Area teams on a collision course

The game matches the visiting Mustangs, the defending Class 4A public school state champions, against the Cavaliers, the two-time defending Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference champions.

“We want to test ourselves against the best which is why we scheduled this game,” C. Milton Wright coach Joe Dunch said. “We want to show we should be considered among the elite teams in the area.”

But, both teams have already shown they are not unbeatable in the early part of this season. Archbishop Spalding lost its first game of the year Wednesday when Seton Keough got a one-hit, complete-game shutout from Carly Martin in a 3-0 victory. The Gators (3-1, 3-0 A Conference) remained undefeated in league play after beating Mercy, 12-1, Friday. Entering this week, Seton Keough holds a half-game lead over Archbishop Spalding and the Institute of Notre Dame. The Gators beat the Indians, 1-0, last Monday.

The Cavaliers (4-1, 3-1), under first-year coach Paul O?Brien, bounced back Friday as they knocked off another A Conference rival in John Carroll, 5-2. Archbishop Spalding has outscored its opposition this year, 22-7.

C. Milton Wright goes into Monday?s game against Archbishop Spalding with a 4-1 record after routing Harford County rival Harford Tech, 16-1.

In that game, the Mustangs belted out 14 hits and scored 11 runs over the final three innings, including five in the fifth and six in the seventh. Pitcher Chelsea Funk struck out 14 for C. Milton Wright, while Harford Tech committed six errors in the loss.

That victory for C. Milton Wright came after losing to North East of Cecil County, 7-6 earlier in the week. The Mustangs committed an uncharacteristic four errors in that loss, something Dunch doesn?t expect to happen again.

“For whatever reason, we were sloppy in that game against North East,” Dunch said. “To their credit, they got back in the game and only lost by one despite the defensive mistakes.”