5/14/2006 Damascus 17 Whitman 6
5/12/2006 Whitman 6 Watkins Mill 5
5/10/2006 Whitman 13 Rockville 5
5/8/2006 Quince Orchard 5 Whitman 3
5/6/2006 Damascus 11 Whitman 1
5/4/2006 Whitman 10 BCC 7
5/2/2006 Whitman 6 Richard Montgomery 5
4/29/2006 Paint Branch 8 Whitman 4
4/25/2006 Whitman 7 Blair 4
4/21/2006 Whitman 11 Walter Johnson 10
4/19/2006 Wootton 5 Whitman 4
4/5/2006 Gaithersburg 3 Whitman 1
4/3/2006 Churchill 10 Whitman 9
4/1/2006 Whitman 11 Watkins Mill 1
3/29/2006 Blake 14 Whitman 4
3/25/2006 Whitman 14 Springbrook 7
3/23/2006 Whitman 6 Sherwood 3
3/21/2006 Whitman 13 Poolesville 7

The Whitman Vikings launched their defense of the 2005 4A West Division title with an exciting, come-from-behind, 13-7 victory over the pesky Poolesville Falcons.

Junior Gabe Feldman went 4-for-4 (two doubles, two singles) to lead a balanced offensive attack. Daniel Hendricks (1-0) notched the win by blanking the Falcons over the last three innings, giving up only one hit. It was a vintage team effort, with several Vikes contributing key hits and defensive plays.

"I think it was a good first game win, especially given the cold conditions," said Whitman Coach Jim Kuhn. "I was happy with our hitting and pitching, but we need to improve our defense."

Whitman jumped to an early 2–0 lead when Senior Peter Swiek led off with a double, Feldman followed with a single, and Sophomore Brian Gobish knocked them both in with a single.

But the Falcons answered, combining a few well-placed hits with a pair of defensive miscues to score five unearned runs in the 2nd inning. They added two more runs in the 3rd, taking a commanding 7-2 lead. When the Vikes failed to answer in the 4th, the 39 degree temperature seemed even more bone chilling.

But Junior Marty Hauck held them in the 4th, striking out one and inducing two fly outs.

Junior Andrew Furth started the 5th with a double that eluded a diving left fielder. Sophomore Matt Kaler followed with a single, driving in Furth, who stole third on a dropped pitch. After Feldman and Gobish walked to load the bases, Senior John Bornstein walked to score Kaler. Sophomore Michael Lee smacked a frozen rope to left, scoring Feldman and Gobish. The Vikes were back in the game, down 6-7.

After Hendricks pitched a scoreless 5th, Swiek opened the festivities in the 6th with a bomb down the right field line which had “triple” written all over it. With the speedy Swiek racing toward third, the relay throw got by the third baseman and rolled out of play. Swiek was awarded home. Suddenly, the game was knotted at 7.

“I now understand why he wore the facemask,” quipped one parent. “Running at that speed in near-freezing temperatures, his checks could have gotten frostbite.”

The Vikes were only getting started. Kaler singled and advanced to third on Feldman’s double. After Gobish was intentionally walked, Bornstein collected his second RBI with a walk, and Lee knocked in Kaler with a groundout to second. Whitman was finally back in the lead 9-7.

The "icing" came in 7th when the Vikes scored 4 more runs, thanks to table-setting walks by Junior Manoj Bhutani and Swiek, a Furth single, and RBIs by Kaler, Feldman, and Gobish. Feldman had warmed up between innings, but now with a commanding 13-7 lead, Coach Jim Kuhn could save his arm for another day.

Whitman closed out in style, ending the game on a sweet, 6-4-3 doubleplay, highlighted by Kaler’s classy turn at second.

There was also nifty fielding at the hot corner. Back in 2nd, when Poolesville was threatening to break the game open, third baseman Hendricks snared a line shot heading for the left field pole, and threw across the diamond to double off the runner on first. In the 6th, with Poolesville bidding for a comeback, new third sacker Michael Lee gobbled up a tough short-hop grounder and fired to first to end the threat.

