Myerowitz the catalyst for Bapst Crusaders rally to victory

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BREWER – Zev Myerowitz, John Bapst High School’s first baseman-pitcher, drove in the game-winning run with a single in the Crusaders’ two-run seventh-inning rally that gave them a 5-4 win over Camden Hills Saturday and their first berth in an Eastern Maine baseball final since 1988.

But his relief pitching may have been even more important, particularly in the third and fourth innings when he pitched out of bases-loaded-no-out and two-on-no-out jams to prevent the Windjammers from expanding a 3-0 lead and putting the game out of reach.

“That was huge,” said John Bapst first-year coach Mike Miragliuolo. “Zev is a tough competitor.”

Camden Hills first-year coach Matt Dennen agreed, saying, “We left the bases loaded two straight innings. That was the turning point.”

“I went mostly with my curve and slider, and I was able to keep my fastball low. I felt confident until the seventh,” said junior righthander Myerowitz, who pitched five innings of three-hit, one-run baseball with six strikeouts and one walk. He threw 43 strikes among his 67 pitches.

“He had a great curveball,” said Camden Hills freshman catcher Tom Dennen, whose two-out single delivered Tom Massey from second with the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh.

Massey had singled and stolen second.

The top-seeded Crusaders, 14-4, will face rival Orono, 13-6 and the sixth seed, in Tuesday’s 3 p.m. EM title game at Mansfield Stadium in Bangor. Fourth seed Camden Hills had its seven-game winning streak snapped and finished at 12-6.

Myerowitz struck out the side with the bases jammed in the third and left them loaded again in the fourth when he induced Brady Butler to line softly to second.

Impressive 15-year-old sophomore righty Nate Clark shut the Crusaders out on four hits through four innings.

But they reached him for a pair of runs in the fifth on a leadoff double by Tyler Jellison, Zach Means’ two-out, ground-rule RBI double to left, a wild pitch, and Andy Tremble’s run-scoring ground-ball single.

Bryan Snyder manufactured the tying run in the sixth as he beat out an infield single, stole second and third, and scored on catcher Dennen’s throwing error.

After Dennen atoned with his RBI single in the top of the seventh, John Bapst’s Billy Chapman triggered the seventh-inning rally with a line-drive double down the right field line off freshman reliever Alex Moro.

“He threw me a curve and I went with it,” said Chapman.

Means ripped a single to right for his fourth hit of the game. He then stole second.

Tremble’s bouncer to short produced the tying run and moved Means to third. Means scored the game-winner on Myerowitz’s sharp ground-ball single to center off a 3-1 fastball.

“He tried to come inside with a fastball, but I was able to turn on it,” said Myerowitz.

Camden Hills built a 3-0 lead in the first inning on a walk, Brian Fitzpatrick’s base hit, Abe Dugal’s long sacrifice fly to left-center on which center fielder Snyder made a nice running catch, a two-out throwing error by shortstop Means, and RBI singles by Massey and Butler.

“I never stop being amazed by these guys,” said Miragliuolo. “They could have folded their tents on two occasions: when they were down 3-0 or when Camden went ahead in the top of the seventh.”

“That’s what makes us different from previous Bapst teams,” said Chapman.

To go with Means’ four-hit game, Tremble, Snyder, and Jellison had two hits each for John Bapst while Fitzpatrick and Massey had two each for Camden Hills.

Crusaders 5, Windjammers 4

Camden Hills (12-6) John Bapst (14-4)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

P. Moro, cf 4 0 0 0 Strout, p-2b 2 0 0

Peck, 2b 2 1 0 0 Chapman, 3b 4 1 0

Fitzpatrick, 3b 4 1 2 0 Means, ss 4 1

Dugal, ss 3 0 0 1 Tremble, rf 4 0 2

W. Dennen, 1b 3 1 0 0 Z. Myerowitz, 1b-p 1

Massey, lf 2 1 2 1 Snyder, cf 3 1 0

Butler, dh 3 0 1 1 Healy, dh 1 0 0

O’Brien, rf 0 0 0 0 McCree, 2b 0 0 0

T. Dennen, c 4 0 1 1 Gray, c 3 0 0 0

Clark, p 2 0 0 0 Jellison, lf 3 1 0

A. Moro, p 1 0 0 0

Totals 28 4 6 4 Totals 28 5 12 4

Camden Hills 300 000 1? 4

John Bapst 000 021 2? 5

E?O’Brien, Massey, T. Dennen; Means 2; LOB?John Bapst 9, Camden Hills 11; 2B?Chapman, Means, Jellison; DP?Dugal-Peck-W. Dennen; SF?Dugal; SB?Snyder 2, Means, Massey

Camden Hills IP H R ER BB SO

Clark 5 8 3 3 1 5

A. Moro (L, 1-1) 1? 4 2 2 0 0

John Bapst IP H R ER BB SO

Strout 2 3 3 1 4 3

Z. Myerowitz (W, 4-2) 5 3 1 1 1 6

HBP?Peck (by Strout), Butler (by Z. Myerowitz), Healy (by Clark) WP?Clark, Strout; T?1:59; ATT?125 (est.)