Cape baseball tops No. 1 Appo 2-1
Cape baseball downed top-ranked and previously undefeated Appoquinimink 2-1 in a pitchers’ duel April 30 at Chris Short Field. Cape moved to 11-2, while the Jags are 12-1.
The win gave manager Ben Evick his 200th victory at Cape.
Cape senior Josh Reinhold was stoic on the mound for the Vikings, keeping his emotions in check while calmly throwing seven innings, giving up just one run. He struck out nine batters. His more important K came in the seventh inning, when Appo had two runners on and two outs. Reinhold struck out Owen Parrish with four pitches to end the game.
“I had good command with my slider and change-up, and that mix really seemed to work,” said Reinhold. “This win feels great. We had nothing to lose against them, which made the game way more fun. I knew that they were talking the whole time, but I really blocked it out. It did add to my psych toward the end of the game, but I had to stay calm and throw strikes.”
Appo struck first in the fifth inning when Travis Peden scored on a sac fly from Aidan Deakins.
Cape answered right back in the bottom of the inning, as Brian Fleming scored when Timmy Hitchcock reached base on an error. The Vikings scored the winning run in the sixth when Brenn Scott drove a hit to score Isaac Terhune.
Paris Mitchell led the Vikings with two hits. Reinhold, Scott, Terhune, Justin Marsh and Fleming each had a single.
Evan Boulden pitched five innings for the Jaguars, striking out six while walking four. Aidan Deakins came in from the bullpen and suffered the loss.
Boulden and Cameron Coco had two hits for the Jags, while Chad Lawrence, Peden and Deakins each added one hit.
“It was an exciting game,” Evick said. “Our guys have been playing solid baseball and have been hitting well. We felt like we left a lot out there in this game, leaving the bases loaded twice and not capitalizing in those moments. But against a good team with good pitching, it’s not always easy. Josh [Reinhold] was phenomenal on the mound, commanding all of his pitches. He has the ability to throw all his pitches in any count, and he did a great job hitting his spots with every pitch.
“Paris Mitchell and Isaac Terhune had good days at the plate again from the bottom of our lineup. Brenn [Scott] came through huge again for us in a giant moment, driving in the go-ahead run. Josh stayed calm and collected in the seventh inning, even when they put two hits together with the tying run at second. He struck out the next guy to end the game, which was extremely exciting on a beautiful day.”
Cape hosts Polytech Tuesday, May 3, while the Jags host St. Georges Tech.
