South River Reigns Supreme in Anne Arundel County

Bachman Sports Complex was the sight of the Anne Arundel County Championship Tuesday night that featured No. 11 Broadneck against the regular season county champion South River Seahawks. It was also the third meeting between the two programs this season with South River having won the previous two (4-2, and 5-0). This one wasn't any different either as South River played solid defense behind starter Gavin Umphries, pounded out eleven hits and took advantage of a few very costly Bruin errors in route to to an 8-1 win. 

Both Umphries and Broadneck starter Dillon Smith stranded a couple runners on base in the first two innings before it was the Bruins who struck first in the top of the third. Josh Ehrlich reached on a hit by pitch, Ryan Smolen singled, and Ethan Soto successfully sacrificed them over to second and third with one out. On the very next pitch, Ben Schultz flew out to right field to bring in the games first run. Two batters later, Umphries induced a fly ball to center to end the inning and strand runners at first and third in the only inning he would be touched up. 

Following a scoreless bottom of the third and top of the fourth, South River tied and took the lead 2-1 in the home half. Kevin Sieber and Umphies both singled to open the frame and Chris Sheridan singled through the right side to score both runners with two outs.

The Seahawks would build upon that lead in the fifth by plating four runs highlighted by Sieber's two-RBI line drive single to left field. Cam Rees and Kavi Caster both scored on the play reaching base earlier in the inning on back-to-back singles themselves. Two costly errors by Broadneck in the sixth gifted two more insurance runs to South River to make it 8-1. 

South River's Jake Petti came in to close the game in the seventh and needed only nine pitches to set the Bruins down in order. Petti struck out one and got Soto to fly out to Caster in centerfield to end it. Umphries earned the win on the mound going six inning allowing just one run on four hits and struck out two. The senior righty mixed his pitches very well and showed good command of his off-speed which made it really tough for Bruin hitters to square up. 

Sieber (3-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI's, 3 R's), Sheridan (2-for-3, 3 RBI's), Caster (3-for-4, 2B, R), and Umphries (2-for-3, BB) led the offensive attack for the 2019 Anne Arundel County Champion South River Seahawks.