--Evan Hendricks

Vikes pitching ace Gabe Feldman picked up where he left off last year, striking out 11 and scattering five hits as the Vikings defeated Sherwood 6-3 in their home opener to improve their record to 2-0. Brian Gobish got the final two outs with runners on base to earn the save.

The Vikings offense capitalized on canny baserunning and timely hitting to take a 2-0 lead in their first at bat. Peter Swiek reached first on a fielders choice, promptly stole second, and took third on a passed ball. After Feldman drew a walk, the Vikings executed a perfect double steal, with Feldman reaching second and Swiek beating the throw home. Feldman was picked off second base, but Gobish walked, Jon Bornstein singled, and Mike Lee hit a double down the left field line to score Gobish.

In the second inning, the Vikings added two more runs on miscues by Sherwood starter Kyle Blackwell. With one out, Chris Thompson and Swiek recorded back-to-back walks. After Feldman lined out to center, Gobish drew an 0-2 count, and the inning looked over. But Blackwell made a wild pickoff throw to first, enabling Thompson to score from second and Swiek to reach third. Then the flustered Blackwell threw a wild pitch, allowing Swiek to score.

The Vikes scored their final two runs in the fifth off of Sherwood reliever Alejandro Acevedo. Feldman led off with a walk and reached third on yet another errant pickoff throw to first. Two outs later Mike Lee came through with his second RBI double of the night, scoring Feldman. Dan Hendricks followed with a single to center that scored Lee.

Meanwhile, Feldman used a mixture of blazing fastballs and nasty breaking balls to keep the Sherwood offense off balance. Aside from giving up a run in the fourth on a walk and a double to the right field gap, Feldman was dominant for the first six innings.

He began to tire in the seventh, however, and Sherwood made a last-ditch effort to climb back into the game. After the leadoff hitter reached base on a dribbler between the pitcher’s mound and first, Feldman gave up a single and a walk to load the bases with one out. Sherwood’s leadoff hitter Daniel Liscinsky singled in two runs to make the score 6-3, and Feldman was done for the night.

With runners on first and second and the tying run at the plate, Gobish came in to pitch to the heart of the Sherwood order. He got the second out on an infield-fly-rule pop-up, and worked the count on Sherwood No. 3 hitter Brian Moran to 3-2. With the game on the line, Gobish fired a perfect fastball past the swinging Moran to seal the victory.

--David Furth

The Walt Whitman Vikings improved their record to 3-0 by defeating Springbrook on Saturday afternoon, 14-7, avenging last year's defeat at the hands of the Blue Devils.

Several Viking batsmen had outstanding days. Second baseman Matt Kaler drove in six runs with three hits. First baseman Jon Bornstein had three RBI and a 2-for-4 afternoon. And left fielder Peter Swiek hit two frozen-rope triples to right-center field, including one that rolled up against the high school at least 350 feet away.

The game seemed much closer than the lopsided score would indicate. Springbrook left men on base in nearly every inning, stranding 12 runners over seven innings. Whitman escaped from at least two jams with stellar plays. Marty Hauck entered the game in relief in the bottom of the third and picked a runner off second base. Later in that inning, catcher Andrew Furth caught a squeeze bunt attempt in the air and doubled the runner off third base.

Whitman stormed out of the gate with six runs in the first inning, seemingly putting the game out of reach. After three walks to load the bases, Bornstein launched a rocket to the fence in left-center, emptying the bases. After two more walks to re-load the bases, Kaler hit a liner to right that eluded the right fielder, rolling behind him and allowing all three runners to score.

Springbrook's lead-off hitter, Harold Brantley, stunned the Whitman crowd moments later by launching a towering home run over the right field fence, easily more than 370 feet away. The ball rolled down an embankment and out of sight. The Blue Devils added another run in the first inning and two more in the second, on the strength of a long triple to center by the Univeristy-of-Connecticut-bound Brantley, to pull within 6-4 and make it a game.

