Varsity baseball has had a tough season but as playoffs approach they look to get a good playoff seed.
After a four-game losing streak, the Patriots had a doubleheader against Poolesville on Apr. 13, which resulted in a 7-5 win in the first game, though in the second game they fell 9-3. Then they teed off against Rockville on Apr. 15, which was a 26-7 win. They then had a long stretch of three games, which all resulted in losses. On Apr. 18, they lost 7-2 against Magruder on Apr. 20 they lost 14-12 against Damascus.
When the Patriots faced Sherwood, the game went to nine innings, two more than high school baseball is regularly played, with each team going back and forth fighting for the lead. In the final inning, when Wootton was down by two, sophomore captain Kai Schemelzer knocked in a run to cut Sherwood’s lead to one and bring the tying run to second. Unfortunately for the Patriots Sherwood held on to the lead and got the win with a final score of 5-4. “I wanted to pick up Mathew (Kunst) for his great outing pitching, and wanted to come through for the team,” Schemelzer said.
Following the Sherwood game, senior night took place on Apr. 25: The seniors were announced and handed flowers as they were commemorated for their dedication to the team. They faced Watkins Mill, who would not be an issue as the Patriots won 45-4. All the seniors got to start the game and many cherished the opportunity as the regular season came to a close. “It is hard to understand that it is my last year but I am really just trying to take it all in and make as many memories as possible,” senior Justin Keris said.
On Apr. 30, the Patriots traveled to Clarksburg to face a struggling team with a 2-13 record. The game went well for the Patriots and ended in a win of 10-7, as junior Luke Brunner pitched six innings, and junior captain Jack Kerns had a triple that knocked in two runs. “I was really happy when I hit that; everything about the swing felt perfect and I was really excited after,” Kerns said.
As the JV season came to a close with a final record of 5-8, players were called up to varsity, including sophomore Nathan Zweig. He hopes to contribute in any way possible to help win games. “Being called up to varsity is very exciting. It means the coaches have trust in me and I know I can benefit the team,” Zweig said.
As the last few regular season games approach, the team is trying to focus on their defense and continue to grow and develop at practice. The first playoff game is on May 9 or 11, and, although who they play is undecided, they are putting their focus on winning. “We need to focus on playing like we all know we can play and not make any mental mistakes,” Keris said.
