Gaithersburg Produces 2 in the Final Four

by James Peters Staff Writer

Gaithersburg Post 104 has kept the Shipley Field scoreboard operator busy the past couple of days.

One day after punishing Cumberland Post 13 for 30 runs, Post 104 roughed up LaPlata Post 82 for 13 more, on 14 hits, for a 13-8 victory Sunday and spot in the final four of the Maryland State American Legion baseball tournament at the University of Maryland.

Post 104 (20-11) plays Frederick Post 11 at 11 a.m. Monday. The other contest, slated for half an hour after that, pits Gaithersburg Post 295 (28-6) against Mount Airy Post 191.

"We hit the ball today," Post 104 coach Alfie Riley said. "The guys came out hitting. Up and down the lineup, we hit the ball. We're into Monday and we still have a little bit of pitching left. I think we can at least get through another game and figure it out if we get to Tuesday."

Catcher Ben Silverman paced Gaithersburg's attack with two home runs, two doubles and four runs batted in on the day. Tim Riley added a couple of RBI as well for Post 104, which opened up a 6-2 lead through three innings and continued to pull away by scoring at least one run in eight of the nine innings, including four in the fifth.

"I felt good at the plate," said Silverman, who was jokingly given a bunt sign each at-bat by Alfie Riley. "Lucky day. I don't know. A career day. We all are crushing the ball. It was a good day for us."

The same could be said for Gaithersburg Post 295, which took out some pent-up frustration from a loss early Sunday in a 15-2, seven-inning shellacking of Wicomico Post 64. That victory came after Post 295 fell, 14-7, to Frederick in a rain make-up from the night before.
The first game was a rematch of last year's final. Post 295 trailed by just a run, 6-5, through five innings but Post 11 produced eight runs in the seventh and eighth innings to pull away. Gaithersburg showed no ill-effects from that loss, however, scoring three runs in the first inning against Wicomico, including a two-run home run by Matt Civetti.

Post 295 added two runs in the second, one in the third, three in the fourth and six in the fifth. Gaithersburg banged out 17 hits and every starter had at least one, including Nick Karis (3 for 5, two runs, RBI), Mike Ryan (2 for 4, double, two RBI), Gary Schneider (3 for 3, three runs, three RBI) and Chris Rados (3 for 4, two doubles, two RBI).

"We saw a lot of Salisbury yesterday and we knew they were out of pitching pretty much," said Rados of Wicomico, which lost a suspended game from Saturday night, 14-10, in 10 innings on a walk-off grand slam with two outs early Sunday morning. "I think everything came together today and I think losing to Frederick kind of [ticked] us off a little bit. There's always been a big rivalry between us and Frederick."

While Post 295 was pounding Wicomico starter Daniel Trivits, Gaithersburg starter Nick Karis limited Post 64 to a pair of runs in the fourth inning and just two hits overall in a complete-game effort. Karis was making his third appearance on the mound this summer. Post 295 manager Rick Price decided to give Karis the ball on a recommendation by long-time assistant coach Clint Davenport.

"I worked on my change-up a lot," said Karis, who learned of his start 20 minutes before the late afternoon game was to start. "That was getting them swinging and missing and when it wasn't that, the curveball had them. I would get a groundball."