The Vikings answered with single runs in the third and fourth. In the third, Andrew Furth lifted a long sacrifice fly to left, scoring Michael Lee who had crushed a double to right-center. In the fourth, the speedy Swiek hit one of his two triples--he could have easily scored but was held at third with one out--and came home on a wild pitch.

Then in the fifth the Vikings put the game out of reach, scoring four more times. Kaler singled home one run. One run scored on a ball hit by Chris Thompson that Brantley, playing center, lost in the sun. Swiek tripled home a run. And Gabe Feldman drove a single to right center that plated another.

It took four Whitman pitchers to quell the Blue Demons. Dan Hendricks came on in relief of Hauck in the fourth with runners on first and second. A wild pitch moved the runners to second and third. Hendricks fanned the next batter then induced a groundout to third base to end the inning.

Springbrook had already scored once in the fifth inning when they loaded the bases and Keith Hessler strode to the plate. Hessler, selected to last year's All-Met Honorable Mention team, drove a ball high and deep into center field. When Whitman's Chris Thompson, playing very deep, didn't move for the ball, it seemed as though he had lost it. But the ball dropped into his glove to end the inning.

Closer Brian Gobish came on to pitch the seventh inning, recording two strikeouts and coaxing Brantley to fly to left field.

The Blake Bengals broke open a close game with a five-run fifth inning and cruised to a 14-4 victory on Wednesday night at Whitman. The loss dropped Whitman's record dropped to 3-1, still good for first place in the 4A South.

The game was a pitcher's duel for the first three innings, highlighted by some strong defensive plays. Shortstop Daniel Hendricks put out a Blake (3-0) rally in the third by fielding a ground ball with one out, stepping on second, and firing to third for a double play.

The fourth inning got off to an inauspicious start when the first Blake batter reached on ball that could have been caught in left-center. A walk and an infield single loaded the bases. With the infield playing in at the corners, third baseman Michael Lee made a fine play on a short-hopper and forced the runner at home for the second out. Then, on an 0-2 count, lead-off hitter Matt Schrader reached out and poked a bases-clearing double to right to give Blake a 3-0 lead.

But Whitman came right back in the bottom of the fourth. Jon Bornstein reached on a sharply hit infield single and moved to second, one out later, on a single to center by Lee. After Dan Hendricks grounded out to move the runners to second and third, catcher Andrew Furth dropped a single into right-center, scoring both runners. Andrew Disney drove a ball through the shortstop's legs to make it first and second with two out and bring centerfielder Chris Thompson to the plate. Thompson singled sharply to right, scoring Peter Swiek who had gone in to run for Furth. But Thompson was thrown out at second trying to extend his hit into a double.

Blake batted around in the fifth inning. Schrader drove home two more runs with a timely single. Blake's 6-run seventh inning put the game out of reach.

Whitman scored once more in the bottom of the seventh. Thompson walked, moved to second on a single by Matt Kaler, went to third on a hit by Gabe Feldman, and scored when Bornstein hit into a fielder's choice.

The Walt Whitman Vikings (4-1) rebounded from their first defeat of the year to pound the Watkins Mill Wolverines, 11-1, on Saturday afternoon behind the five-hit pitching of junior Simon Weaver. The game ended by slaughter after five innings.

Whitman squandered an opportunity to take the lead in the first inning, stranding two runners who reached on errors.

Watkins Mill took a 1-0 lead in the second inning with a lead-off single and long triple to the wall in right. But after that the 6-foot, three-inch Weaver regained control, striking out three Wolverines with a minimum of pitches to earn the victory.

Whitman scored all their runs in one inning--the third. Second baseman Matt Kaler led off the inning with a base hit to left after working the count full. Chris Thompson singled to center and Peter Swiek walked to load the bases. Gabe Feldman walked to force home the first run. Jon Bornstein followed with a single to left to make it 3-1.

The Vikings were far from done. After a Mike Lee single that put runners at first and third, Brian Gobish ripped a fastball down the left-field line to score Bornstein and make it 4-1. A couple batters later, with the bases loaded, Kaler connected for his second hit of the inning, a triple to the wall in right field that emptied the bases. After Thompson walked, Peter Swiek hit his fourth triple of the year, a blast that sailed over the outfielder's head to the wall in right. Two runs scored on the hit. Swiek later scored on an infield out by Matt Hudock.

