Through some 20 games this season, the Bishop O’Connell Knights have played consistent baseball, highlighted by a spring-break trip to Myrtle Beach where the high-school team won the Division I championship of the Mingo Bay Classic.
The Knights (16-4) finished 5-0 in the competition, allowing just eight runs and playing strong defense in pressure situations. In order, O’Connell won by scores of 3-1, 7-2, 10-2, 3-1 and 3-2. Four of the wins were against schools from West Virginia.
“We have been finding ways to win this season,” O’Connell coach Kyle Padgett said. “Pitching is what has been carrying us most of the time, and that was the same at the Myrtle Beach tournament.”
Carson Mayfield was the starting and winning pitcher in O’Connell’s first and final games. He did not allow an earned run in 11 innings, scattered eight hits, struck out 11 and walked only two.
With the bat, the Cornell University commit had four hits, including a double, and drove in three runs. He was chosen as the classic’s Most Valuable Player.
Jack O’Connor, Bobby McDonough and A.J. Murray were the other starting and winning pitchers in Myrtle Beach.
O’Connor fanned 14 as the University of Virginia-bound right-hander allowed two hits, walked one and gave up one earned run in tossing a complete-game. O’Connor earned a one-inning, three -strikeout save in another appearance.
McDonough allowed three hits in his six-inning win and Murray worked four frames with five Ks in his victory. McDonough will play at the College of William and Mary.
Noah Larbelesteir, Tom Bourque (save) and Jack Rampy had strong relief efforts.
“They all did a great job pitching and kept us on schedule,” Padgett said.
In addition to Mayfield, top hitters in the classic for O’Connell were O’Connor, McDonough, Bradley Armour, Michael Lavanga, Andy Fronzek, Jaden Groome, Tommy Kanakos, Michael Powell, Kier Strom, Nathan Reusch and Jack Rampy.
Following the classic, O’Connell next played and defeated Bishop Ireton, 7-5, then Good Counsel, 4-2, in Washington Catholic Athletic Conference games to improve to 8-0 in the league. McDonough had two hits and an RBI against Ireton, Lavanga doubled, and Reusch had a hit and one RBI.
Ashton Armour was the starting and winning pitcher against Ireton, going five innings. O’Connor earned the save in 12/3 hitless and scoreless innings with three strikeouts and no walks.
Against Good Counsel, McDonough started and went six innings to get the win, allowing one earned run and walking only one. Bourque earned the save.
Lavanga tripled and had two hits and an RBI, McDonough also had two hits and an RBI and O’Connor homered and stole three bases.
“The rest of the way, we have to keep throwing strikes, playing good defense and being a pain in the butt with our high-pressure offense that we have been getting,” Padgett said.