Barnstormers' Freer no-hits Blue Jays

Entering Sunday night’s NABF High School World Series quarterfinal against Liberty Christian Academy at E.C. Glass, the Maryland Orioles had outscored their first five opponents, 64-4.

Against the Bulldogs, they managed just two hits, none off starter Scott Bailey who left with the bases loaded and two outs in the fourth, with LCA clinging to a 1-0 lead.

Maryland’s Dominique Fratantuono scored the tying run on a high pitch by reliever Seth Good that got past catcher Brad Knight. That’s the same way Fratantuono came in with the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth, as the Orioles stole home-field advantage away from the Bulldogs with a 2-1 victory, ending LCA’s surprising run to the tournament’s Elite Eight.

“When you play in games like this, it comes down to how the ball bounces,” LCA coach Ronnie McGuire said. “I’m proud of our guys to compete against a Baltimore metro team that draws from eight high schools. We’re just a small school and our guys battled and never quit.”

“They’re a great team,” Fratantuono added of the Bulldogs. “They played well, we played well, we just came out on top.”

After hitting a ground-rule double to right to start the sixth, Fratantuono was bunted to third by Brandon Franke and strutted home on a ball that skipped off Knight’s glove to the backstop with Mike Schmidt at the plate.

“Once I knew I was home, I was really pumped up and that kind of sparked our team,” Fratantuono said. “Beating the home team is a good momentum builder going into (today’s semifinals against Rangers Select at 9 a.m. at Heritage). We’ve got the most momentum we’ve had all summer.”

Maryland coach Gary Fratantuono said LCA was the best team the Orioles have faced thus far.

“This was the first game we’ve played that was close,” he said, noting they’d only given up five or six hits before allowing three to LCA. “We know it (the talent is) out there, but we haven’t seen it.”

The Bulldogs took a 1-0 lead in the third when Knight walked, Bobby Newby bunted him to second, Corey Rose reached on a bunt single and LCA executed a successful double steal.

LCA left fielder Matt Williams took a potential home run away from Maryland leadoff hitter Glynn Davis in the fourth, crashing into the fence after making a leaping, over-the-shoulder catch.

“It would have been over,” Williams said. “I had to leap over to get the ball off of the fence.

“I tried to help the team out as much as I could,” he added. “We just came up short in the end.”

Whereas Bailey and Good each pitched complete games on Friday, and Good saved both of LCA’s wins on Saturday, Maryland saved Wolfe for Sunday.

“This was Christian’s first appearance and he was throwing in the mid-80s,” Gary Fratantuono said. “We were confident he was going to go out there and get the job done.”

Good, who has been driving back and forth between Lynchburg and Farmville all weekend to participate in a Best of Virginia Showcase at Hampden-Sydney University, didn’t hesitate to take the mound for his team.

“My arm’s a little sore,” he said. “My slider was working tonight. I don’t know if my fastball had any pop on it or not. My arm’s tired.”

He didn’t care about the physical pain, but the emotional toll stung more and will last longer.

“You just hate for it to end like that,” Good said. “They didn’t earn it. That’s what makes it an annoying way to lose.”

But the rising junior at LCA has high expectations for next spring.

“We played really well and we’re hoping it carries over,” he said.

In LCA’s first game at Glass on Sunday, starting at noon against 757 Palomino, Rustburg graduate Kevin Wade took a no-hitter into the fifth before holding on for a 7-2 complete-game win, LCA’s third in five games, striking out six and allowing six hits.

“That’s probably the best I’ve pitched this summer,” said Wade, who was making his first start. “I had a lot of energy and I was really excited to pitch today. I told the team, ‘When the coach calls on me, I’ll be ready.’”

“Kevin pitched a great game,” McGuire added. “He had control of his pitches, with good movement, and he was hitting his spots. He did a great job of keeping the ball down. It looked like toward the end he was getting stronger.”

757 Palomino 000 001 1 — 2 6 1

Liberty Christian 000 502 x — 7 7 1

W: Kevin Wade (1-0). L: Brandon Nikolaisen (1-1). Records: 757 Palomino 3-2, LCA 5-0.

Highlights: 757 — Antonio Tellez 2 BBs, HBP, 2 steals, run; James Komornik RBI 2B. LCA — Seth Good 2-3, run; Brad Knight 1-2, HBP, run; Dylan Sligh 2B, run; Bobby Newby 1-2, SB, steal, run; Tanner Enloe 1-2, BB, 2 runs; Scott Baile 1-3, run.

Liberty Christian 001 000 0 — 1 3 2

Maryland Orioles 000 101 x — 2 2 1

W: Christian Wolfe (1-0). L: Seth Good (1-1). Records: Maryland 6-0, LCA 5-1.

Highlights: LCA — Scott Bailey 3 2/3 IP, 0 hits, 2 BBs, 1 K, 1 run; Matt Williams 1-3, robbed Glynn Davis of a HR with a catch against the fence in left; Corey Rose 1-2, steal; Brad Knight walk, run. M — Dominic Fratantuono 1-3, 2B, 2 runs; Wolfe 7 IP, 7 Ks, 3 hits, 2 BBs, 1 run.