The Whitman Vikings lost a nerve-wracking, 10-9 thriller to the Churchill Bulldogs, as the Vikes’ last-inning bid to overcome a five-run deficit fell one run short. With the loss, Whitman's record dropped to 4-2.

With the game tied at 5 in the top of the seventh, the Bulldogs exploded for 5 runs to take a commanding 10-5 lead. But the Vikes fought back with a bottom-seven rally, sending nine batters to the plate. With the tying run on third and winning run on second, the Churchill third basemen made a nice stop on a tough grounder, his low throw bounced right into the glove of the first baseman, ending the threat – and the game.

The Vikes continued to hit well as a team. Chris Thompson and Andrew Disney had three hits while Gabe Feldman, Matt Kaler, and Andrew Furth all notched two hits.

But the game was marred by fielding errors – 7 by Churchill, 3 by Whitman.

Daniel Hendricks was starting pitcher for Whitman, and departed in the sixth inning after giving up a game total of five runs – two of them earned. He was relieved by Brian Gobish and Marty Hauck. Brian Disbrow went the distance for Churchill.

--Evan Hendricks

The Whitman Vikings suffered a dissapointing, 3-1 loss to the Gaithersburg Trojans on Wednesday afternoon, dropping their record to 4-3.

Gabe Feldman started for Whitman, but had to leave the game due to illness after one inning. Andrew Furth, in his first appearance of the year, pitched the final five innings, giving up only two runs while striking out four.

Viking hitters could do very little against sophomore Kevin Brady, who threw a complete game while striking out eight. Both teams could only muster three hits.

Gaithersburg jumped on top in the first with one run. The Vikings tied the game in the third, when Chris Thompson led off with a walk and came around to score on a triple to left by Peter Swiek.

Nick Franceski's two-run double in the bottom of the third proved to be the margin of difference.

A valiant comeback effort by Whitman came up one run short on Wednesday night as the Vikings lost a home game to Wootton, 5-4, running their record to 4-4.

Whitman fell behind early, giving up two runs in the first. But the Vikings battled back with a run in the bottom of the inning. Chris Thompson coaxed a walk from Wootton's Bobby Kim, went to third on a single by Peter Swiek (his first of three hits on the night), and scored on a wild pitch.

But Wootton scored two more times in the top of the second to take a 4-1 lead. Whitman added another run in the bottom of the third to make it 4-2 when third baseman Michael Lee hit into a fielder's choice, scoring Jon Bornstein who had walked.

Wootton scored an unearned run in the top of the fifth, but Whitman answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning to draw within 5-4. Peter Swiek doubled, moved to third on an infield out, and came around to score on a ground ball to short by Bornstein. After Matt Kaler singled, Lee drove home Bornstein with a sharp single.

But those would prove to be the final runs of the game as both teams failed to score in the 6th and 7th innings.

It took them nine innings, but the Walt Whitman Vikings finally defeated Walter Johnson, 11-10, on Friday afternoon behind four strong innings of relief by senior Dan Hendricks. The win improved Whitman's record to 5-4.

The score was tied in the top of the second extra inning when catcher Andrew Furth doubled down the right field line for his third hit of the game. He scored when centerfielder Chris Thompson, with two outs, smacked a line drive that the second baseman booted into right field for an error. The Vikings benefited from several crucial Wildcat miscues.

Hendricks, who had come on in relief in the sixth, gave up a double in the bottom of the ninth with two out but struck out the final batter on a foul-tip third strike caught by Furth. He fanned five and gave up only two hits on route to the win.

It looked like Whitman, which had built up a 10-3 lead after four and a half innings, would win easily. But the Wildcats struck for five runs in the bottom of the fifth. Walter Johnson tallied two more runs in the bottom of the sixth to knot the score at 10.

