On Tuesday night at Joe Cannon Stadium, the Chesapeake Cougars earned their second trip to the Class 3A state final in three seasons, but had to do it the hard way.
Facing a high-scoring and hard-hitting Stephen Decatur team, the Cougars outlasted their foes from the Eastern Shore, scoring four runs in both the sixth and seventh innings for a 13-9 win and a spot in Saturday’s state championship game.
Chesapeake, the 2022 3A state champion, will play Col. Zadok Magruder, an 8-0 winner over Poly in Tuesday’s other 3A semifinal, at 7 p.m. Saturday at Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf.
“I’m so proud of these boys,” Chesapeake coach Jeff Young said. “I’ve told my guys many times that we may not make it this far every year so make sure to make it count. To see them keep coming back so many times against a really good team in Decatur is incredible.”
It didn’t always look like the game could be settled in seven innings. The hotly contested semifinal featured five lead changes with one’s offensive explosion in one inning being matched by the other in the next. But the Chesapeake offense hammered four runs in the top of the sixth, with sophomore Dylan Adams’ two-run single proving to be the difference.
The sophomore infielder, who split time at both first and third base, went 4-for-5, driving in four runs while scoring three.
“He has had an amazing season for us,” Young said of Adams. “He has come through for so many times this season and he had a really special game for us today.”
Relief pitcher Sean Carroll provided two scoreless, hitless innings for the Cougars earning the victory.
Chesapeake’s sixth inning started promising with CJ August reaching base on a walk. But after a flyout, a single and a fielder’s choice, it appeared Decatur might escape any damage. But a single from Adams scored August, then back-to-back doubles from from Carter Drab and Sean Carroll gave the Cougars a 9-8 advantage.
Johnny Hobgood’s sacrifice fly in the bottom the sixth retied the game, but in the seventh, Chesapeake finally pulled away.
After a single by Keller Herzberger, Decatur reliever Eric Braica secured back-to-back outs on August and Lucas. But consecutive walks to Lucas Slayton and Cole Parsons gave the Cougars a chance to take the lead for good. They didn’t waste the chance with Adams singling a line drive to center, scoring two. Parsons came home on an error and Drab singled home the 13th Chesapeake run.
Decatur set the tone early with Nate Berzonski knocking home Waylon Hobgood with a one-out ground out in the bottom of the first inning. Waylon’s brother, Johnny, added a second run in the following inning, reaching base after being hit by a pitch and then stealing second. Caden Shockley’s single drove home Johnny giving the Seahawks the early 2-0 lead.
The Cougars responded in the third inning. They cut their deficit to one thanks to a hard-hit ball to center field by Slayton and a Decatur error that allowed August to score. Slayton scored after the next batter, Parsons, had his hit to center dropped by Johnny Hobgood.
Chesapeake took the lead in the same inning, continuing to focus on turning small hits into big runs. Adams’ line drive to center eluded the Decatur infield, scoring Parsons. Adams was brought home from Jimmy Dreyer for a 4-2 Cougars lead.
The Seahawks battled back in a big way in the fourth, scoring five to retake the lead. Johnny Hobgood and Eric Braica reached base on back-to-back singles. AJ Kolb singled home Hobgood from third cutting the gap to 4-3.
But the Decatur lineup wasn’t done. Waylon Hobgood reached base after being hit by a pitch, loading the bases for Lukas Loring with one out. The senior made the most of his chance, clubbing a fly to right field that became an inside-the-park home run.
The two teams continued to trade runs into the fifth with Dreyer scoring for Chesapeake off of an error by third basemen Jackson Cheung. Cheung made up for it though in the bottom half of the inning reaching base after being hit by a pitch and eventually scoring off of a single from Johnny Hobgood.
Chesapeake — 004 014 4 — 13 14 0
Stephen Decatur — 110 511 0 — 9 9 4
WP: Carroll, LP: Braica.
2B: C — Drab, Adams, Carroll; SD — Berzonski. HR: SD — Loring