For the second straight game, No. 14 Lansdowne established a lead after two innings, then let its opponent off the hook.
On Monday, the Vikings led No. 6 Franklin by two runs in an error-filled 9-3 loss. There were five more Vikings errors in yesterday’s 11-7 setback at No. 18 Patapsco (4-0), but it was more a case of the Patriots slugging their way out of a hole.
Patapsco amassed 12 hits in overcoming an early five-run deficit.
“A lot of people underestimated us because we lost a lot to graduation,” said Patriots outfielder Dino Pusinsky, who went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs. “We have a young team, with a freshman, Chad Clarke, starting at shortstop where [All-Metro Jerry] Vecchione was last year. Our fielding’s not 100 percent yet, but our big thing right now is hitting.”
Patapsco led 1-0 after one inning, but trailed 6-1 after the Vikings (2-2) hammered winning pitcher Steve Ammons (1-0) in the second. But the Patriots, who committed four errors in the first two innings, pulled within 6-5 entering the fourth. Scott Patterson led the comeback by blasting a two-run double before scoring on a single by Jermaine Scruggs (2-for-3, one double).
Lansdowne added a run in the fourth before the game turned permanently in the bottom of the inning when Patapsco rallied for three runs.
Pusinsky slipped a two-out, run-scoring single past first baseman Don Lowman. Then Ammons, 0-for-2 in his previous at-bats, dropped a two-run single into right-center for an 8-7 lead.
“The ball was high and inside, and was more or less an accidental hit, but one of the guys was out of position, so it sank in there,” said Ammons, who yielded eight hits and struggled with his control early in a complete-game, six-strikeout, one-walk victory.
Ammons got excellent support from leadoff hitter Wayne Brooks, who went 3-for-3 with a walk, an RBI and four runs scored, Sean Patterson (2-for-3, a walk, two runs) and Chris D’Anna (1-for-3, three runs).
Patapsco has East Division rival Perry Hall today. “We’ll see how we can handle tough games back-to-back,” Brooks said. “But this was a big win. We showed a lot of heart, finishing the game off after a shaky first couple of innings.”
Lansdowne hurler Tim Harrison (0-1) struck out six, walked three and yielded 10 hits. He was better at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a two-run double and a triple.
Teammates Scott Adkins (2-for-4, one RBI, two runs scored) and Scott Taylor (3-for-3, one run) also hit well.
“Losing to Franklin was disappointing, but I think we’ve come back from that well,” said Harrison. “Today’s game goes down as a loss, but it’s not as disappointing.”
Pub Date: 4/12/96