The Wildcats actually jumped out to an early lead in the game, scoring three times in the first inning. But the Vikings, who were coming off a tough, one-run loss to Wootton two nights before, came right back in the top of the second inning. With one out, Brian Gobish walked and Jon Bornstein singled down the left-field line. Furth singled home Gobish. Then, after the runners advanced to second and third, Thompson hit a two-RBI single.

Whitman rallied for three more runs in the third inning. After Gabe Feldman reached on an error, Peter Swiek stroked a single to left. Matt Kaler laced a hit to center, scoring Feldman. Then Gobish hit a bloop infield single to score Swiek. The final run scored on a sacrifice fly by Furth.

The Vikings added another run in the fourth when Feldman--who reached base all six times--doubled and came home on an error by WJ's shortstop. Bornstein triggered a three-run rally in the fifth, hitting a one-out single. After Furth singled, Disney singled to load the bases. Then Feldman hit a long fly ball dropped by the centerfielder that emptied the bases.

Josh Weingardt, making his first start of the season, singled twice, scored two runs, and keyed a 7-4 Whitman victory over the Blair Blazers on Tuesday night at Whitman. The bespectacled senior also played a strong game at second base, recording five assists and a putout.

Gabe Feldman pitched a complete game for the Vikings, striking out five and giving up only four hits. The win improved the team’s record to 6-4.

Whitman struck for three runs in the bottom of the first. Chris Thompson walked, Feldman was hit by a pitch, and Jon Bornstein reached on an error by the shortstop to load the bases. Michael Lee strode to the plate with one out and smoked a line drive to center that took a wicked hop over the outfielder’s head, clearing the bases.

Then, in the bottom of the second, Weingardt and Andrew Disney both singled up the middle, and moved to second and third on a wild pitch. Thompson delivered a single to center through a drawn-in infield to make the score 5-0.

The Blazers responded with two runs in the top of the third, only one of them earned, to draw within 5-2. One run scored on a wild pitch, the other on a bloop single to left that Disney couldn’t quite reach.

Whitman added another run in the fourth that was “all Josh Weingardt.” The second-sacker singled to right to open the inning, went to second on an errant pick-off, stole third on a walk to Peter Swiek, then scored when an attempt to pick off Swiek at first rolled away from the first baseman. The Vikings added an insurance run in the sixth on a long triple by Thompson, who scored with one out on a sacrifice to right by Swiek.

Blair scored two runs in the top of the seventh. But Feldman rallied to strike out the last batter and end the threat, sealing the victory for Whitman.

The Paint Branch Panthers built an early 5-1 lead and cruised to victory over Walt Whitman on Saturday afternoon before a large "Senior Day" crowd at Paint Branch. With the loss, the Vikings dropped to 6-5.

Dan Hendricks continued his series of masterful relief performances, coming on with the bases loaded and no one out in the fourth and getting out of the inning with minimal damage on three strikeouts. Hendricks threw three innings of scoreless relief to close out the game.

The Vikings could muster only two hits against three Panther pitchers. Chris Thompson doubled into the gap in left-center in the first and scored one out later on a groundout by Matt Kaler, his first of two RBIs in the game.

Peter Swiek had the other hit--a towering triple to center in the third inning that cleared the center fielder's head and rolled to the warning track at least 390 feet away. Swiek, who has six triples this season, scored on a sacrifice fly by Kaler. The Vikings manufactured a second run that inning when Gabe Feldman walked, stole second and third, and came home on an overthrow at third base.

With the two runs in the third, the Vikings narrowed the deficit to 5-3. But the Panthers scratched out three runs in the fourth to put the game out of reach. They loaded the bases on an infield hit and two bunt singles. A walk forced in one run. A two-strike single to center plated two more.

Peter Swiek singled home Andrew Disney to break a 5-5 tie in the bottom of the ninth inning, as the Walt Whitman Vikings (7-5) defeated the Richard Montgomery Rockets for their second extra-inning victory of the season.

The Rockets struck first in the second inning, scoring an unearned run on a bases-loaded walk. Whitman’s offense, quiet for the first three innings, answered with three runs in the fourth. Swiek led off with a walk, moved to third on a long single to right by Matt Kahler, and scored on pitcher Gabe Feldman’s single to left. Third baseman Mike Lee launched a double to deep right field that scored Kahler and moved Feldman to third, and catcher Brian Gobish hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Feldman.

