Junior pitcher Devin Neurell can really start to picture it: the trophy, the St. Mary’s name added to the list of Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association B Conference champions.
The dream materialized ever more clearly after his teammate, Colin Talbot, strode across home plate in the top of the 10th inning.
The Saints led Crofton by a run and it was up Neurell to close it out. The Cardinals already have two walk-off wins on their resume this season. They chattered hungrily from the dugout even after St. Mary’s scored the go-ahead run.
Neurell faced three Cardinals, some of whom he calls friends off the field. He sat down all three to finish it out.
“If we play every game like we played this one, I think we have a chance of winning the championship. I believe we will,” Neurell said. “If we can play to our fullest potential, I can see it. I can taste it.”
When Saints coach Mike Bronakoski gathered his team afterward, he spoke of Crofton, of course, but of Broadneck, too.
On March 22, St. Mary’s (6-3) led the Bruins into the seventh inning, just for Broadneck to tie the game and win it an inning later. That circumstance was sort of new for the Saints, Bronakoski said. They were used to trying to win. Trying not to lose was another situation entirely.
“With teams like Broadneck and Crofton, you have to go out and attack. We call it playing offense on defense,” Bronakoski said. “You just to have a different feeling of going on the mound, into the field, and being confident. And I’m happy that the adjustment’s been made.”
Tuesday’s matchup swung back and forth more, with Crofton (5-3) carrying a one-run lead into the fourth inning. The Saints erased it quickly, first with Hicks driving in his first run of the day to tie and Parker Weekley singling in two runs to make it 3-1.
But much like the Broadneck game, the seventh inning did not favor St. Mary’s. After taking a 5-4 lead on a two-run single by Talbot, Cardinals reliever Matt Donaldson limited the damage and pitched the rest of the way.
“We don’t typically take him that deep, but he earned that right, being our best bullpen pitcher last year,” Crofton coach Brooks Miller said. “He did a good job for us, getting to that point.”
Crofton tied it in the bottom of the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Tyler Holt. When Neurell assumed the mound in the bottom of the eighth, the Cardinals struggled to reach a base again. He went three innings, allowing only one hit and walk while striking out two.
The visiting St. Mary’s Saints defeated the Crofton Cardinals, 6-5, in extra innings Tuesday. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
St. Mary’s huddles before the game. The visiting St. Mary’s Saints defeated the Crofton Cardinals, 6-5, in extra innings Tuesday. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
Crofton’s Jason Gifford hits a sacrifice fly ball to score a run in the sixth inning. The visiting St. Mary’s Saints defeated the Crofton Cardinals, 6-5, in extra innings Tuesday. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
St. Mary’s catcher Brennan Moran tags out Crofton’s Zachary Leinemann at the plate on what would have been the game winning run in the ninth inning. The visiting St. Mary’s Saints defeated the Crofton Cardinals, 6-5, in extra innings Tuesday. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
St. Mary’s Harrison DeLoach bunts in the seventh inning. The visiting St. Mary’s Saints defeated the Crofton Cardinals, 6-5, in extra innings Tuesday. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
Crofton pitcher Zachary Leinemann throws in the third inning. The visiting St. Mary’s Saints defeated the Crofton Cardinals, 6-5, in extra innings Tuesday. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
St. Mary’s coach Mike Bronakoski watches his team in the ninth inning. The visiting St. Mary’s Saints defeated the Crofton Cardinals, 6-5, in extra innings Tuesday. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
Crofton coach Brooks Miller has words with the umpire in the seventh inning. The visiting St. Mary’s Saints defeated the Crofton Cardinals, 6-5, in extra innings Tuesday. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
Crofton’s Zachary Leinemann drops a bunt in the second inning. The visiting St. Mary’s Saints defeated the Crofton Cardinals, 6-5, in extra innings Tuesday. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
St. Mary’s Colin Talbot hits a two run RBI single in the seventh inning. The visiting St. Mary’s Saints defeated the Crofton Cardinals, 6-5, in extra innings Tuesday. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
