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Maryland's South River Wins Mid-Atlantic League Championship

By AAU Baseball, 08/20/18, 11:45AM CDT

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ANNAPOLIS, Maryland - Maryland's South River Seahawks piled up 5 runs in the third inning, winning the 2018 Mid-Atlantic Wood Bat League 18+ Championship Tournament over the defending champion Maryland RBI advanced skills development team at South River High School.

It's always a battle whenever these neighboring clubs meet and this was another in a long list of championship clashes. From 2010 through 2018, South River and Maryland RBI teams met for regional, state and Maryland AAU District Championships three times, splitting the first two games before South River took the third June 30 in a 5-4 thriller. The 2012 16U collision was won by Maryland RBI and 2016 19U by South River.

In 2016, South River shocked the nation, defeating the top seeded and longtime acknowledged leaders of AAU Baseball in Maryland in district 19U tournament play. It was one of the biggest upsets in Maryland AAU sports history. In 2017, again the No. 1 top seed in 19U, Maryland RBI bounced back capped by an undefeated 18-0 season with a thrilling win over the defending 2016 Maryland AAU state champion Pasadena Baseball Club.

South River, Maryland RBI and Pasadena are the only programs in Maryland AAU baseball that have notched multiple championships the past eight years.

During that span, Maryland RBI has won four titles, just ahead of South River with three and Pasadena with two.

This summer, Maryland RBI and South River survived an outstanding 18+ regular season marked by weekly upsets and a constant churn in the standings.

In the first inning, regular season champion and top-seeded Maryland RBI got its offense started in the tournament championship when Vincent Aurigemma's sac fly scored one run for Maryland RBI.

South River pulled away in the third on run scoring doubles by Chris Sheridan and Kevin Sieber and a Zachary Rees single.

Rees was the winning pitcher for South River. He allowed zero hits and four runs over four innings, striking out three. Sieber threw three innings in relief out of the bullpen and recorded the last nine outs to earn the save for South River.

Aurigemma took the loss for Maryland RBI. He lasted two and a third innings, allowing two hits and four runs while striking out two.

Alex Coull and CJ Cummings each collected one hit to lead Maryland RBI.

South River's pitching and defense was stellar in the championship, allowing only two hits.

The win marked the second championship for South River in the past three years, after Maryland RBI won the title in 2017. The Seahawks defeated Pasadena, 1-0, for the right to compete in the 2018 championship.

Maryland RBI beat the North County Black Sox, 6-2, in the other semifinal matchup.

Maryland RBI fired up the offense in the first inning. Connor Graham ignited Maryland RBI with a triple on a 1-1 count, scoring Jimmie Gentry.

Scott Mudd was credited with the victory for Maryland RBI. He surrendered one run on three hits over four innings, striking out five and walking one.

Jake Fedorczyk threw three innings in relief out of the bullpen.

Cummings, Fedorczyk, Aurigemma, Graham, Gentry, and Mark Cullins each managed one hit to lead Maryland RBI. Maryland RBI didn't commit a single error in the field. Cummings had a remarkable 12 chances in the field, the most on the team.

Troy Anderzejewski led North County with two hits in three at bats.