James M. Bennett Holds On Late to Win the 3A State Title

James M. Bennett and C. Milton Wright met Saturday night under the lights at Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen for the MPSSAA 3A State Championship. After three scoreless innings to open the game, the Clippers from Wicomico County scored four runs in the fourth to take a lead they wouldn't relinquish in route to their fourth state championship in school history and first since 2012. 

Clippers starter Aaron Combs and C. Milton Wright lefty Michael Cummings cruised through the opening three frames as both teams struggled to get anything going offensively. James M. Bennett would change that narrative though in the fourth as they touched up Cummings for four runs.

With one out in the inning, Ryan Mitchell (Delaware St.) reached first on an error at third and advanced to second when Brett Swift was hit by a pitch. Anders Brown then singled to load the bases with one out for freshman Colby Dailey. Dailey worked an eight pitch walk to plate Mitchell from third for the game's first run. Hunter Smith singled to left making it 2-0 and signaling the end of the day for Cummings on the mound. The Mustangs called on freshman Max Scurti to try and get them out of the jam but he struggled to find his command walking Naythan Lewis with the bases loaded to force in Brown. After getting Garrett Southern to pop out to shortstop for the second out, a wild pitch allowed Dailey to score the fourth run of the inning. Scurti ended up walking Paul Oscar to reload the bases with two out before getting a huge strikeout to end the Clippers rally. 

Both teams went quietly in the fifth as Scurti settled in and Combs continued to make big pitches in key situations to keep the Mustangs off the scoreboard. 

Things changed in the sixth though as C. Milton Wright finally strung together some hits scoring three runs to cut the Clippers lead to just one. Eric Brettschneider was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and Nick Kopczunski singled to start the rally. Combs got Jake Spurlock to ground out to Swift at third eliminating Brettschneider on the fielder's choice for the first out. With one out and runners still on first and second, Dominic Jankovich lined one into left field scoring Kopczynski from second. Spurlock advanced to third on the throw and Jankovich stole second with Hunter Wright at the plate. Wright then grounded out to second base scoring Spurlock and advancing Jankovich to third with two outs. The offensive hero of Tuesday night's State Semifinal win over Northern (Cal.), Zach Stiars then stepped to the plate and singled to left field scoring Jankovich to make it 4-3. Combs worked out of the jam getting Lucas Frezza to ground one back to him for the final out. 

James M. Bennett would add an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth on two errors to make it 5-3 as the Clippers handed the ball over to the hard throwing righty Sang Baek to try and close things out in the seventh. Baek hit the leadoff man Christian Vinyard to start the inning before getting two ground outs and a strikeout to end it. 

Combs earned the win on the mound for James M. Bennett working six innings allowing three runs on five hits and three walks while striking out three. Baek picked up the save for the Clippers and Stiars led all hitters in the ballgame going 3-for-3 with an RBI.