The visiting St. Mary’s Saints defeated the Crofton Cardinals, 6-5, in extra innings Tuesday. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
St. Mary’s Colin Talbot, center, is congratulated by teammates after Dominic Hicks brings him home on a hit in the fourth inning. The visiting St. Mary’s Saints defeated the Crofton Cardinals, 6-5, in extra innings Tuesday. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
St. Mary’s Dominic Hicks drives in a run on a hit in the fourth inning against Crofton. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
St. Mary’s Henry Carbone at the plate in the first inning. The visiting St. Mary’s Saints defeated the Crofton Cardinals, 6-5, in extra innings Tuesday. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
Crofton bench watches from the dugout in the second inning. The visiting St. Mary’s Saints defeated the Crofton Cardinals, 6-5, in extra innings Tuesday. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
St. Mary’s Parker Weekley makes a diving slide into home to score as Crofton catcher William Davis tries to make the tag in the seventh inning. The visiting St. Mary’s Saints defeated the Crofton Cardinals, 6-5, in extra innings Tuesday. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
Closing St. Mary’s pitcher Devin Neurell celebrates the win after ending the 10th inning. The visiting St. Mary’s Saints defeated the Crofton Cardinals, 6-5, in extra innings Tuesday. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
St. Mary’s Harrison DeLoach celebrates a successful bunt on first base in the seventh inning. The visiting St. Mary’s Saints defeated the Crofton Cardinals, 6-5, in extra innings Tuesday. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
St. Mary’s Harry Falkowski takes a cut and just misses in the fifth inning. The visiting St. Mary’s Saints defeated the Crofton Cardinals, 6-5, in extra innings Tuesday. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
St. Mary’s Ben Bonfiglio scores in the fourth inning. The visiting St. Mary’s Saints defeated the Crofton Cardinals, 6-5, in extra innings Tuesday. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
Crofton pitcher Zachary Leinemann throws in the third inning. The visiting St. Mary’s Saints defeated the Crofton Cardinals, 6-5, in extra innings Tuesday. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
St. Mary’s Brennan Moran hits a single in the 10th inning. The visiting St. Mary’s Saints defeated the Crofton Cardinals, 6-5, in extra innings Tuesday. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
Crofton’s Travis Fleshman drives in a run on a successful bunt in the sixth inning. The visiting St. Mary’s Saints defeated the Crofton Cardinals, 6-5, in extra innings Tuesday. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
St. Mary’s Henry Carbone grabs his glove in the seventh inning. The visiting St. Mary’s Saints defeated the Crofton Cardinals, 6-5, in extra innings Tuesday. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
St, Mary’s celebrates two runs scoring in the seventh inning. The visiting St. Mary’s Saints defeated the Crofton Cardinals, 6-5, in extra innings Tuesday. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
St. Mary’s starting pitcher Blake Dyer throws in the second inning. The visiting St. Mary’s Saints defeated the Crofton Cardinals, 6-5, in extra innings Tuesday. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
Neurell didn’t pitch well against Bishop Ireton on Monday, but Bronakoski wanted him to “get back on the horse.”
But it wasn’t his efforts alone. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, junior James Seibel lined a ground ball to Saints shortstop Harrison Deloach, who fired back toward home plate. Catcher Brennan Moran swept his glove down just before Crofton’s Zane Leinemann’s crossed the plate.
“We grew up as a team. We fight through the innings, hype each other up and motivate on every pitch and every play,” Neurell said. “It was relieving, to know I’m out there doing my job and holding my own and to see my teammates have my back. That’s what St. Mary’s baseball is about.”
It’s a sentiment Miller shares with his side. From the coach’s vantage, a still-young Crofton remained a contender until the third out of the 10th inning. The same was not true against Broadneck the day before when Crofton lost, 11-0.
“But we responded today, and well,” Miller said. “So I’m hoping we can take this and respond well again. We’re talented, and we just gotta find ways to beat as many one-run games as we can.”
