Cries of “Babygirl!” could be heard from the dugout just before the nickname’s owner, Northeast junior Dakota Patton, saw the pitch he wanted.
In a win over Northern on Monday, Patton — a hulking 235-pound third baseman — belted a walk-off homer about 440 feet. But that’s not what the Eagles realistically needed this time, tied with Old Mill in the bottom of the seventh and his teammates looking hopefully his way.
“It’s easy to say, ‘I’m just gonna hit another bomb here. We’re gonna walk it off,’” Northeast coach Adam Bolling said. “But [Patton] looked at me and he said, ‘I’m getting it down.’”
Patton lurched forward and dropped down a bunt. While he didn’t get a hit out of it, he succeeded in pushing Jackson Palmer to third base. Shortly after, Landon Shriver followed Patton’s lead, putting a bunt in play. Palmer, in his first game of the season, slid home into a dusty spray and a 5-4 walk-off win.
“When guys have that service mentality for this team, look out for the Eagles,” Bolling said.
While most top county teams are decorating their spring with double-digit runs and blowouts, the Eagles have regularly ground to slim losses. They lost to Old Mill in extra innings in March, then dropped a 2-1 decision to Chesapeake. That was followed by a 4-3 extra-inning loss to Broadneck.
Baseball hasn’t served as Northeast’s only inspiration, either. It looks back at the basketball team, Bolling said, and the way those Eagles flipped a rough start into a state championship.
“No team has beaten us this year. We beat ourselves,” Bolling said. “If we can turn it around our way, our mentality is it doesn’t matter who’s coming in here. It can be the 1926 Yankees and we’ll be OK.”
Granted, Old Mill has suffered its fair share of close shaves, too. And it was willing to fight.
After building a 3-0 lead through three innings, the Patriots watched it wither in a flash.
“Create chaos,” is how Bolling describes his team’s particular brand of rally. Northeast generated enough small-ball in the bottom of the third to plate two of its three runs, while gladly accepting a free walk home for its third. In the following frame, senior Jack Schreiber sliced a line drive to left field and an error on the throw in let Chase McLaughlin score for a 4-3 lead.
Old Mill players assured each other they just needed some hits. As it turned out, it only really needed one.
In the top of the sixth, Patriots junior Ayden Burton, rushed to a triple before Northeast could recover his hit from right field. A sacrifice fly brought him home and tied the game.
But Northeast wouldn’t let this one get away.
“We used to tend to get off topic, and in these close games, we need to stay locked in,” Shriver said. “If we stay locked in, we can pull these games out.”
Old Mill — 111 001 0 — 4 6 2
Northeast — 003 100 1 — 5 7 0
WP: Blick. LP: Glos
2B: OM — Howard. 3B: OM — Burton
Northeast’s Bryce Peacock, left, comes home on a sacrifice fly hit by Dakota Patton, right, in the third inning. The Northeast Eagles defeated the visiting Old Mill Patriots, 5-4, in high school baseball. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
Old Mill’s Ayden Burton beats the tag at home by Northeast catcher Cooper Meeks in the sixth inning. The Northeast Eagles defeated the visiting Old Mill Patriots, 5-4, in high school baseball. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
Northeast pitcher Mike Kooser throws in the sixth inning. The Northeast Eagles defeated the visiting Old Mill Patriots, 5-4, in high school baseball. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
Old Mill’s Brady Tinger hits an RBI single in the third inning. The Northeast Eagles defeated the visiting Old Mill Patriots, 5-4, in high school baseball. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
Northeast’s Chase McLaughlin ducks ball four for a walk in the sixth inning. The Northeast Eagles defeated the visiting Old Mill Patriots, 5-4, in high school baseball. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
Old Mill’s Ayden Burton beats the throw to Northeast third baseman Dakota Patton on a triple in the sixth inning. The Northeast Eagles defeated the visiting Old Mill Patriots, 5-4, in high school baseball. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
Old Mill’s Calen Witcher takes a lead at second base in the third inning. The Northeast Eagles defeated the visiting Old Mill Patriots, 5-4, in high school baseball. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
Northeast’s Mike Kooser lays down a sacrifice bunt to advance a runner in the sixth inning. The Northeast Eagles defeated the visiting Old Mill Patriots, 5-4, in high school baseball. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