On the mound, Feldman was strong for the first five innings, striking out six and giving up one hit. But Richard Montgomery regained the lead in the top of the sixth. After loading the bases on a hit batter, a walk, and an error by the shortstop, the Rockets scored one run on a wild pitch, and two more on a single to left, to take a 4-3 lead.

In the sixth inning, the Vikings loaded the bases with nobody out on singles by Kahler and Feldman and a walk by Lee. But after Jon Bornstein struck out and Gobish popped up, it looked like the Rockets might escape the inning unscathed. Then shortstop Dan Hendricks came through with a seeing-eye single to the left side that scored Kahler and Feldman, giving Whitman the lead again at 5-4.

Whitman failed to hold the lead in the seventh, though. The Rockets’ leadoff hitter walked, moved to second on an errant pickoff throw, and scored on a ground out to tie the score at 5-5. Whitman failed to score in the bottom of the seventh, stranding a baserunner at third, and forcing the game into extra innings.

Simon Weaver pitched the eighth and ninth innings in relief of Feldman, holding the Rockets scoreless and striking out three. In the bottom of the ninth, number-nine hitter Disney led off by beating out a ground ball to the right side that was mishandled by the Rockets’ second baseman. In his first at-bat of the game, substitute right fielder Manoj Butani laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Disney to second, setting up Swiek’s game-winning hit.

--David Furth

Whitman’s “Cardiac Kids” did it again Thursday night, winning 10-7 against arch rival Bethesda Chevy Chase in another tense, come-from-behind battle before a cheering, standing-room-only crowd.

Daniel Hendricks notched his third win, hurling a 118-pitch complete game. He gave up only two earned runs over 7 innings, allowing eight hits and striking out eight. "This win goes to the team,” said Hendricks. "It’s great for a pitcher to get that kind of support.”

The Vikings (8-5) provided key offensive and defensive support throughout the game with several outstanding performances. Matt Kaler led a chorus of hot bats, going three-for-three, scoring two runs. Gabe Feldman also had three hits, scored twice, and had two RBIs. Michael Lee had a triple, single, two runs scored, and three RBIs. Jon Bornstein also tripled and knocked in a run. Brian Gobish scored, doubled, and drove in a run.

All of this offense came against Will Hanlon, considered one of the premier pitchers in Montgomery County and a top college prospect.

Stellar defensive performances by Feldman at shortstop and Kaler at second base kept the Vikes in the game during some early rough going. More help came in the form of solid defense by the three outfielders – Peter Swiek, Andrew Disney and Manoj Bhutani – all of whom hauled in long fly balls that, if misplayed, could have broken the game open for the Barons.

BCC jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first and tacked on two more in the third. But Whitman’s bats came alive, resulting in a five-run third and a 5-3 lead.

The Barons countered with a two-out, four-run rally in the fourth to regain the advantage. The Vikes clawed back with one run, making it 7-6. Hendricks shut down the Barons potent offense in the fifth and sixth.

In the Vikings’ half of the sixth, Kaler led off with his third hit and Feldman followed with his third. Then more key hitting and some fielding miscues allowed Whitman to explode for four runs, resulting in a 10-7 lead.

Then it was “10-4” for the usually boisterous Barons as they went quietly in the seventh, with Hendricks fanning the final two outs.

The Vikings next head to Damascus for a Saturday match-up with the always tough Swarmin' Hornets, who on May 4th beat Gaithersburg 8-3.

--Evan Hendricks

Whitman lost 11-1 on Saturday afternoon at Damascus to drop their record to 8-6 with only two games left in the regular season.

The Vikings could muster only one run. Gabe Feldman hit a rocket to the wall in left to lead off the second inning and Brian Gobish followed with a blast to left-center that drove him home.

Peter Swiek collected two hits. Andrew Disney and Jon Bornstein collected the only other hits for Whitman.

