Chesapeake Rebounds From First Loss, Defeats Northeast 4-0

It was an aberration, the Chesapeake baseball team’s game against Old Mill on April 4.

The Cougars entered the contest ranked No. 1 by every ranking entity in the area and wielding their characteristic brand of baseball — precision pitching, solid defense and timely hitting — en route to a 4-0 start to the young season.

That’s why the Cougars’ 6-1 loss to the Patriots, in which they pitched erratically, committed errors in the field, made mistakes on the base paths and squandered opportunities at the plate, seemed so out of place.

“You always want to win, even if it’s a bad win, just because that’s what we do this for, but it’s better that this loss is early, and hopefully they can learn from it,” said Chesapeake coach Ken King. “That’s the main thing.”

The lessons seemed to be learned two days later when Chesapeake returned to its high standard of play against visiting rival Northeast in a 4-0 victory.

Joe Seidler hurled a gem in his first start of the season, striking out seven and allowing only one hit on 94 pitches in earning the complete-game shutout victory. Catcher Tyler Shadle was 2 for 3 with three RBIs, while Dylan Young was 2 for 3 with an RBI and two runs scored. Mike Cybert had a base hit and scored a run, and Jake Hynson reached base and scored as the Cougars capitalized on their chances early, making the most of their five hits on the day.

Returning much of the core that powered them to a second consecutive state final last spring, the Cougars entered the year as presumptive favorites in the 3A East, and they’ve largely delivered en route to a 6-3 start. Only the stumble against Old Mill, a 5-3 defeat to Southern on April 10 and a 7-6 loss later that week have blemished the Cougars’ record through April 13, and the team has wins over Northeast, Glen Burnie, Meade, North County, Eastern Tech and Liberty. Seidler and Young have been the expected front-of-the-rotation starters, while Colby Buckheit, Mike Mulford, Tommy Lewis, and James Hawkins have combined to give Chesapeake a team ERA of 1.72.

Shadle, a junior who has been stellar defensively as catcher, has produced at the plate as well, with 12 hits, 11 RBIs and a .400 batting average through April 12. Hynson (.444, 12 hits), Young (.379, 11 hits, seven RBIs and eight runs), Colton Spangler (.400, 12 hits, eight RBIs), Seidler (.276, eight hits, five RBIs and 10 runs scored), and Cybert (eight hits, 11 runs, six RBIs) have fortified a versatile offense that can win with small ball or slug for a big inning.

“Pitching and defense was great in [our wins] and we complemented it with base running and being heads-up,” said King. “Aside from [Old Mill], we’ve played good, team ball.”

PHOTO GALLERY: 4.6.18 Chesapeake and Northeast baseball

Eagles Rising

There was nowhere for Northeast to go but up following last season’s disappointing 2-19 mark, but the Eagles are nonetheless making good on a year’s worth of growth, development, chemistry-building and offseason training.

At 7-4 overall through April 13, the Eagles have gotten contributions from a range of players and look poised for a winning season.

“We look at it as we’re not very far away,” said Eagles coach Adam Bolling. We’re going to beat a number of teams this year. There’s a comfort level that hasn’t been there in a couple of years.”

Bolling said last year’s squad suffered from off-the-field issues and a lack of chemistry, but this spring’s Eagles are “finally old again” with “tremendous senior leadership.”

The team went right into American Legion play following last spring, had a successful summer with lots of kids getting playing time, followed by fall ball and winter workouts, and they came into this season refreshed and hungry.

“The kids are a year more mature, and these guys like each other,” said Bolling. “They worked hard for each other in the offseason. We really tried to emphasize a wolf-pack mentality, that we have to hunt as a pack and succeed as a pack. If one person isn’t being successful, then it’s the next man up. We tried to create a culture of ultra-competitive pack hunters.”

With a renewed focus on pitching and defense, the Eagles can hang with anyone in the county and region. Innings leader Nate Klasmeyer has pitched well, even against Chesapeake, when he settled down after allowing runs in the first inning and didn’t allow another base runner until the sixth inning. Klasmeyer threw a complete-game victory in a 6-3 win over South River on April 13 and has a 2.77 ERA in 14-plus innings, while senior lefty Tyler Green has piled up 24 strikeouts and a 1.69 ERA in 16 innings. Ryan Adams (2.65 ERA in 11-plus innings), Nate Stephens, Duncan Katzenberger, Braiden Ryan and Jake Beitle have all seen time on the mound.

“We’ve worked hard on pitching and defense, and if you look at this team, our pitchers and defense are carrying us, and then we get timely hitting,” said Bolling. “It’s about executing the game as a whole.”

On the offensive side, the Eagles have been led by AJ Moya and Kenny Miller. Through nine games, Moya was batting .441 with 15 hits and 13 runs scored, while Miller was at .429 with 12 hits, eight runs and six RBIs. Green (.290, nine hits, eight runs, five RBIs), George Smith (.304, 11 RBIs), Colby Sanders, Eric Walters, Ryan, Katzenberger and others have made an impact for the Eagles’ offense.

Bolling said the underclassmen are the first wave of the efforts to fortify Pasadena Baseball Club, which should keep Northeast strong in the coming seasons.

“We’ve had a plan of attack,” said Bolling. “Everything we’ve done with the youth baseball program, these guys are the forefront of everything we’ve tried to do to unify baseball in this part of Pasadena.”

PHOTO GALLERY: 4.6.18 Chesapeake and Northeast baseball