Patapsco Downs Overlea,12-2, Moves Record to 4-3

Patapsco’s Andy Frasier pitched the kind of game coaches love Monday afternoon. The junior right-hander got ahead of Overlea’s hitters, throwing strikes early in the count, walked just one batter, mixed his pitches and fielded his position.

Frasier got the win, striking out 11 in six innings, as well as handling a bunt and two other infield plays off the mound. He also scored two runs, leading Patapsco to a 12-2 win over Overlea. The struggling Falcons fell to 1-8.

Patapsco meanwhile raised its record to 4-3. They face Towson, a team they’ve met several times in the playoffs in recent years, Thursday at home. They face Owings Mills at home Saturday in a double-header.

“He’s coming along,” Patapsco coach Tony Maggard said of Frasier. “He’s a junior and right now we’re only asking him to throw strikes and let the defense make plays behind him.

“Today, they didn’t get much of chance to do that,” Maggard added, smiling.

Overlea starter Tony Oleszczuk hurt himself issuing five bases on balls in the first three innings. His defense didn’t do him any favors, either, making numerous fielding and throwing errors.

Center fielder Shuan Wich drove in Frasier, who walked to open the bottom of the first, with a long double to start the Patapsco scoring. The Patriots added three more runs in the second, with the key blow a two-run single by left fielder Brandon Olszewski.

Right fielder Paul Vanbeben added a two-run single in the third, and third baseman Vaughan Prachniak later chipped in with an RBI single to break the game open in the middle innings. Shortstop Brandon Martin, reaching on a leadoff walk in the bottom of the sixth, eventually scored the last run of the game on a throwing error by the catcher.

Maggard said that it’s been hard to tell exactly where his team stands coming out of spring break, having played so few games this season. But his hopes for the season remain high.

“We have eight more games scheduled,” he said. “It would be great to win all eight and finish 11-3.”