“Last year I knew we could do it, but we didn’t execute,” DiGiandomenico said. “But this year we did. It just felt really nice to finally come together and do what we knew we could do.”

Six of the Hornets’ 10 batters had hits, including three from junior third baseman Riley Wheeler. Damascus (26-1) scored two runs in the final two innings and put the ball in DiGiandomenico’s hands in the final frame.

Two groundouts by Decatur (19-3) preceded a line drive in the final at-bat that smacked into the glove of a Hornets infielder, ending the game and sparking a raucous Damascus celebration in the infield.

“They finally did it,” Damascus Coach Lindsay Burns thought to herself as the ball was caught. “Thank God.”

Sisters lead Reservoir to 3A title game

Maggie Frisvold has dreamed of winning a state championship for as long as she can remember. Reservoir fell one game short her sophomore year, and the senior has worked to return to the 3A championship game ever since.

After shutting out Huntingtown, 4-0, she is one game away from fulfilling her childhood goal. Frisvold pitched a gem in the state semifinal, allowing two hits and striking out 12 without issuing a walk.

“I’m so excited,” Frisvold said. “I just trust my teammates so much that they have my back.”

Among those teammates is Frisvold’s younger sister, Abbie. Both Frisvolds made their mark on the game at the plate — Abbie kicked off the scoring in the fourth inning by roping a double into left field, and later, Maggie hit a single to put another runner in scoring position.

Defending champion Sherwood bows out

Defending 4A champion Sherwood looked to be rolling toward another title game appearance following a one-loss regular season and a regional championship victory over Blair last week.

The Warriors’ hot streak came to a halt in Glen Burnie, where they were shut out for the first time all season, 2-0, by Urbana.

“It just wasn’t solid contact — that was it,” Coach Ashley Barber-Strunk said. “We kept popping up.”

The typically potent Sherwood offense didn’t produce a hit until the fourth inning, when Kat Hanson belted a single into left field. Hanson’s pinch runner made it around to third base before Urbana put the inning away without ceding a run.

A sacrifice fly in the sixth inning put the Hawks on top, and a solo home run in the seventh provided insurance. Barber-Strunk stood in left field with the team at the conclusion of the game to reflect on a dominant season that fell just short.

“They had the love, the togetherness, the family, the hard work — they have everything you could ever want,” Barber-Strunk said.

In the other 4A semifinal, Broadneck couldn’t overcome a slow start in a 7-2 loss to Dulaney (11-5).

The Bruins (16-9) ceded a run in each of the first five innings and were held scoreless during that time. A sudden hitting surge in the sixth inning gave Broadneck a glimmer of hope after Aliceanna Weibley and Mara Gilkey notched RBI singles to cut the deficit to three, but two more Dulaney runs put the game out of reach.

Calvert again reaches final

For the third straight season, Calvert (22-1) advanced to the Maryland 2A state title game. The Cavaliers downed Northeast, 12-1, using a 10-run seventh inning to blow open what was once a tight game.

“That was weird, only being up 2-1 going into that seventh inning,” Coach Lauren Robison said. “But to put up a 10-spot in the seventh inning, that takes the wind out of anybody’s sails.”

Each of the first three Cavaliers batters reached base at the start of the inning, and a hit-by-pitch doubled Calvert’s advantage. Six hits later, the Cavaliers had plenty of runs to work with, and they closed out the Eagles comfortably.

The Cavaliers will face Rising Sun (20-1) in a state championship rematch. Last year Calvert won, 5-4, in eight innings.