Staley Stadium. Orr’s homers came in the first and fourth. He also had a double with six RBIs. National and Brunswick play a winners’ bracket final Saturday at 6 p.m. The site of the game will be at Brunswick. Brunswick defeated East Frederick 4-2 on Thursday. Saturday’s winner advances to the district championship game at 6 p.m. on Monday. Thurmont hosts East Frederick in an elimination-round game at 6 p.m. today. That winner faces Four County at 6 p.m. on Saturday
Friday, July 4, 2014
Rinehart grand slam propels Thurmont
THURMONT — One swing of Matt Rinehart’s bat in the top of the sixth inning was the insurance Thurmont needed to clinch a win over East Frederick in the District 2 11-12 Little League Tournament on Thursday. With one out and the bases loaded, Rinehart blasted a grand slam over the center field fence, breaking open a close game and powering Thurmont to a 7-0 win in the elimination round. The win earns Thurmont a rematch at Four County at 6 p.m. Saturday. Four County won the first-round meeting last Saturday, 1-0. Thurmont led East Frederick 2-0 in the top of the sixth inning and worked to add to the advantage. Garrett Mayhew led off the sixth for Thurmont, reaching first base on a dropped third strike. Zach Whitmore followed with a single to right, then Colby Horning walked to load the bases. Ryan Lucas lined out to right field, bringing Rinehart to the plate. His grand slam gave Thurmont a 6-0 lead. Two errors gave Thurmont its seventh run. Thurmont took a 1-0 lead in the first on an RBI single to right by Bryson Caballero. Rinehart hit a sacrifice fly to right in the second. He would’ve had another sacrifice fly in the fourth, but the run was negated when the umpires ruled a runner on first had left the base early on a pitch. Little League rules state a runner may not attempt to advance on a pitch until the ball crosses home plate. Lucas led Thurmont with three hits. Connor Wood was the winning pitcher in relief. Robert Wachter had two hits for East Frederick. Brunswick hosts Frederick National in the winners’ bracket final at 6 p.m. Saturday. That winner hosts Monday’s championship game at 6 p.m.
Sunday, July 6, 2014
Little League: Brunswick in the driver's seat
BRUNSWICK — Behind back-to-back home runs from Matt Walker and Kane Miller and a strong pitching performance from left-hander Bryce Shaffer, Brunswick moved into the driver’s seat Saturday for another District 2 11-12 Little League title. With a 5-0 home win over Frederick National, Brunswick advanced to the winner’s bracket final and needs just one more win to wrap up its 24th District 2 title for 11- and 12-year-olds and fifth in the last six years. “It looks pretty good when it all comes together,” Brunswick manager Drew Hawes said. After two scoreless innings, Walker, the team’s shortstop, gave Brunswick the spark it needed in the bottom of the third inning by ripping the first pitch he saw over the wall in center field for a two-run home run. It followed Reece Roell, one of the team’s faster players, getting hit on the knee by a pitch with one out in the inning. Walker, a good contact hitter to go with his solid work in the field, said, “I wasn’t trying to hit a home run. I was just trying to get a base hit. It came with luck, I guess.” The next batter, Miller, is more of a power hitter. He laid into the first pitch he saw for a no-doubt-about-it homer that also sailed over the wall in center. “That’s the second (home run for Miller) in two games,” Hawes said. “Actually, I think that’s No. 10 on the year for Kane. During the season, he had seven, and he also hit one during the Tournament of Champions.” Brunswick added two more in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Tyler Pearl and a bouncing single up the middle by Walker. That provided Shaffer with all of the run support he would need. Over 4 2-3 innings, Shaffer held Frederick National at bay. He scattered two hits, struck out six and walked four. When Frederick National put runners on second and third with no outs in the fourth, Shaffer struck out three consecutive batters to pull himself and his team out of a jam. Shaffer came out of the game with two outs in the fifth inning after hitting the 85-pitch limit. “Bryce did an excellent job,” Hawes said. “He threw strikes. He kept us in the game.” Miller came on in relief and retired all four batters he faced, including two by strikeout. He got the final out of the fifth inning and then retired National in order in the top of the sixth. Hawes also praised his team’s defense, saying it didn’t give National extra chances in any inning. “We work on defense every day and try to improve on everything that we can,” Walker said. Despite the loss, Frederick National is still alive in the tournament. It will face Thurmont, a 12-2 winner over Four County on Saturday, at 6 p.m. today in an elimination game. The site of the game depended on a coin flip. “Our kids are just going to have to find the bats tomorrow because we didn’t hit today,” Frederick National manager Danny Miller said. “We are going to have to hit tomorrow.” Frederick National and Thurmont will have to win three consecutive games to win the District 2 championship. Brunswick, on the other hand, has yet to lose in this double-elimination tournament. It will need just one more win to claim the title. Today’s Frederick National-Thurmont winner will advance to face host Brunswick at 6 p.m. Monday. If Brunswick loses that game, there will be one game to decide the District 2 11-12 champion at 6 p.m. Tuesday. “We are in the driver’s seat,” Walker said. “We believe that, if we stick together as a team, we will win the game.”
Monday, July 7, 2014
Sixth-inning rally sparks win for Frederick National LL 10-0
An eight-run explosion in the sixth inning lifted Frederick National LL All-Stars to a 10-0 win in six innings over Thurmont at Thurmont MD on Sunday. Frederick National LL All-Stars scored in the sixth on a two-run error, a two-run double by Jacob O, an error, a two-run double by Matt F, and an RBI single by Josh R. Orr racked up two RBIs on one hit for Frederick National LL All-Stars. Noah S's six strikeouts were enough to push Frederick National LL All-Stars past Thurmont. Frederick National LL All-Stars' pitcher gave up just six hits over five shutout innings. Colby H took the loss for Thurmont. He lasted just 4 2/3 innings, walked one, struck out eight, and allowed two runs. Frederick National LL All-Stars closer Josh R put away the final three outs to record the save. The game was never in doubt after the third, as Frederick National LL All-Stars scored two runs on an RBI double and a ground out.
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
Little League: National stays alive
Win sets up showdown for District 2 title tonight against Brunswick at Staley Stadium
BRUNSWICK — Trailing Brunswick by a run in the sixth inning, Frederick National needed to turn the game around in a hurry if it expected to stay alive in the District 2 Little League 11-12 Tournament. The team had been two-hit up until that point. Then, all of a sudden, National’s bats came alive. Back-to-back RBI singles from Aidan Foland and Jacob Orr erased the deficit, giving National a one-run lead. Two batters later, Matt Fowkes drilled a bases-loaded, two-run double to left field. The comeback was on. National finished the sixth batting around (12 batters), scoring six runs and going on to defeat Brunswick, 8-3. “I knew we had to go out and score some runs,” Fowkes said. “We weren’t hitting our best at the beginning. Then, we finally got some hitting. I just think it was just a mental thing with us. We finally got going. We never give up.” The win forces an extra, winner-take-all game to decide the district champion. It will be played at National’s Robert B. Staley Stadium at 6 p.m. today. The winner advances to the state tournament, which begins Saturday at North East in Cecil County. “We just tried to keep things positive,” Frederick National manager Danny Miller said. “We kept telling them we only needed one run to stay in this game, and they can get more runs easily.” National’s comeback in the sixth started when Alex Tyeryar led off with a walk. Finn McCourtney also drew a walk. Brunswick reliever Trevor Barnhouse was relieved in favor of Matt Walker. Foland greeted him with an RBI single to left, tying the score at 3. Orr’s single put National ahead, 4-3. Fowkes’ double made it a 6-3 game. RBI singles from Josh Roberson and AJ Enriquez rounded out the scoring. “We’ve got a good hitting team,” Miller said. “We just haven’t been showing it yet. In the sixth, we showed we could hit.” Brunswick took a 2-0 lead in the first on an RBI single by Walker and a sacrifice fly by Dalton Cooper. National scored a run in the second on a wild pitch. Brunswick answered with a two-out, solo home run by Walker, which gave Brunswick a 3-1 lead. National pulled within 3-2 in the fifth on a leadoff homer by Shane Bowie. “We took some good rips in that last inning,” Miller said. Roberson pitched a complete-game victory with two strikeouts. “We just didn’t get it done, you want to win at home,” Brunswick coach Drew Hawes said. “Baseball’s a game of momentum. They started hitting it where we weren’t. We had them down.” Walker led Brunswick with two hits, including his homer.
