No. 6 Howard Begins 4A Title Defense With Convincing Win

The defending MPSSAA 4A State Champions began their title defense Saturday with a convincing 9-1 win over the visiting Catonsville Comets from Baltimore County.

Senior right-handed pitcher Gabe Delgado (UMBC) worked six innings for the Lions scattering three hits and two walks while striking out eleven batters. Howard got off to a quick start and then finished with a bang scoring two in each the first and second and five more in the sixth.

Following a lead off double by Ben Fader and tag to third on a fly-out by Jerry O'Neill down the right field line; Alex Campbell singled to left to make it 1-0 in the first. Campbell would later score on an error to make it 2-0 as the Lions pounced quickly out of the gates. In the second, it was Fader and Campbell at it again as the Lions turned over the order. Aidan O'Connor singled to lead off the frame and Fader then walked. With one out, O'Connor and Fader successfully pulled off a double steal to give Campbell runners at second and third in scoring position. On the very next pitch, Campbell delivered with a single back up the middle plating both runners and giving Howard the 4-0 lead.

Catonsville would threaten in the third and fifth but failed to push any runs across. Comet reliever Ben Hall came in to start the third and held Howard scoreless for three innings straight as we headed to the sixth with the score still 4-0. In the sixth, Howard took advantage of two errors, a walk, and three singles by O'Connor, Fader, and Will Simmons to blow the game open, increasing their lead to nine. 

The Comets would pick one up in the top of the seventh as Nick Eiswert singled down the left field line against Lions reliever Fader scoring Thomas Brown, but it was way too little too late. Fader induced a strikeout on the next batter to preserve the 9-1 win for the Lions. 

Campbell led the way offensively for Howard going 2-for-4 with 4 RBI's and 2 runs scored. Fader, Simmons, and O'Connor also pitched in with multi-hit games. Catonsville managed just five hits as a team with all of those coming from the top three players in the lineup. Josh Tingler was 2-for-4, Mark Brady added one hit, and Eiswert was 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI.

Howard will travel to No. 5 Dulaney on Tuesday for the 4A North Section I Final.