Written by Erin Hughes | Photo by Maya Brichacek

The Metro South County Braves returned to the win column Saturday night with an 8-1 victory over the Alexandria Aces at South County High School. 

Infielder Connor Doherty (Delaware) and catcher Ryan Santangelo (Bryant) posted big performances for the Braves in the win. Doherty, a rising freshman, went 2-for-3 with a single and a home run. Senior Santangelo caught three Aces runners stealing throughout the game, connecting with Doherty for two of them.

Braves head coach Chris Warren said his team has been lucky with rising freshmen in recent years, so Doherty’s performance was not surprising. Warren went on to say that he thinks Doherty “is going to do well in the league…he’s got the right mentality for this league and he showed it tonight.” 

Warren was also unsurprised by Santangelo’s defensive performance. “His throws were on the money tonight, and it was really good to see…it wasn’t a shock either. He’s a catch and throw guy and he showed why he’s a catch and throw guy tonight.”

A returner to the Braves, right-handed pitcher Luke Pietandrea (Frederick CC) made quick work of the first two batters he faced, including a swinging strikeout to start the game. Pietandrea walked the next batter, but Santangelo and Doherty  connected to catch the runner stealing and end the inning. 

Sam Grube (Towson) led off the bottom of the first with a walk and a stolen base, but the Grays outfield recorded the next three outs to leave Grube stranded. 

Pietandrea began the second inning with another strikeout, but this time freezing the batter. Gavin Miller (Pitt) followed it up with a single before the next batter flew out to right field. Trip Capers (George Mason) singled to advance Miller to second but another flyout to right field ended the top of the inning.

Aces pitcher Aidan Von Zuben started the bottom half of the inning with a flyout before Braves batters Harrison Helton (Houston Christian) and Doherty singled to get on base. Von Zuben fanned the next batter, but Santangelo dropped in an RBI single to score Helton. A single from Grube plated Doherty, and a single from Trent Adelman (VCU) looked to score Santangelo, but he was called out at the plate.

In the top of the fourth, Pietandrea sat down the first two batters quickly before giving up a double to Brayden Huebner (Ball State). The runner was stranded on second after a groundout to Doherty ended the inning.

Doherty followed up his defensive out with his first home run of the year and his second hit of the game to put the Braves up 3-0. Sawyer McElhattan drew a walk to get on base again before Von Zube fanned the next batter. Aces catcher DJ Schumann (Ball State) and second baseman Huebner teamed up to catch McElhattan stealing. Without a threat on the basepaths, Von Zube forced the next batter to pop up to the shortstop.

Aidan van Baars (Pitt CC) entered in relief for Pietandrea and immediately retired the first two batters. Peterson singled, but Santangelo and Doherty connected for their second runner caught stealing of the day.

In to relieve Von Zuben, Ayden VanEnkevort (Grand Valley State) toed the rubber and forced the first batter he faced to ground out to short. The next two batters, Nich Fancuzenko (Towson) and Nate Dudeck (Fairleigh DIckinson), made it on base via a single and a walk, respectively. Helton doubled to plate Francuzenko and Dudeck, and Doherty walked to keep two runners on base for the Braves. 

The sixth inning again saw four players go to the plate for each team with three retired. Van Baars recorded another swinging strikeout and Santangelo connected with new second baseman, Terrence Rhodes (Norfolk State), to catch his third runner stealing of the day. The bottom of the inning was highlighted by new Aces pitcher Matt Archibald (Navy) fanning one batter and catching another looking.

The Braves started the top of the inning getting two quick outs, but Capers quickly reached for the Aces on an error. Two wild pitches advanced Capers to third before Michael Kitko (Slippery Rock) singled him in for the Aces’ first run of the game to make it 5-1. Kitko and John Colligan (Ball State), who reached on a hit by pitch, were stranded after van Baars saw down Peterson with a swinging strikeout.

Francuzenko drew a walk to start the home half of the inning, but Archibald whiffed the next two batters. Archibald struck Rhodes out swinging, but Rhodes wound up safe at first after a dropped ball and error by the catcher. Another swinging strikeout to Doherty saw the Aces catcher throw down to third to try to catch Francuzenko stealing, but Francuzenko scored the Braves’ sixth run on an interference call during that play.

Charlie Magoulick (Rider) entered the matchup for his first pitching appearance of the summer in the top of the eighth. The first two batters he faced reached after being hit by a pitch and dropping in a single. He struck out the next two batters, but walked Huebner to load the bases with two gone. Magoulick stranded all three runners after fanning Capers to get out of the jam.

Franklin Gomez Jr. (Fairleigh Dickinson) walked to lead off the bottom of the eighth inning and Tony DiChiara (Monmouth) was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second early for the Braves. Grube’s second hit of the day doubled in Gomez Jr. and DiChiara to extend the Braves lead 8-1. After a popup to the shortstop to record the first out, Kyndall Cassidy (Ouachita Baptist) knocked a pinch hit single to move Grube over to third. The next batter struck out swinging before the fifth combined caught stealing of the day sent Cassidy and Grube back to the dugout. 

Tyler Kelly (William & Mary) came in to close out the game for the Braves. He froze the first batter he faced with a looking strikeout. Colligan looked to start a one-out rally for the Aces as he singled and swiped a bag to get into scoring position. But, Kelly made quick work of the next two batters, getting one to strikeout swinging and the other to pop up to second base to end the game.