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Little League: Rain out postpones Championship Game
Rain forced postponement of the Frederick National versus Brunswick District Little League Championship game at Staley Stadium. The game will be played tonight at 6pm.
Thursday, July 10, 2014
Orr leads National to Little League district title
Second baseman gets key hit, double play in team’s first state berth since 2008.
Jacob Orr is a busy, go-to player just about everywhere. Whether it’s playing travel ball with the Frederick Rangers 12-and-under team or being a member of Frederick National’s 11-12 Little League team, the 11-year-old seems to come through in clutch situations. Against Brunswick on Wednesday, his one-out RBI single broke a tie. Then, he turned a crucial double play in the fifth. From there, his team gained momentum on its way to a 5-1 win and the district championship at Robert B. Staley Stadium. “I have my own batting cage, so I work out every day,” Orr said of his dedication to the game. “It’s great to be a part of something like this.” In addition to leading National to the state tournament, Orr has been selected to play in USSSA Baseball’s Northeast Region All-American games, beginning July 30 at Walt Disney World in Florida. Wednesday’s win gave National its first district championship since 2008. National advances to the state 11-12 tournament on Saturday, where it plays a 4 p.m. game at North East in Cecil County. “This is a team that just won’t quit,” Frederick National manager Danny Miller said. “We fought back after almost being eliminated last week. This is a great group of kids.” National took a 1-0 lead in the first on a one-run single to left field by Matt Fowkes. Brunswick answered in the bottom of the third on a leadoff home run over the wall in left field by Aiden Fitzwater. Then came National’s comeback. Alex Tyeryar drew a leadoff walk, followed by a single from Aidan Foland. After a strikeout, Orr drilled a shot to left, which scored special pinch-runner Joey Pinto from second. Shane Bowie walked, and Noah Shoemaker followed with a single up the middle, scoring Foland and giving National a two-run lead. National made it 5-1 in the fifth. With one out, Tyeryar doubled to right-center before Foland hit a 1-2 delivery from Tyler Pearl over the wall in straight-away center for a two-run homer. Orr got National out of a jam in the bottom of the inning. With no outs and Matt Walker on first, Kane Miller hit a sharp grounder to Orr at second. Orr tagged Walker as he went by, then fired the ball to Shoemaker at first to complete a double play. “The ball was right there as the runner was going by,” Orr said. “I just reached out to tag him.” Orr and Foland each had two hits. Matt Fowkes nearly pitched a complete-game victory for National, but he left the game with one out in the sixth when he reached his pitch-count limit. He allowed eight hits with five strikeouts. AJ Enriquez closed out the sixth on the mound. “Fastballs, that’s all he threw today,” Miller said of Fowkes. “It was a good game all the way around,” Brunswick manager Drew Hawes said. “Good hitting, good pitching. We just didn’t have the timely hitting.” Walker had three hits with a double for Brunswick. Bryce Shaffer had two hits with a double.
Friday, July 11, 2014
Set to take their shot
Frederick National’s run through the District 2 11-12 Little League tournament was sort of a learning experience for manager Danny Miller, and he’s been coaching since his high schools days in the early 1980s. “I found out we’ve got more than just a couple of pitchers,” Miller said. “We’ve got good pitching depth. All of them can do the job.” The job at hand, starting Saturday, is the state tournament. National opens with a matchup against District 6 champion Easton at 4 p.m. in the state 11-12 tournament at North East in Cecil County. “We played Easton two years ago in the opening round of the state 9-10 tournament,” Miller said. “I remember we won that game 11-2, but I don’t know much more about the team.” As for National, Miller’s going to start Noah Shoemaker in Saturday’s game. Miller said Shoemaker is “loose, ready to go,” not having pitched since Sunday. Other key pitching candidates for National include Matt Fowkes, AJ Enriquez and Josh Roberson. Miller won’t be afraid to go deep in his pitching if necessary Typically, second baseman Jacob Orr leads off for National’s lineup. Over the past two games, Orr has three hits, including a hit to drive in the go-ahead run in his team’s 5-1 win over Brunswick in Wednesday’s district championship game. Shortstop Shane Bowie bats second. He had two hits, including a leadoff home run in National’s 8-3 win over Brunswick on Tuesday. Shoemaker bats third in the order, followed by Fowkes, the starting catcher, in the fourth spot. Roberson, bats fifth, either pitching or at third base. The rest of the order includes Chris Shores (left field), Alex Tyeryar (third base), Joey Pinto (right field) and Ian Kline (center field). Their spots in the batting order vary from sixth through ninth. Miller gave his team off Thursday, with one more practice today before Saturday’s game. Frederick National plays again, win or lose, on Sunday. A win sends it to a 4 p.m. game. A loss means it plays at 1 p.m.
Sunday, July 13, 2014
National Loses to Easton in Round 1
NORTH EAST — About all Frederick National manager Danny Miller could do was watch in utter amazement as Easton rolled in the opening round of the state tournament at North East Little League. “They’re loaded,” Miller said of Easton. “I haven’t seen anyone hit the ball as hard as they did. They’re just plain good.” Easton hammered out 21 hits in the four-inning game. Of those hits, four were home runs. National was held to four hits. Aiden Foland, Alex Tyeryar, Chris Shores and Finn McCourtney all had singles. National plays an elimination-round game at 4 p.m. today against Arbutus, which lost to Sharpsburg, 11-1.
Monday, July 14, 2014
Little League: Frederick National stays alive
Shane Bowie, Aidan Foland and Ian Kline combined on a one-hitter Sunday at North East as Frederick National defeated Arbutus 9-0 in a state 11-12 Little League tournament elimination game. Bowie pitched four no-hit innings, striking out four for District 2 champion Frederick National, which will play District 8 champ West Salisbury at 7:30 p.m. today in another elimination game. At the plate, Bowie and Kline each had a double, while Noah Shoemaker collected two hits.
Thursday, July 17, 2014
Both local squads ousted from states
NORTH EAST — Jacob Orr’s solo home run in the first inning was the only lead National had before West Salisbury came back for the win 10-2, ending National’s season. “There are a lot of good teams in this tournament,” Frederick manager Danny Miller said. Alex Tyeryar doubled. Noah Shoemaker pitched four innings with four strikeouts
2014 - West Salisbury Little League
District 2 Champions
Frederick National
Tournament Results:
District Round: Danny Miller
Frederick National vs Four County won 24-2
Frederick National vs Brunswick lost 5-0
Frederick National vsThurmont won 10-0
Frederick National vs Brunswick won 8-3
Frederick National vs Brunswick won 5-1
State Round: Danny Miller
Frederick National vs Easton lost
Frederick National vs Arbutus won 9-0
Frederick National vs West Salisbury lost 10-2
***2015****
2015 AS - Danny Miler, Mgr; Coach: Ty Smallwood, Dale Wastler
Zach Buckley, Alex Dunheimer, Josh Griffen, Devon Coldren, Jack Putnam, ALex Tyeryar, Ben Cole, Anthony Hill, Erik Thomas, Colin Welker, Justin Chappell
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Brunswick downs National in home run fest
Brunswick’s age 11-12 Little League all-star team wasn’t satisfied with the way it was swinging its bats in pre-game practice on Sunday. The contact wasn’t what it should’ve been. Something just didn’t seem right. “I asked them what I could do to make it better, so they asked for a little extra time in batting,” Brunswick manager Darren Loy said. “I had no problem with that.” That extra practice paid off in Sunday’s win over defending District 2 champion Frederick National. In a game that featured eight homers, four by each team, Brunswick defeated National 9-5 at Robert B. Staley Stadium in a first-round game. Brunswick moves on in the winners’ bracket of the double-elimination tournament, where it faces Four County at 6 p.m. today at Four County. Four County defeated Mountain Valley 11-1 in a first-round game on Sunday. Two of Brunswick’s four homers were part of a five-run first inning. Cody Kapps led off the bottom of the first with a first-pitch homer over the wall in left-center field. Five batters later, Hunter Jacobs hit a 1-2 offering off National starter Zach Buckley beyond the wall in right center for a two-run shot. Brunswick got two more homers in the third on a two-run homer over the wall in right center by Cole Wilson and a solo shot to left center by Avery Roberts. “We had that one bad inning,” Frederick National manager Danny Miller said. “Brunswick came out swinging those bats.” Frederick National got solo homers in the third and fourth from Alex Tyeryar and Devon Coldren, respectively. Eric Thomas and Alex Dunheimer had back-to-back solo shots in the fifth. Kapps was the only Brunswick player with a multi-hit game. He also had a one-out single in the fourth. Adam Watkins had a double in the first for Brunswick. Tyeryar had two hits, including his homer, as well as a double for Frederick National, which plays at Mountain Valley in an elimination-round game at 6 p.m. today.
