Pikesville Baseball Drops Two of Three

Members of the Pikesville baseball team are glad to see the spring break. Injuries have hurt the Panthers and forced Coach Joseph Kramer to shift players all over the field.

But despite being down to their third-string catcher and having other players out, the Panthers have remained competitive. They lost two of three games last week, falling to Western Tech and Owings Mills, before ending the week with a rout of Randallstown on Friday, April 15.

“Our team is scrambling right now,” Kramer said. “We are hoping that spring break will give us an opportunity to get healthy to make a late-season run.”

The week started with a 16-6 loss at Western Tech. The Wolverines took advantage of some shaky Pikesville pitching and fielding. The Panthers gave up nine walks and committed five errors.

Pikesville actually out-hit the Wolverines, 13-6. Mitch Goldstein led the way with a 3-for-3 effort, while teammates Doug Lavin, Tete Obot and Kion Wright added two hits apiece.

After that came a tough 3-2 loss at Owings Mills. The Eagles pushed across a run in the bottom of the seventh to edge Pikesville.

Tyler Kennedy threw six good innings for the Panthers, giving up two unearned runs on just four hits. But Owings Mills got two runs in the second when Brooks Sandler struck out, but reached base on a wild pitch. He then scored on an Austin Eber double. Eber later scored on a passed ball.

Zach Greenberg and Brad Garfield each got run-scoring hits for Pikesville when the Panthers tied it in a two-run fifth inning. The Panthers tried to take the lead, but Greenberg was thrown out at home when trying to score, setting the stage for the Owings Mills rally in the seventh.

That’s when Juan Carlos Sologuren got an RBI double that scored Brett Mazor to win the game.

Pikesville ended the first half of its season with a solid 12-6 victory over Randallstown on Friday. Lavin went the distance, scattering seven hits but striking out seven.

“Doug took some big steps,” said Kramer. “He did a great job mixing up his fastball and changing speeds with his curve ball and change-up.”

Lavin also helped his own cause at the plate. He went 3 for 4 with three doubles, three RBI and three runs scored. Zach Brandes (2 for 4, two RBI, two steals) and Asher Linde (2 for 3) sparked a 15-hit performance.

Pikesville also drew nine walks to keep the pressure on Randallstown.

Now, at the halfway point, the Panthers have a number of players off to good starts on offense. Brian Stevenson (.500), Goldstein (.448), Obot (.438, 16 RBI), Ross Hyatt (.381), Garfield (.344) and Wright (.318), all are hitting well.