Keenan Sends Mustangs to CAC Baseball Second Round
DOVER, Del. - Stevenson University baseball senior Wade Keenan (Eldersburg/Liberty) limited third-seeded Wesley to just six hits while striking out seven in leading the fourth-seeded Mustangs to a 6-5 come-from-behind victory Thursday at Bob Reed Field in the first round of the CAC Baseball Championship.
Of Thursday's three tournament games, Stevenson (15-18) was the only road team to gain a first round win as it erased a 4-2 deficit and held off a ninth-inning rally to advance to Friday's second round matchup at York (Pa.).
Keenan totaled 155 pitches over eight innings while overcoming three extra base hits, including a three-run homer and six walks in picking up his team-leading fourth win.
Senior Griffin Stewart (Reisterstown/Bel Air), junior George Papuchis (Damascus/Good Counsel) and sophomore Chris Maienshein (Finksburg/Westminster) each had two hits for the Mustangs.
Freshman Justin Anderson (Shrewsbury, Pa./Calvert Hall) also hit first career home run, a solo shot in the seventh.
Stewart reached on an error in the eighth and scored on a Maienshein fielder's choice for what proved to be the game-winning run as Stevenson took a 6-4 lead.
Stu Madden, who led of the bottom of the ninth with a triple to center, scored on an RBI ground out by Grant Morlock before Mustang sophomore Steve Krider (Westminster/Westminster) picked up his first career save after getting Geoff Kimmel to pop up to shortstop to end the game.
Kimmel had three of Wesley's six hits as he went 3-for-5 with four RBIs, including a three-run homer in the third that gave the Wolverines a 4-2 lead. Madden scored two runs for the hosts who will look to avoid elimination when they travel to top-seeded and No. 2-ranked Salisbury on Friday.
Meanwhile, Stevenson will head to second-seeded York (Pa.) on Friday looking for its third win in four games this season with the Spartans. First pitch is at 3:30 p.m.