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Frederick National LL All Stars survives Mountain Valley rally, escapes with 6-4 victory
Mountain Valley was never able to get over the hump and get over its troubles against Frederick National LL All Stars on Monday, as Mountain Valley fell 6-4 at Doubs Park Myersville,Md after falling behind by six runs in the second inning. Mountain Valley scored on a groundout by Conner G and an RBI single byDwayne C in the fourth inning and a groundout by Aidan J and an RBI double by Gage Q in the fifth inning. Despite its efforts, Mountain Valley couldn't finish the comeback. Alex T went a perfect 3-3 at the plate for Frederick National LL All Stars. He homered in the second inning and singled in the first and fourth innings. Devon C got it done on the bump on the way to a win. He allowed one run over 3 1/3 innings. Devon struck out two, walked two and gave up two hits. Zach A was charged with the loss. He allowed six runs in 4 1/3 innings, walked one and struck out four. Frederick National LL All Stars went up for good in the first, scoring two runs on an RBI double by Alex D. Frederick National LL All Stars tacked on another four runs in the second. The inning got off to a hot start when Colin W singled, scoring Devon. That was followed up by Ben C's single, plating Colin.
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Thurmont 13, Frederick National 12
THURMONT — The hosts scored seven runs in the first inning and held on for the win. Matt Rinehart hit a two-run home run in the fifth to tie the score at 12. Garrett Mayhew drove in the go-ahead run with a single in the sixth. Dylan Cevario, Dalton Williams and Garrrett Mayhew had multi-hit games for Thurmont. Thomas Gipe was the winning pitcher in relief with four strikeouts.
2015 - Delmar Little League
District 2 Champions
Montgomery Co.
Tournament Results:
District Round: Danny Miller
Frederick National vs Brunswick lost 9-5
Frederick National vs Mountain Valley won 6-4
Frederick National vs Thurmont lost 13-12
***2016***
2016 AS - Danny Miler, Mgr; Coach: Ty Smallwood, Dale Wastler??
Paul Krasts, Jack Putnam, Luke Chappell, Jackson Burns, Billy Coughlin, ??
July 10, 2016
BRUNSWICK ROLLS OVER NATIONAL
BRUNSWICK — A big inning was all Brunswick needed to set itself up for a win in the opening game of the District 2 11-12 Little League Tournament on Saturday. Batting around in the top of the second inning, Brunswick scored seven runs, going on to a 16-9 win over Frederick National in the latest addition of what is considered to be the most popular rivalry in the district. “Frederick National always has a good team,” Brunswick manager Jason Cooper said. “They battle us every time we we play them. That’s what makes this such a good rivalry between us.” The win advances Brunswick in the winners’ bracket of the double-elimination tournament, where it travels to Four County at 5 p.m. today for a second-round game. Four County opened district play on Saturday with a 10-3 win over Mountain Valley. National drops into the elimination bracket, where it hosts Mountain Valley at 5 p.m. today at Robert B. Staley Stadium. Brunswick batted around three times in Saturday’s game. In addition to the second, it batted nine in the fourth and fifth, scoring three runs each time Brunswick sent 13 batters to the plate in the second. A three-run home run over the fence in left center field by Jake Bucynski was the big blast in the second. It was Bucynzki’s fourth homer of the season. He also had a triple in the sixth and finished with four RBIs. Brunswick batted around again in the fourth and fifth with nine batters for three runs. It added two more runs in the sixth to complete its scoring. At times, it appeared as if Brunswick was going to win an abbreviated game. It held a an 11-0 lead in the fourth and a 14-3 lead in the fifth. Both times, National came back to score runs, taking the game to its regular six-inning length. The comebacks didn’t come as a complete surprise to Cooper. “That’s what makes them so good,” he said. “They could’ve just as easily rolled over and quit when we got those big leads. Instead, they came right back at us.” Jared Struss had two hits with an RBI for Brunswick. Nate Stuyck had two hits with a double and two RBIs. Collin Dinges had two hits with an RBI. Struss was the winning pitcher, going five innings with three earned runs and a strikeout. Kyle Cruz came on as the closer in the sixth with two earned runs and a strikeout. Luke Chappell had three hits for National. Billy Couglin and Jackson Burns each had a double. Burns finished the game with two hits.
July 11, 2016
Frederick National 15, Mountain Valley 14
Frederick National batted around in the top of the fifth inning, scoring 11 runs to erase an 11-4 deficit, then held Mountain Valley to three runs in the fifth, preserving the win. National hosts Montgomery County Upper, which lost to Montgomery County Lower 9-6 in seven innings, on Wednesday. Jackson Burns led Frederick National with two hits, including a grand slam and five RBIs. Jack Putnam had two home runs with three RBIs. Paul Krasts had a home run, double and four RBIs. Dwayne Clipp had three hits with a double and five RBIs. Steven Hartman had two hits with a homer. Gage Queen had three hits with two doubles.
July 14, 2016
Montgomery County-Upper 10, Frederick National 5
Alex Pope had three hits, including two home runs and five RBIs, for Montgomery County-Upper, which eliminated Frederick National from the tournament. Jackson Burns and Paul Krafts each had a single, a double and an RBI for Frederick National, with Krafts pitching a complete game. Brunswick hosts Montgomery County-Lower in a winner’s bracket final at 6 p.m. today. That winner hosts the championship game at 6 p.m. on Saturday.
2016 - Hughesville LL
District 2 Champions
Thurmont LL
Tournament Results:
District Round: Danny Miller
Brunswick Railroaders 16, Frederick National 8
Frederick National 15, Mountain Valley 14 (elim.)
Montgomery County Upper 10, Frederick National 5 (elim.)
2016 AS - Danny Miler, Mgr; Coach: Ty Smallwood, Dale Wastler??
Paul Krasts, Jack Putnam, Luke Chappell, Jackson Burns, Billy Coughlin, ??
July 10, 2016
BRUNSWICK ROLLS OVER NATIONAL
BRUNSWICK — A big inning was all Brunswick needed to set itself up for a win in the opening game of the District 2 11-12 Little League Tournament on Saturday. Batting around in the top of the second inning, Brunswick scored seven runs, going on to a 16-9 win over Frederick National in the latest addition of what is considered to be the most popular rivalry in the district. “Frederick National always has a good team,” Brunswick manager Jason Cooper said. “They battle us every time we we play them. That’s what makes this such a good rivalry between us.” The win advances Brunswick in the winners’ bracket of the double-elimination tournament, where it travels to Four County at 5 p.m. today for a second-round game. Four County opened district play on Saturday with a 10-3 win over Mountain Valley. National drops into the elimination bracket, where it hosts Mountain Valley at 5 p.m. today at Robert B. Staley Stadium. Brunswick batted around three times in Saturday’s game. In addition to the second, it batted nine in the fourth and fifth, scoring three runs each time Brunswick sent 13 batters to the plate in the second. A three-run home run over the fence in left center field by Jake Bucynski was the big blast in the second. It was Bucynzki’s fourth homer of the season. He also had a triple in the sixth and finished with four RBIs. Brunswick batted around again in the fourth and fifth with nine batters for three runs. It added two more runs in the sixth to complete its scoring. At times, it appeared as if Brunswick was going to win an abbreviated game. It held a an 11-0 lead in the fourth and a 14-3 lead in the fifth. Both times, National came back to score runs, taking the game to its regular six-inning length. The comebacks didn’t come as a complete surprise to Cooper. “That’s what makes them so good,” he said. “They could’ve just as easily rolled over and quit when we got those big leads. Instead, they came right back at us.” Jared Struss had two hits with an RBI for Brunswick. Nate Stuyck had two hits with a double and two RBIs. Collin Dinges had two hits with an RBI. Struss was the winning pitcher, going five innings with three earned runs and a strikeout. Kyle Cruz came on as the closer in the sixth with two earned runs and a strikeout. Luke Chappell had three hits for National. Billy Couglin and Jackson Burns each had a double. Burns finished the game with two hits.
