Chesapeake Continues Hot Streak, Blanks Northeast, 7-0

By Colin Murphy

On May 6, the Chesapeake High School baseball team racked up its 16th consecutive victory, a convincing 7-0 win over visiting Northeast High School. The win improved the Cougars to 16-1 on the season and positioned them as legitimate contenders for the state championship in the upcoming playoffs.

Solid starting pitching from Jake Bram and timely hitting from a strong Cougars lineup led the way, much to the satisfaction of Head Coach Ken King. “Our motto all year has been, ‘Everyone is more important than anyone,’” said Coach King after the win. “They accept that and believe it, and they’re just playing very well.”

 “Everyone” got in on the act for the Cougars on this day, beginning with Bram. A 6’4” senior right-hander, the hard-throwing Bram stood tall on the mound as he set the tone in the top of the first, getting Northeast’s first two batters on groundouts and the third on a strikeout.

“I felt good, I was hitting my spots, fielders were doing what they had to do, and we got some hits,” said Bram after the game.

The hitting started for Chesapeake in their first trip through the lineup. Senior first baseman Jordan Myers reached on a Northeast error and later scored on a single by senior Brandon Pyle, giving Chesapeake a 1-0 lead after one inning.

“The game went well. Jake pitched a great game,” said Pyle after the contest. Asked of his team’s approach throughout its 16-game winning streak, Pyle attributed the team’s success to its practice habits. “We try to be pretty aggressive and we practice really hard. We do full, intense practices all the time that are a live [intra-squad] game, so we’re pretty much used to those game situations every day.”

Indeed, the Eagles of Northeast found it difficult on this day to rattle anyone on the Cougars side. After allowing a hit and a walk in the second inning, Bram settled into a rhythm, striking out three and allowing only one hit over the final five innings. Bram completed the game allowing no runs on three hits with four strikeouts.

With Bram locking down the Northeast lineup, the Cougars stayed aggressive at the plate. Junior second baseman Jake Rich doubled and scored in the third inning, and in the fourth, consecutive singles by AJ Mackenzie, Chris Kroh, Kevin Davis and Ridge Kojack sparked a three-run rally that put the Cougars up 5-0. Multiple wild pitches by Northeast’s pitcher allowed Pyle and Myers to cross the plate in the fifth and sixth innings, respectively, and the Cougars rode Bram’s arm the distance for the 7-0 victory.

With the win, it has now been almost two months since the Cougars’ last defeat. Despite the impressive streak, players and coaches alike remain collectively grounded about their play.

“Everything about this team, how we work together… we’re pretty confident,” said Bram of his squad. “We’re not overly-cocky, but we’re pretty confident.”

Pyle agreed with his teammate, while also recognizing the challenges ahead: “Every team’s a good team around here, but we feel pretty good about ourselves heading into the playoffs.”

While keeping his players composed in anticipation of the playoffs, especially amidst the impressive win streak, Coach King sees how much they are enjoying the season. “We’re as confident as we can be without being over-confident, because that will bite you real quick,” King said. “I’m proud as anything to coach them. They work hard and do the right things. It’s a lot of fun.

To see the full photo gallery of this game, click here.