HANOVER — With its back against the wall, Fort Cumberland relied on its explosive offense and a steadying relief outing by Brady Moran to stay alive.
Offense was plentiful at the onset and the game was tied at six in the second inning. Moran got the ball and put up 3 1/3 frames of shutout ball to steady the ship.
Fort Cumberland scored three runs in the fourth frame for the lead, and it exploded for four more in the sixth and five in the seventh to pull away for good.
By the time the hit parade was over, Post 13 racked up 15 knocks, and Fort Cumberland rolled to an 18-7 romp of Cecil County to win an elimination game on Day 2 of the Maryland American Legion state tournament on Saturday at Joe Cannon Stadium.
“We had a pile of hits from everybody,” Fort Cumberland manager Brian McAlpine said. “We got everybody in the game. Everybody contributed one way or another. It was nice to see.”
Fort Cumberland (13-6) was knocked into the loser’s bracket immediately by a 6-4, nine-inning loss to La Plata Post 82 on Friday, and McAlpine rolled the dice Saturday and opted for a bullpen game to preserve arms for a possible run at the championship in the future.
It backfired initially, as an early 4-0 lead — punctuated by a bases-clearing two-bagger by Bryson Krumpach — was erased in an instant, but Post 13’s third pitcher Moran gave Fort Cumberland length in an efficient 45 pitches.
By the time he was pulled at his limit, the submariner had allowed just one hit with two strikeouts and a walk in three-plus innings.
“Just throw strikes, let the defense work,” Moran said of his mentality. “Let them put the ball in play because I know I have a good defense behind me. I had a rough outing last Monday (in the play-in game against Mt. Airy), but just to come back from injury and get my feel back is a big thing.”
With Moran putting up zeroes in the third, fourth and fifth innings, it bought time for Fort Cumberland’s bats to heat up.
Myles Bascelli gave Post 13 the lead for good with an RBI single in the fourth.
Krumpach led all Fort Cumberland batters going 3 for 4 with five RBIs and two runs. He was one of three Post 13 hitters with three hits, joining Cole Ricker and Coye Resh.
Ricker drove in three runs, Bascelli was 2 for 4 with two RBIs, Cade Bauer drove in two, and Kohen Madden and Dane Van Slyke scored three times each.
“It’s just electric,” Krumpach said of Fort Cumberland’s offense. “We’ve got to keep going.”
Richie Zaun took the loss for Cecil County, giving up seven runs on eight hits in 3 1/3 innings.
Cecil’s Trevor Zakowsky tripled and singled, and Gavin Evans scored twice.
Fort Cumberland defeated St. Mary’s Post 255, 7-3, on Sunday in another elimination game to improve to 2-1 at the state tournament and advance to Monday.
“It’s just the win or go home mentality,” Moran said. “Your back’s against the wall. A few of our guys, it’s the last time we ever have a chance to play Legion baseball, so it means a lot more.”