July 11, 2016
Frederick National 15, Mountain Valley 14
Frederick National batted around in the top of the fifth inning, scoring 11 runs to erase an 11-4 deficit, then held Mountain Valley to three runs in the fifth, preserving the win. National hosts Montgomery County Upper, which lost to Montgomery County Lower 9-6 in seven innings, on Wednesday. Jackson Burns led Frederick National with two hits, including a grand slam and five RBIs. Jack Putnam had two home runs with three RBIs. Paul Krasts had a home run, double and four RBIs. Dwayne Clipp had three hits with a double and five RBIs. Steven Hartman had two hits with a homer. Gage Queen had three hits with two doubles.
July 14, 2016
Montgomery County-Upper 10, Frederick National 5
Alex Pope had three hits, including two home runs and five RBIs, for Montgomery County-Upper, which eliminated Frederick National from the tournament. Jackson Burns and Paul Krafts each had a single, a double and an RBI for Frederick National, with Krafts pitching a complete game. Brunswick hosts Montgomery County-Lower in a winner’s bracket final at 6 p.m. today. That winner hosts the championship game at 6 p.m. on Saturday.
2016 - Hughesville LL
District 2 Champions
Thurmont LL
Tournament Results:
District Round: Danny Miller
Brunswick Railroaders 16, Frederick National 8
Frederick National 15, Mountain Valley 14 (elim.)
Montgomery County Upper 10, Frederick National 5 (elim.)
***2017***
2017 AS - Dwayne Ellis Mgr., Gary Livingood, Brown
Paul Krasts, Conner Babbitt, Carson Gnushke, Luke Chappell, Conner Roddy, Jacob Hnath, Brayden Tyeryar, Jackson Day, Xavier Khabir, Jack Polgaze ??
June, 28, 2017
Talented Frederick National Defeats East Frederick
When Frederick National 10-12 Little League manager Dewayne Ellis looks over his roster this year, he sees a balance of good hitting, pitching and defense.All of it came into play in Tuesday’s 14-4, four-inning win over East Frederick in the opening round of the District 2 Little League Tournament at Max Kehne Park. “We’re pretty solid all the way through our lineup,” Ellis said. The kind of team National has this year couldn’t have come at a better time. National moves on in the winners bracket of the double-elimination tournament. It hosts an equally talented Thurmont team at 6 p.m. Thursday at Robert B. Staley Stadium. Thurmont, behind seven home runs, blasted Brunswick 16-1 (four innings) in another first-round game Tuesday. Thurmont’s roster consists of players from its two-time state 9-10 championship teams. “They’re tough,” Ellis said, adding he feels his team is up to the challenge. Frederick National center fielder Lucas Chappell led the team with four hits, including two doubles, and two RBIs. His approach to the game is simple. “We just go there, listen to our coaches and play our best,” he said. Frederick National scored in every inning. The game was called after four innings because of the 10-run rule. National batted around in the top of the first inning for six runs. It added three runs in the second, then batted around for four more runs in the third, and added one run in the fourth. Paul Krasts had three hits with a home run and two RBIs. Connor Babbitt had three hits with a double. Carson Gnushke had two hits. With Frederick National enjoying a comfortable lead from the outset, Ellis was able to spread the pitching around to three hurlers, limiting their pitch counts. Krasts was the starter, allowing two hits, three earned runs and a strikeout. Jacob Hnath was the first reliever, followed by Roddy. “If this had been a close game, I might not have been able to spread out the pitching,” Ellis said. East Frederick, which travels to Brunswick for a 6 p.m., elimination-round game today, scored three runs in the second and one in the third. James Bowes and Luke Marunycz each had a double.
July 1, 2017
Frederick National 14, Mountain Valley Little League 2
Carson Gnuschke hit a grand slam, and Paul Krafts added a home run for Frederick National in a losers bracket game. Frederick National will play the winner of Friday’s game between East Frederick and Lower Montgomery County at 5 p.m. today at Staley Stadium. No further information was provided.
July 2, 2017
Frederick National 4, Lower Montgomery County 2
Today, Four County will take on a Frederick National team that beat Lower Montgomery County 4-2. Frederick National’s Paul Krasts broke a 2-2 tie with a two-run homer in the fifth inning, and Jacob Hnath struck out six batters in a complete-game two-hitter.In the fourth inning, Jackson Day’s sacrifice bunt moved up two runners to second and third, setting the stage for a two-run inning.
July 3, 2017
Frederick National 4, Four County 5
Frederick National had the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth, but Four County held on for a 5-4 win in the 11-12 Little League District 2 losers bracket final at Four County Little League. Four County will face unbeaten Thurmont on Wednesday in a potential title game. With a win, Thurmont would capture the title. Four County needs to beat Thurmont twice to win the crown. Trailing 3-0 in the second, Four County scored two runs on three straight doubles by Jake Campbell, Chase Rokisky and Kenny Humbel. Four County took a 5-4 lead in the fifth. Stephen Curry finished with three hits. Lucas Chappell, who had a double and RBI, Brayden Tyeryar and Connor Roddy each had two hits for Frederick National. Paul Krasts doubled.
2017 - Thurmont LL
District 2 Champions
Thurmont LL
Tournament Results:
District Round: Dwayne Ellis
Frederick National 14, East Frederick 4
Thurmont 7, Frederick National 0
Frederick National 14, Mountain Valley 2 (elim.)
Frederick National 6, Lower Montgomery County 4 (elim.)
Four County 5, Frederick National 4 (elim.)
2017 AS - Dwayne Ellis Mgr., Gary Livingood, Brown
Paul Krasts, Conner Babbitt, Carson Gnushke, Luke Chappell, Conner Roddy, Jacob Hnath, Brayden Tyeryar, Jackson Day, Xavier Khabir, Jack Polgaze ??
June, 28, 2017
Talented Frederick National Defeats East Frederick
When Frederick National 10-12 Little League manager Dewayne Ellis looks over his roster this year, he sees a balance of good hitting, pitching and defense.All of it came into play in Tuesday’s 14-4, four-inning win over East Frederick in the opening round of the District 2 Little League Tournament at Max Kehne Park. “We’re pretty solid all the way through our lineup,” Ellis said. The kind of team National has this year couldn’t have come at a better time. National moves on in the winners bracket of the double-elimination tournament. It hosts an equally talented Thurmont team at 6 p.m. Thursday at Robert B. Staley Stadium. Thurmont, behind seven home runs, blasted Brunswick 16-1 (four innings) in another first-round game Tuesday. Thurmont’s roster consists of players from its two-time state 9-10 championship teams. “They’re tough,” Ellis said, adding he feels his team is up to the challenge. Frederick National center fielder Lucas Chappell led the team with four hits, including two doubles, and two RBIs. His approach to the game is simple. “We just go there, listen to our coaches and play our best,” he said. Frederick National scored in every inning. The game was called after four innings because of the 10-run rule. National batted around in the top of the first inning for six runs. It added three runs in the second, then batted around for four more runs in the third, and added one run in the fourth. Paul Krasts had three hits with a home run and two RBIs. Connor Babbitt had three hits with a double. Carson Gnushke had two hits. With Frederick National enjoying a comfortable lead from the outset, Ellis was able to spread the pitching around to three hurlers, limiting their pitch counts. Krasts was the starter, allowing two hits, three earned runs and a strikeout. Jacob Hnath was the first reliever, followed by Roddy. “If this had been a close game, I might not have been able to spread out the pitching,” Ellis said. East Frederick, which travels to Brunswick for a 6 p.m., elimination-round game today, scored three runs in the second and one in the third. James Bowes and Luke Marunycz each had a double.
July 1, 2017
Frederick National 14, Mountain Valley Little League 2
Carson Gnuschke hit a grand slam, and Paul Krafts added a home run for Frederick National in a losers bracket game. Frederick National will play the winner of Friday’s game between East Frederick and Lower Montgomery County at 5 p.m. today at Staley Stadium. No further information was provided.