The Walt Whitman Vikings battled to the end against the defending state champion Quince Orchard Cougars, bringing the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning, but lost 5-3 on Senior Night at Walt Whitman stadium.

Whitman's seven seniors--Eric Potkin, Andrew Disney, Chris Thompson, Peter Swiek, Jon Bornstein, Dan Hendricks, and Josh Weingardt--were honored on the field in a pre-game ceremony. Coach Jim Kuhn gave each set of parents a keepsake baseball signed by the team.

Junior Simon Weaver, pitching on only two days rest, kept Whitman in the game all night, coaxing the undefeated, fourth-ranked Cougars into 10 fly-ball outs, many of them into the deepest parts of the field. Weaver, who gave up only five hits and three earned runs, kept the lethal Cougar hitters off-stride with a mix of curveballs and well-located fastballs.

Whitman's fleet outfield--seniors Swiek, Thompson, and Disney--roamed far and wide, running down long fly balls against the wall and racing in to pick off line drives. Senior Dan Hendricks made several stellar plays at third base to quell rallies.

Whitman (8-7) narrowed the score to 5-3 in the bottom of the seventh and last inning after Disney reached on an error and Thompson singled to move him to third. Swiek sacrificed home Disney with a long fly to left, bringing the tying run to the plate. But the Vikings couldn't sustain the rally.

Quince Orchard scored an unearned run in the first, but the Vikings came back to tie the score at 1-1 after junior Gabe Feldman singled sharply to left and sophomore Brian Gobish moved him to third with a single to left. Feldman scored on a passed ball.

The Cougars scored another unearned run in the fourth to make it 2-1 then broke open the game with three earned runs in the fifth inning. Two runs might not have scored had a couple calls gone Whitman's way. It looked as though the Vikings nailed one runner at the plate, but the throw was low and catcher Gobish couldn't hold on. Then Gobish pegged to second and appeared to nail another runner who eventually scored.

The Vikings cut the lead to 5-2 in the bottom of the fifth. Disney smacked a hard single to center. After Thompson walked, Swiek stroked a long double to right-center that scored Disney. Unfortunately, the next batter was called out on a close strike.

The Walt Whitman Vikings finished the regular season on a high note by defeating the Rockville Rams 13-5 on Wednesday afternoon on the strength of a seven-run third inning. The win lifted Whitman's record to 9-7.

Peter Swiek led the way for the Vikings with three hits, including two doubles Jon Bornstein delivered two big hits, a double down the left-field line to drive in one run and a single that plated another.

Whitman trotted four pitchers to the mound in a tune-up for the playoffs that begin on Friday. Gabe Feldman started and was followed by Dan Hendricks, Marty Hauck, and Michael Lee. Three of Rockville's five runs were unearned.

Whitman broke on top in the first, when Swiek roped a ball into the gap in right center, never stopped as he rounded first, and easily beat the throw into second. He scored when Brian Gobish singled to left.

Swiek keyed Whitman's seven-run third inning as well. He opened with a double to left, once again beating a close throw at second, and scored when Feldman crushed a double to the wall left. Bornstein singled home Feldman. Then, after Hendricks walked and Josh Weingardt reached on an error, Andrew Disney drove a single up the middle to score two runs. Chris Thompson plated another run with a single to right.

In the sixth inning, sophomore outfielder Jeff Susskind treated Whitman fans to a glimpse of the future when he almost single-handedly manufactured a run, reaching base on an error, stealing second, advancing to third on a throwing error, and scoring on a passed ball.

Whitman rallied again in the seventh. Eric Potkin walked and Simon Weaver reached base on an infield hit. After the runners advanced on a wild pitch, Hendricks singled in Potkin and moved Weaver to third. Matt Hudock hit a sharp grounder that the shortstop couldn’t handle, driving in Weaver and moving Hendricks to third. Hendricks scored Whitman’s thirteenth and final run on a wild pitch.

Whitman relied on multiple pitchers to maintain a comfortable lead. Hauck pitched the fourth and fifth innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on two hits, and striking out one. Lee pitched the final two innings, giving up two runs in the seventh (one earned) on two hits, and striking out one.