Old Mill pitcher Gavin Glos throws in the fourth inning. The Northeast Eagles defeated the visiting Old Mill Patriots, 5-4, in high school baseball. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
Northeast pitcher Mike Kooser throws in the fourth inning. The Northeast Eagles defeated the visiting Old Mill Patriots, 5-4, in high school baseball. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
Northeast’s Bryce Peacock bunts in the third inning. The Northeast Eagles defeated the visiting Old Mill Patriots, 5-4, in high school baseball. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
Old Mill’s Brady Tinger is caught stealing at second base by Northeast’s Chase McLaughlin in the third inning. The Northeast Eagles defeated the visiting Old Mill Patriots, 5-4, in high school baseball. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
Old Mill’s Isaiah Howard doubles in the first inning. The Northeast Eagles defeated the visiting Old Mill Patriots, 5-4, in high school baseball. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
Northeast first baseman Landon Shriver keeps his foot on the bag, makes the catch and gets Old Mill’s Called Witcher out in the seventh inning. The Northeast Eagles defeated the visiting Old Mill Patriots, 5-4, in high school baseball. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
Northeast pitcher Mike Kooser throws in the second inning. The Northeast Eagles defeated the visiting Old Mill Patriots, 5-4, in high school baseball. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
Old Mill’s Ayden Burton gets caught stealing at second base by Northeast’s Bryce Peacock in the first inning. The Northeast Eagles defeated the visiting Old Mill Patriots, 5-4, in high school baseball. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
Old Mill pitcher Gavin Glos throws in the fourth inning. The Northeast Eagles defeated the visiting Old Mill Patriots, 5-4, in high school baseball. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
Northeast’s Jack Schreiber flies out in the sixth inning. The Northeast Eagles defeated the visiting Old Mill Patriots, 5-4, in high school baseball. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
Northeast’s Dakota Patton hits a single in the second inning. The Northeast Eagles defeated the visiting Old Mill Patriots, 5-4, in high school baseball. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
Old Mill’s Grayson Petrusik throws to first to get out Jayden Saraullo and complete the double play after getting Jackson Palmer out at second in the first inning. The Northeast Eagles defeated the visiting Old Mill Patriots, 5-4, in high school baseball. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
Old Mill’s Brandon Rzepkowski singles in the second inning. The Northeast Eagles defeated the visiting Old Mill Patriots, 5-4, in high school baseball. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
Old Mill’s Leo Gruber drives in a run on a sacrifice in the second inning. The Northeast Eagles defeated the visiting Old Mill Patriots, 5-4, in high school baseball. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
Old Mill pitcher Gavin Glos in the seventh inning. The Northeast Eagles defeated the visiting Old Mill Patriots, 5-4, in high school baseball. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
Northeast’s Jack Schreiber gets a piece of the ball and reaches first on an error in the third inning. The Northeast Eagles defeated the visiting Old Mill Patriots, 5-4, in high school baseball. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
Northeast’s Jackson Palmer scores the winning run on a bunt hit by teammate Landon Shriver in the seventh inning. The Northeast Eagles defeated the visiting Old Mill Patriots, 5-4, in high school baseball. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
Northeast’s Landon Shriver, center right, who bunted in the winning run in the seventh, celebrates with teammates. The Northeast Eagles defeated the visiting Old Mill Patriots, 5-4, in high school baseball. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
Northeast’s Jackson Palmer celebrates scoring the winning run on Landon Shriver’s bunt in the seventh inning. Friday against Old Mill. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff)
Northeast winning pitcher Mike Kooser runs out to celebrate with Landon Shriver, who bunted in the winning run in the seventh. The Northeast Eagles defeated the visiting Old Mill Patriots, 5-4, in high school baseball. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff photo)