July 2, 2017
Frederick National 4, Lower Montgomery County 2
Today, Four County will take on a Frederick National team that beat Lower Montgomery County 4-2. Frederick National’s Paul Krasts broke a 2-2 tie with a two-run homer in the fifth inning, and Jacob Hnath struck out six batters in a complete-game two-hitter.In the fourth inning, Jackson Day’s sacrifice bunt moved up two runners to second and third, setting the stage for a two-run inning.
July 3, 2017
Frederick National 4, Four County 5
Frederick National had the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth, but Four County held on for a 5-4 win in the 11-12 Little League District 2 losers bracket final at Four County Little League. Four County will face unbeaten Thurmont on Wednesday in a potential title game. With a win, Thurmont would capture the title. Four County needs to beat Thurmont twice to win the crown. Trailing 3-0 in the second, Four County scored two runs on three straight doubles by Jake Campbell, Chase Rokisky and Kenny Humbel. Four County took a 5-4 lead in the fifth. Stephen Curry finished with three hits. Lucas Chappell, who had a double and RBI, Brayden Tyeryar and Connor Roddy each had two hits for Frederick National. Paul Krasts doubled.
2017 - Thurmont LL
District 2 Champions
Thurmont LL
Tournament Results:
District Round: Dwayne Ellis
Frederick National 14, East Frederick 4
Thurmont 7, Frederick National 0
Frederick National 14, Mountain Valley 2 (elim.)
Frederick National 6, Lower Montgomery County 4 (elim.)
Four County 5, Frederick National 4 (elim.)
***2018***
2018 AS - Danny Miller, Mgr; Coach: Jason Brennan, Dale Wastler
Jacob Hnath, Kaden Hnath, Peyton Isemann, Camden Hood, Warner Harper, Logan Keepers, Danny Orr, Conner Roddy, Garrett Twentey,
July 1, 2018
Frederick National 17, Montgomery County Upper 4, 4 inn.
Jacob Hnath and Kaden Hnath led the offensive surge for Frederick National. Kaden tripled and drove in two runs, while Jacob doubled and drove in a pair. Jacob Hnath pitched a complete game to earn the win for National.
July 2, 2018
Frederick National 14, Mountain Valley 4
Warner Harper worked all five innings to help Frederick National to the win. Frederick National faces Brunswick — a 9-0 winner over East Frederick — in a winners bracket game on Tuesday at Marvin E. Younkins Memorial Field. Harper struck out four and scattered four hits. Peyton Isemann had two doubles and two RBIs for National, while Camden Hood had a triple and two RBIs.
July 4, 2018
Brunswick rolls past Frederick National in District 2 Little League action
BRUNSWICK — When Frederick National Little League’s Lions routed Brunswick’s Orioles by 10 runs in the first round of the Gregg Quedeweit Memorial Tournament of Champions a little more than a week ago, Orioles manager Steve Dinges figured his all-star team would most likely face most of those Lions players in the District 2 Tournament. So when Frederick National and Brunswick met for Tuesday’s winners bracket final, Dinges expected a close game. He also remembers the beating his team took in that TOC game. “They kicked us in the teeth in that TOC game,” Dinges said. Brunswick couldn’t afford to make any mistakes this time around. Instead, it was Frederick National who made the mistakes Tuesday. Brunswick took advantage of four Frederick National errors in the top of the second inning, batting around to score nine unearned runs in a 14-3, five-inning win. “That kind of surprised me,” Dinges said of Frederick National’s mistakes on Tuesday. “That’s sort of uncharacteristic for them. Frederick National is a solid team with great players, tough hitters, tough pitchers. We found that out during the TOC. Their manager, Danny Miller, has been doing this for 33 years, doing a great job with his players.” The win earns Brunswick a spot in the district championship game at 6 p.m. on Friday at Brunswick. Frederick National now travel to Chevy Chase on Thursday at 6 p.m. to play Montgomery County Lower in an elimination-round game. That winner faces Brunswick on Friday. Dinges has little doubt as to who Brunswick will face in the title game. “Frederick National’s going to bounce back,” he said. “We’re going to see them again. All we’re guaranteed is a 3-0 record heading into Friday’s game. We have to be ready.” Brunswick pounded out 11 hits against three Frederick National pitchers. Eight of nine starters had at least one hit for Brunswick. Three of Brunswick’s four reserves also had a hit. One of them, Dylan Harsh, had a leadoff double in the third. “That’s the one advantage of having a 13-player roster,” Dinges said. “We’re pretty deep, all of them can hit the ball. We were going left-center, right-center, up the middle with our hitting. They were all solid hits.” After that nine-run second, Brunswick scored five runs in the third. The game ended in the bottom of the fourth because of the mercy rule. National was held to three runs in the third. Tony Rakowski had two hits with three RBIs for Brunswick. “We had to come out strong, hit the ball hard, don’t stop hitting until the game is over,” he said. Left fielder Alex Angelidis hit his first home run of the year, a two-run shot in the second. “I just hit the ball hard, it just kept on going,” he said. Logan Keepers, Warner Harper and Jacob Hnath each had an RBI for Frederick National, which had five hits in Tuesday’s game.
July 6, 2018
Montgomery County Lower 3, Frederick National 2
BETHESDA — Montgomery County Lower advanced to today’s championship game at 6 p.m. at unbeaten Brunswick, which needs just one win for the district crown. If Montgomery County Lower wins, it would force an extra game to decide the district title on Saturday in Bethesda.
2018 - Berlin LL
District 2 Champions
Montgomery County - Lower
District Round: Danny Miller
Frederick National 17, Montgomery County - Upper 4
Frederick National 14, Mountain Valley 4
Brunswick Railroaders 14, Frederick National 3
Montgomery County - Lower 3, Frederick National 2 (elim.)
2018 AS - Danny Miller, Mgr; Coach: Jason Brennan, Dale Wastler
Jacob Hnath, Kaden Hnath, Peyton Isemann, Camden Hood, Warner Harper, Logan Keepers, Danny Orr, Conner Roddy, Garrett Twentey,
July 1, 2018
Frederick National 17, Montgomery County Upper 4, 4 inn.
Jacob Hnath and Kaden Hnath led the offensive surge for Frederick National. Kaden tripled and drove in two runs, while Jacob doubled and drove in a pair. Jacob Hnath pitched a complete game to earn the win for National.
July 2, 2018
Frederick National 14, Mountain Valley 4
Warner Harper worked all five innings to help Frederick National to the win. Frederick National faces Brunswick — a 9-0 winner over East Frederick — in a winners bracket game on Tuesday at Marvin E. Younkins Memorial Field. Harper struck out four and scattered four hits. Peyton Isemann had two doubles and two RBIs for National, while Camden Hood had a triple and two RBIs.
July 4, 2018
Brunswick rolls past Frederick National in District 2 Little League action
BRUNSWICK — When Frederick National Little League’s Lions routed Brunswick’s Orioles by 10 runs in the first round of the Gregg Quedeweit Memorial Tournament of Champions a little more than a week ago, Orioles manager Steve Dinges figured his all-star team would most likely face most of those Lions players in the District 2 Tournament. So when Frederick National and Brunswick met for Tuesday’s winners bracket final, Dinges expected a close game. He also remembers the beating his team took in that TOC game. “They kicked us in the teeth in that TOC game,” Dinges said. Brunswick couldn’t afford to make any mistakes this time around. Instead, it was Frederick National who made the mistakes Tuesday. Brunswick took advantage of four Frederick National errors in the top of the second inning, batting around to score nine unearned runs in a 14-3, five-inning win. “That kind of surprised me,” Dinges said of Frederick National’s mistakes on Tuesday. “That’s sort of uncharacteristic for them. Frederick National is a solid team with great players, tough hitters, tough pitchers. We found that out during the TOC. Their manager, Danny Miller, has been doing this for 33 years, doing a great job with his players.” The win earns Brunswick a spot in the district championship game at 6 p.m. on Friday at Brunswick. Frederick National now travel to Chevy Chase on Thursday at 6 p.m. to play Montgomery County Lower in an elimination-round game. That winner faces Brunswick on Friday. Dinges has little doubt as to who Brunswick will face in the title game. “Frederick National’s going to bounce back,” he said. “We’re going to see them again. All we’re guaranteed is a 3-0 record heading into Friday’s game. We have to be ready.” Brunswick pounded out 11 hits against three Frederick National pitchers. Eight of nine starters had at least one hit for Brunswick. Three of Brunswick’s four reserves also had a hit. One of them, Dylan Harsh, had a leadoff double in the third. “That’s the one advantage of having a 13-player roster,” Dinges said. “We’re pretty deep, all of them can hit the ball. We were going left-center, right-center, up the middle with our hitting. They were all solid hits.” After that nine-run second, Brunswick scored five runs in the third. The game ended in the bottom of the fourth because of the mercy rule. National was held to three runs in the third. Tony Rakowski had two hits with three RBIs for Brunswick. “We had to come out strong, hit the ball hard, don’t stop hitting until the game is over,” he said. Left fielder Alex Angelidis hit his first home run of the year, a two-run shot in the second. “I just hit the ball hard, it just kept on going,” he said. Logan Keepers, Warner Harper and Jacob Hnath each had an RBI for Frederick National, which had five hits in Tuesday’s game.