Walt Whitman (10-7) beat Watkins Mill 6-5 at home on Friday afternoon with an unearned run in the bottom of the seventh inning to move into the second round of the Maryland state baseball tournament.

It looked like the Vikings had the game sewn up in the top of the seventh, when, with two outs, a Watkins Mill batter hit a soft roller back to the mound that took a freakish bounce through pitcher Gabe Feldman’s legs. After a single to right sent the runner to third, he came home on an infield hit to short.

Undaunted, Whitman came storming back in the bottom of the seventh. Second baseman Matt Kaler drew a walk. Feldman drove a line drive to center field that the pitcher nearly stabbed. Brian Gobish’s bunt down the third base line was fielded by the catcher, who threw the ball into foul territory along the left field line, allowing the winning run to score.

The Vikings fell behind 2-0 early in the game. Watkins Mill scored single runs in the first and second innings with a combination of walks, stolen bases, and timely hits. Whitman narrowed the score to 2-1 in the second inning, when Jon Bornstein walked, took second on a wild pitch, third on a passed ball, and scored on an infield single by Dan Hendricks.

Hendricks, who started the game, was relieved by Feldman in the third. Watkins Mill scored two more runs in the fifth inning, one on a wild pitch, another on a passed ball, to widen their lead to 4-1. But the Vikings answered with four runs in the bottom of the fifth off Watkins Mill ace Wes Shifflet to take a 5-4 lead.

Andrew Disney led off the inning with a single to center, his second hit of the game. Shifflet hit Chris Thompson on an 0-2 pitch. Then with Peter Swiek at the plate, Disney stole third base easily. Thompson took off for second on the next pitch, which Swiek drilled through the hole at short vacated by the shortstop who was covering, scoring Disney. Thompson and Swiek pulled off a double steal, making it second and third.

Feldman hit a roller to third base, which the third baseman threw into the dirt at first, allowing Thompson to score. Swiek smartly moved to third. With Gobish at the plate, Feldman took off for second and, when the catcher’s throw went into center field, Swiek scored. A few moments later, Jeff Susskind, who came in to run for Feldman, was picked off second base, but the second baseman’s errant throw to third went into the outfield, allowing Susskind to score.

Watkins Mill rallied in the sixth inning, loading the bases with two outs. But Feldman struck out the clean-up batter when Gobish caught a foul tip. Whitman moves on to play against Damascus on Monday.

Walt Whitman's season came to a close on Monday as the Vikings fell to Damascus 17-6 in the second round of the state championship tournament. With the loss, the Vikings ended an exciting, up-and-down season with a 10-8 record.

It was the last high school game for Whitman's seven seniors, including the starting outfield. But the Vikings will return a solid team for 2007, including three pitchers and two catchers. Several sophomores--Matt Kaler, Michael Lee, and Brian Gobish--benefited from considerable playing time this year. And Whitman's No. 1 catcher, Andrew Furth, will be back.

The Vikings, who had beaten Damascus in the tournament last year, simply couldn't contain the Green Hornets' swarming attack this year. Damascus stung three Whitman pitchers, scoring in every inning en route to the five-inning slaughter on their home field.

Whitman went ahead 1-0 in the game, which began in a steady, cold rain but ended in sunshine. Kaler, who had three hits to cap a great season, sent a shot over the center fielder's head for a double and scored on a single to left by junior Gabe Feldman, honorable mention All-Met in 2005.

The Vikings added two runs in the third inning when senior center fielder Chris Thompson led off with an opposite-field double that one-hopped the wall in left center. The switch-hitting Kaler drove him home with a single. Senior Jon Bornstein later in the inning laced a single up the middle score Kaler.

Whitman, which never gave up, tallied three more runs in the fifth inning. After Kaler singled again, Gobish flexed his muscles and launched a high fastball over the fence in center field, the first Whitman home run of the season. Later in the inning Bornstein walked, moved to second on an error by the third baseman, and scored on a single up the middle by Andrew Disney, who ended the season red-hot.