July 6, 2018
Montgomery County Lower 3, Frederick National 2
BETHESDA — Montgomery County Lower advanced to today’s championship game at 6 p.m. at unbeaten Brunswick, which needs just one win for the district crown. If Montgomery County Lower wins, it would force an extra game to decide the district title on Saturday in Bethesda.
2018 - Berlin LL
District 2 Champions
Montgomery County - Lower
District Round: Danny Miller
Frederick National 17, Montgomery County - Upper 4
Frederick National 14, Mountain Valley 4
Brunswick Railroaders 14, Frederick National 3
Montgomery County - Lower 3, Frederick National 2 (elim.)
***2019***
2018 AS - Danny Miller, Mgr; Coach: Jason Brennan, Dale Wastler
Kaden Hnath, Rapha Ramos, David Bohorquez, Nathan Chappell, PJ Wise, Karmelo Smallwood, Logan Keepers, Declan Watkins, Casey Willett, Marcos Trinidad-Doherty, Tyler Clark, Jake Nikolow, Marshall Workman
July 8, 2019
Frederick National 7, Four County 3
Nathan Chappell had a home run, a triple and three RBIs to help host Frederick National prevail in a winners bracket game. Frederick National hosts Brunswick in a winners bracket game at 6 p.m. on Tuesday. Jonah Oetken and Jack Scarzello each had a double for Four County. In other the winners bracket game, Brunswick beat East Frederick 15-5. In In elimination bracket games, Thurmont beat Mountain Valley 14-8, and Montgomery County Upper beat Montgomery County lower 6-2. On Tuesday, East Frederick will host Thurmont, and Four County will host Montgomery County upper.
July 11, 2019
Keepers, Frederick National beat Brunswick
Logan Keepers was on top of his game, in more ways than one, against Brunswick on Wednesday in the District 2 Little League Tournament’s winners bracket final. From his leadoff position in the batting order, Keepers had four hits in his four at-bats with two doubles and an RBI. On the mound, Keepers’ mix of fastballs and change-ups kept Brunswick off balance. He hurled a complete-game one-hitter with eight strikeouts, and Frederick National earned a berth in Friday’s championship game with a 7-0 win at Robert B. Staley Stadium. “I stuck with mainly the fastball,” Keepers said. “Then mixed in a few change-ups.” Very rarely did Keepers need to go to his curveball. His basic pitches were working well enough to do the job. “If a batter was fouling off a lot of pitches, then I’d go with the changeup to throw their timing off,” Keepers said. “Nothing complicated.” Frederick National hosts Thursday’s elimination-round final between Four County and host Brunswick at 6 p.m. on Friday at Staley Stadium. More importantly, a Frederick National wins clinches the district championship and a berth in the state tournament, which it is hosting, beginning Saturday, July 20. Four County defeated Thurmont 7-3 in an elimination-round game on Wednesday. “Wouldn’t that be great?” longtime Frederick National manager Danny Miller said of the prospect of playing in front of a home crowd at the state tournament. “That’s pretty exciting.” At the plate, Keepers was steady with his swing. He doubled to left-center to lead off the top of the first inning. He doubled to right-center in the second, driving in a run. He singled up the middle with one out in the fifth, then singled to right-center in his final at-bat in the sixth. “I pretty-much stayed relaxed at the plate,” Keepers said. “I didn’t rush anything.” But it was Keepers’ pitching that impressed Brunswick manager Cody Bechtol. “He was just lights out today,” Bechtol said. “He was like a cannon out there, throwing the strikes.” Frederick National took a 2-0 lead in the first. David Boborquez had an RBI single. The other run scored on an error. In addition to Keepers’ RBI double in the second, a run scored on a bases-loaded walk. Frederick National scored three runs in the sixth on an RBI double by Nathan Chappell, an RBI single by Kaden Hnath and an RBI double by Rapha Ramos. Brunswick’s Nick Piermarini spoiled Keepers’ bid for a no-hitter with a leadoff single to left-center in the second. No Brunswick runner advanced beyond second. “We were making contact with the ball,” Bechtol said. “It was just that we would always seem to hit it right at somebody. Frederick National made the plays.” Wednesday’s game was another chapter in a long-standing District 2 rivalry between Frederick National and Brunswick. Each has won its share of games over the years. “This was a good ball game,” Miller said. “We made plays, they made plays.” Even before his team left the field on Wednesday, Bechtol was already looking ahead to Thursday’s game with Four County, and the possibility of a rematch with Frederick National in Friday’s district championship game. “We’re not done yet,” Bechtol said. “We’ve still got some baseball left to play.”
July 14, 2019
Brunswick LL tops Frederick National, forces extra game
Brunswick staved off elimination from the District 2 Little League Tournament on Saturday, forcing an extra game on Sunday to determine which team heads to the state Little League Tournament.Brunswick, the elimination bracket winner, took advantage of shaky Frederick National pitching to start the game, setting up what turned out to be a 12-2, five-inning win at Staley Stadium. The game was called in the bottom of the fifth due to the 10-run rule.The winner of Sunday’s game will be one of seven teams participating in the state tournament, which will be held at Frederick National beginning on Saturday. “This was a great win for us,” Brunswick manager Cody Bechtol said. “Now, we’ve got another chance. We battled back.” Saturday’s win avenged a loss to Frederick National on Wednesday, 7-0. While Brunswick’s torrid hitting on Saturday, 11 hits for the game, gave it the momentum it would need for the win, it was its pitching that kept the normally-potent Frederick National bats in check. Starter Nathan Borawski four-hit National through 4 1/3 innings and 88 pitches. He mixed up his pitches well, keeping Frederick National guessing at the plate, chasing deceiving pitches. “I wanted to keep them off balance,” said Borawski, who left the game with seven strikeouts, three walks and no earned runs. Brady Renn was Brunswick’s closer, facing three batters with one hit and a strikeout. Ethan Houck, whose walk-off home run in the fifth on Friday highlighted a 14-2 win over Four County in the elimination bracket final, had his second homer in as many days, with a leadoff shot over the fence in right-center field to start the third. He added a double in the fourth. Nick Piermarini and Borawski each had three hits with an RBI. Renn had a two-run double in the fourth. “This is what we had hoped for,” Bechtol said. “We knew we had the pitching that could hold us if we could get the hits and get a good lead. Our pitchers did a really nice job.” Nathan Chapell had two hits with a double for Frederick National. “We didn’t play very well today,” Frederick National manager Danny Miller said. “Brunswick hit the ball well, found the holes to hit through, played good defense. You have to give them credit for that. We just have to bounce back, get ready for tomorrow.”
July 15, 2019
No place like home: Frederick National tops Brunswick for district title, will host state tourney
BRUNSWICK — Nathan Chappell didn’t want a bad memory from this year’s District 2 Little League Tournament. So, faced with the possibility of elimination against host Brunswick on Sunday, he and his Frederick National teammates got together with the coaching staff for a mutual pep talk before the start of the game. Twenty-four hours earlier, Frederick National had lost to Brunswick at Robert B. Staley Stadium in Frederick. “We didn’t want to remember losing in a championship game when we get older,” Chappell said. “We wanted something different. We wanted something good.” The pep talk worked, and Frederick National avoided that nightmarish scenario.
Behind Kaden Hnath’s complete-game four-hitter, it defeated Brunswick 4-2 for the district championship. “Yesterday, we weren’t hitting the ball, and we weren’t making the plays in the field,” Chappell said. “We turned it around today.” With the win, Frederick National got an added bonus. Since the league is hosting the Little League state tournament, which begins on Saturday at Staley Stadium, Frederick National gets home-field advantage. “Yeah, I get to watch a few games before we have to play,” Frederick National manager Danny Miller said. Frederick National has a first-round bye and won’t play until next Sunday. It’s been 21 years since Frederick National got to play in the state tournament on its home field. Frederick National, with Miller as manager, won the 1998 District 2 crown and played at Staley Stadium, losing to eventual state champion Hughesville. In a way, Logan Keepers, Frederick National’s shortstop-pitcher, likes the idea of playing at home in the state tournament. “I also play on a travel ball team,” he said. “It gets to be kind of a pain sometimes, having to travel all the time.” Keepers will make one exception to that assessment, should Frederick National make a successful run in the state tournament and earn a berth in the Mid-Atlantic Regional. “I would like to travel to [Bristol] Connecticut, where the regionals are played,” he said. “That would be exciting.” In Sunday’s game, where Frederick National’s fortunes made a quick turnaround, Hnath was in control on the mound. He threw the maximum 85 pitches allowed, yielding one earned run. He struck out five and walked one. “I was getting a little tired there at the end,” Hnath said. “It was also getting hot, so when I would head back to the dugout, I would always get something to drink.” Miller was glad Hnath got the chance to go the distance on the mound. “He pitched the game of his life,” he said. “He had great control, but I didn’t think he would hold Brunswick to just two runs in this game. They’re a strong hitting team. They came to play.” Brunswick’s two runs came in the top of the third inning. Nick Piermarini singled up the middle for one run. The other run scored on an error. Frederick National tied the score at 2 in the bottom of third, thanks to an RBI single from Chappell and a Brunswick error. It took the lead in the fourth as Keepers singled to right-center to score one run, and an error led to another. Keepers finished with two hits, including a double, and an RBI. Chappell had two hits with an RBI. “We took it right to the end,” Brunswick manager Cody Bechtol said. “Frederick National made the plays.” Ethan Houck led Brunswick with two hits.
July 19, 2019
Frederick National LL doesn't want to get too comfortable at home in state tournament
Frederick National Little League third baseman Casey Willett likes the stay-at-home feeling his team is fortunate to have for the Little League state tournament, which starts Saturday at Robert B. Staley Stadium in Frederick. There will be no long commute to a road venue. There will be no need to stay in motels. But, even at his age, Willett knows that getting too relaxed is not necessarily a good idea when it comes to preparing for a tournament at this level. “We have to be ready,” Willett said. “You don’t want any surprise bounces of the ball catching you off guard. We need to keep playing with confidence against these new teams we’re playing. Most importantly, we need to play as a team.” Seven teams play in this double-elimination tournament, which runs through July 25. The winner gets a berth in the Mid-Atlantic Regional Tournament, which starts Aug. 4 in Bristol, Connecticut. The state event begins Saturday with three games at Staley Stadium. At 1 p.m., Elkton (District 5) plays Hughesville (District 7). Easton (District 6) plays Fruitland (District 8) at 4 p.m., followed by a 7 p.m. game between Conococheague (District 1) and Laurel (District 4). Frederick National has a first-round bye and won’t play until 4 p.m. Sunday, when it faces the Elkton-Hughesville winner. “That’s an advantage for us,” Frederick National manager Danny Miller said. “We get to spend Saturday watching the other teams play, see what kind of players they have, size them up a little bit.” This is the first state tournament appearance for most of these Frederick National players, but that’s not going to change the way center fielder David Bohorquez plays. “I’m going to do what I do all the time, play solid baseball,” he said. “We’ve got to keep our heads up. If we make a mistake, we’ve got to pick ourselves up right away.” Miller said Frederick National’s chances of winning the tournament are just as good as the other six teams. Sticking to the basics is the key. “We’ve got just as good a chance as anybody in the tournament to win it,” Miller said. “I keep telling the kids we need to throw strikes and play good defense, but sometimes you’ve gotta have a little bit of luck, too.” Luck has never been on Miller’s side on the state level. He’s taken many teams to state tournaments on this level but has never won a title. The last time Frederick National won the state tournament was in 1970 at Ocean City. During opening ceremonies on Saturday at 9 a.m., Maryland Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford will throw out the first pitch. At 10 a.m., a Challenger Division exhibition game will be played. This year’s Little League state tournament will have an international flavor. Three umpires from the Japan-Asia Pacific Region will be among the umpiring crew. Ryoji Kashii, Katuhiko Yanagishima (Tokyo Little League Federation) and Kenju Ogyu (chief umpire, Little League Asia Pacific Region) are the umpires from that region. “To the best of our knowledge, this will be the first time in the history of Maryland Little League Baseball and Softball that volunteer umpires will travel from Japan as part of this Little League state championship series,” Tony Russo, District 2 Administrator, said in an email. Russo has previously been an umpire at the Asia Pacific Regionals. He said he helped arrange this umpires exchange in return for his participation at that tournament.
July 22, 2019
Jeepers, Keepers: Youth pitcher hurls complete game, pounds HR in win
Frederick National’s Logan Keepers knew if he could keep Hughesville in check with his pitching on Sunday in the Little League state tournament, he would have time to straighten out his early problems at the plate. Keepers, one of his team’s top hitters, flew out to right field in the bottom of the first inning, then lined out to second base in the third. “I was a little frustrated,” Keepers said. “What I had to do in the meantime was bear down, throw strikes.” Although he had given up a solo home run in the top of the first, there was still time to make things right. Sure enough, with the score tied in the bottom of the fifth, Keepers got all of an Owen Yates change-up on a 1-1 count. He sent a shot well over the fence in right-center field for a go-ahead two-run homer that propelled his team to a 6-2 win at Robert B. Staley Stadium, Frederick National’s home field. As he rounded first, Keepers put his right index finger in the air. His confidence had returned. “I told Logan to just relax, not rush things at the plate,” Frederick National manager Danny Miller said. “Take a level, easy swing. That home run ball was well-hit.” Frederick National tacked on two more runs in the fifth. Keepers took his team the rest of the way, retiring all three Hughesville batters in the sixth to wrap up the victory in a winners bracket game. “We just needed to stay focused,” Frederick National catcher Kaden Hnath said. “We needed to get our bats going.”
July 23, 2019
Frederick National to face Fruitland on Thursday
Frederick National will face Fruitland at 7 p.m. Thursday in the winners bracket final of the Little League state tournament at Robert B. Staley Stadium. Fruitland defeated Conococheague 9-2 on Tuesday in a winners bracket game. Fruitland and Frederick National are the only two undefeated teams left in the double-elimination tournament. Thursday’s winner advances to Saturday’s championship game at 10 a.m. Fruitland batted around in the bottom of the second inning, scoring five runs to take an 8-2 lead, setting up an easy pace the rest of the way. Canaan Mapp led Fruitland with two hits, including a solo home run in the fourth. It was his second homer of the tournament. Mapp’s other hit was a double in the first. Three Fruitland pitchers combined to hold Conococheague to four hits with eight strikeouts. Jared Dangerfield had two hits for Conococheague, which plays Elkton in an elimination-round game at 4 p.m. Wednesday. Easton faces Hughesville in an elimination-round game at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
July 24, 2019
Mapp sidetracks Frederick National in Little League state tournament
From his fourth spot in the batting order, Fruitland’s Canaan Mapp has been one of his league’s leading home run hitters all season. He’s belted 14 of them so far this season, including three this week during the Little League state tournament at Frederick National’s Robert B. Staley Stadium. Mapp’s most recent homer of the tournament came with two outs and a runner on second in the top of the first inning on Thursday. He got all of a first-pitch fastball from Frederick National’s Kaden Hnath, sending it well beyond the fence in left-center field for a two-run home run. “It felt good coming off the bat when I made contact,” Mapp said following Fruitland’s 4-0 shutout of host Frederick National in the winners bracket final on Thursday. “I knew it was going out.” Even Frederick National manager Danny Miller knew by the crack of the bat the ball was long gone. “He can flat-out hit the ball,” Miller said. “Fruitland’s got a good team. Mapp’s a good ballplayer.” Fruitland advances to the championship game at 10 a.m. Saturday against Friday’s elimination-round final between Frederick National and Easton, which will be played at 6 p.m. Should Frederick National win Friday, it must defeat Fruitland twice to win the state championship. If an extra game is needed to determine the state champion, it would be played at a time to be determined on Sunday. “I think we’re going to see Frederick National again,” Mapp said. “They’ve got a good team.” With two outs in the top of the first, Fruitland’s Trevin Whitelock singled to right-center field. Mapp followed with his two-run blast. Fruitland scored two more in the third on a two-run single by Chase Shepherd. From there, Frederick National relievers Rapha Ramos and Kormelo Smallwood combined to two-hit Fruitland. Fruitland averaged eight runs in its first two tournament games, but Hnath, Ramos and Smallwood combined to hold the District 8 champions to four runs. “They can score a lot of runs, so for us to hold them to four runs isn’t bad,” Miller said. Fruitland protected its lead thanks to a combined two-hitter from Shepherd, Mapp and Whitelock. Shepherd was perfect through three innings with six strikeouts before Logan Keepers broke up the perfection with a leadoff single to left center in the fourth. Nathan Chappell had Frederick National’s other hit, a one-out single up the middle in the sixth. “Two hits in a ballgame isn’t gonna do it,” Miller said. “But their pitchers can throw the strikes.” Mapp, Whitelock and Shepherd each had two hits for Fruitland. Mapp doubled in the third. Aiden Davis also had a double for Fruitland.
July 27, 2019
National digs for home: Willett scores winner in 8th as Frederick team reaches LL title game
All Frederick National’s Casey Willett needed was a ball to be hit deep enough in the outfield for him to have a chance at scoring the game-winning run from third base on Friday in the bottom of the eighth inning against Easton. With the game tied 3-3 to start the frame, Willett was placed on second base, per a new Little League Baseball tournament tiebreaker rule, which takes effect after seven innings. He moved to third when a pitch become lodged in the home plate umpire’s equipment. Teammate Rapha Ramos then delivered the hit Willett needed — a fly ball that fell between two Easton fielders in left-center field. Willett didn’t hesitate. “Once I saw the ball fall between the two fielders, I just ran as hard as I could, digging in for speed heading for home,” Willett said. Willett beat the throw home for the winning run, giving Frederick National a 4-3 win over Easton in the final elimination-round game of the Little League state tournament at Robert B. Staley Stadium. “I really didn’t see the ball drop in,” Ramos said. “I just took off running when I hit the ball.” The win over Easton earns Frederick National a rematch with unbeaten Fruitland at 10 a.m. Saturday in a potential championship game. Fruitland, which blanked Frederick National 4-0 on Thursday in the winners bracket final, needs just one win for the state title. A Frederick National win Saturday forces an extra game for the state championship, which would be played at 4 p.m. Sunday. The winner of the state tournament moves on to the Mid-Atlantic Regionals at Bristol, Connecticut, starting Sunday, Aug. 4. Saturday’s state championship game appearance is the first for Frederick National in 49 years (1970) in the main division of Little League Baseball. That year, Frederick National won the state crown at Ocean City. “I was 4 years old at the time,” Frederick National manager Danny Miller recalls. “All of this tonight is sort of new to me.” Before Frederick National could win Friday’s game, it first had to stave off elimination. With the score tied 1-1 in the top of the fifth, Easton’s William Sherwood hit a one-out, two-run home run for a 3-1 lead. After that, Frederick National reliever Logan Keepers settled down, not allowing a run for the rest of his 3 2-3 innings. Two key defensive plays by Frederick National in the seventh and eighth kept Easton from taking the lead. With two outs in the seventh, Easton’s Pearson Sherwood tried to score when the ball got past Frederick National catcher Kaden Hnath, but Hnath flipped the ball to Keepers, who tagged out Sherwood at home. With one out in the top of the eighth, Michael O’Connor singled to deep center field. Dylan Cassell tried to score from third, but he was nailed at the plate on a relay that was completed when Hnath applied the tag after a throw from Karmelo Smallwood. “No one’s going to get past Kaden when he takes the throw from the outfield,” Miller said. “He plants his feet there at the plate and hangs on to the ball. We played some great defense out there tonight.” Easton took a 1-0 lead in the fourth on an RBI single from Dawson Shortall. Frederick National tied the score in the bottom of the fourth when P.J. Wise grounded out to second base. “Easton’s got a good team,” Miller said. “They can really hit the ball. This was a great game tonight.” Nathan Chappell had two hits for Frederick National. Kayden Webb had two hits for Easton.
July 28, 2019
Thrown a curve: Frederick National's state title hopes end as Fruitland's Shepherd strikes out 10
Frederick National could not solve the nasty curveball Fruitland pitcher Chase Shepherd was serving up on Saturday. The right-handed ace had his breaking pitches on target the entire game, keeping Frederick National batters guessing. When Shepherd was through, he left the game with 10 strikeouts, one walk and a hit batter, setting up Fruitland for a 5-0 win over Frederick National to take the Little League state championship at Robert B. Staley Stadium. It was the second time in three days that Fruitland blanked the host team, and Shepherd’s fingerprints were all over this one. “I grip the two laces on the ball, then I press down on my index finger when I throw the ball,” Shepherd said of his curveball mechanics. “It gives the ball more spin.” Shepherd’s curveball broke outside against most of Frederick National’s batters, who recorded five hits but could do no damage. Of Shepherd’s 10 strikeouts, four were called third strikes, leaving a lot of Frederick National batters shaking their heads as they walked away from the plate. Shepherd had to leave the game in the top of the sixth inning with two outs when he reached Little League Baseball’s maximum pitch count of 85. Trevin Whitelock closed out the win for Fruitland, retiring the last two Frederick National batters in the sixth. “Chase is the man,” Fruitland manager Dave Harkins said. “He threw the ball very well today, in control the whole time.” All Frederick National manager Danny Miller could do was watch as Shepherd shut down his normally potent hitters. Two days ago, Fruitland blanked Frederick National in the winners bracket final, 4-0. “Hats off to them,” Miller said. “They’re a good team. We took some bad swings at their pitches today. When we did hit the ball, it was right at somebody.” Frederick National was hoping to win its first state Little League crown since 1970. Instead, it experienced trouble right from the start. Two Frederick National errors resulted in two unearned runs in the bottom of the first. Then, Fruitland all but sealed the win with a three-run fifth. Canaan Mapp hit his fourth home run of the tournament, a leadoff shot to right-center field in the fifth. Four batters later, Caden LeFort belted a two-run homer, well beyond the right-field fence. “We were able to give Chase a good lead to work with,” Harkins said. “To win another state title is a great feeling.” Harkins said previous state tournament experience has gone a long way with his team. “Most of these guys have played on three state championship teams,” he said. Fruitland won the 8-10 state title two years ago and last year’s 9-11 state crown. “They know what to expect,” Harkins added. “This is a pretty close-knit group of kids that play well together as a team.” Dawson Daniels led Fruitland with two hits. Logan Keepers had a double for Frederick National. Fruitland advances to the Mid-Atlantic Regionals at Bristol, Connecticut, where it faces the New York champion on Sunday, Aug. 4. “We worked very hard to reach the championship game,” Frederick National’s Gilberto Ramos said, summing up the tournament season. “The guys are pretty close.”
2019 - Fruitland LL
District 2 Champions
Frederick National
District Round: Danny Miller
Frederick National 23, Mountain Valley 0
Frederick National 7, Four County 3
Frederick National 7, Brunswick Railroaders 0
District Championship Series:
Brunswick Railroaders 12, Frederick National 2
Frederick National 4, Brunswick Railroaders 2 (TITLE)
State Round
Frederick National 6, Hughesville Baseball and Softball 2
Fruitland 4, Frederick National 0
Frederick National 4, Easton 3 (8 innings; elim.)
State Championship Game:
Fruitland 5, Frederick National 0 (TITLE)
Articles and information displayed and included on these pages are from the Frederick Little League, Inc; Frederick National Little League, Inc; Frederick Post; Frederick Evening Post; Frederick News, The Frederick News Post; The Herald Mail and Morning Herald. Special note should be given to articles and columns authored by "Bucky" Summers, Stan Golderg & Bill Cauley covering Frederick area Little Leagues for many years.