Damascus Rips Nemesis to Stay Unbeaten

It is debatable whether hitting or pitching has been the key to the season for undefeated Damascus, which has been equally strong in both areas. Kevin Story pitched a three-hitter, and Harrison Still homered twice yesterday as the Hornets staked their claim as the team to beat in Montgomery County with a 12-2 victory over visiting Quince Orchard.

While Story was in command throughout, every batter in the Damascus lineup reached base. Story, who entered the game batting .611 and batted seventh in the order, had two hits. Dominic Rumore, the No. 9 batter, singled three times and drove in two runs.

Combined with a handful of miscues by Quince Orchard, Damascus (7-0, 2-0 Montgomery 4A East Division) won by the 10-run mercy rule for the fifth time this season and sent Quince Orchard (7-2, 1-1) to its second consecutive loss.

"This was a big game for us," Damascus Coach Jim McManus said, noting the importance of beating the two-time defending 4A West Region champions. "We hadn't beaten Quince Orchard the last two years. For us to come back and spank them today was what we wanted."

Tempers flared in the second inning when Quince Orchard's Joe Barkanic collided with first baseman Chris McDermott as McDermott reached to catch a throw. McDermott left the game with a cut around his left eye, which was black and blue and nearly swollen shut. Story then hit the following batter in the back with a fastball, prompting umpires to warn both benches.

"That definitely got us all going," Still said. "If that doesn't get you fired up, I don't know what will."

Shane Boyd, the only junior in Damascus's senior-dominated lineup, hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the inning to give the Hornets a 4-0 lead. Still followed with a solo shot to center in the bottom of the third and then finished the game with a three-run blast to left-center to end the game with two outs in the fifth. It was Still's fourth homer of the season. Story struck out five for his third victory of the season. All told, Damascus has outscored opponents by a combined 83-13.

"Our pitching has been pretty good, and our lineup has been stacked. Everybody's been hitting," Still said. "Our number nine hitter [Rumore] could hit third on any other team."

Damascus 12 Quince Orchard 2 Veteran Lineup: Damascus starts eight seniors. The Hornets' only junior, right fielder Shane Boyd, had a home run, single and stolen base and scored three runs. He also made a terrific running catch to end an inning. Coaching From the Dugout: Damascus Coach Jim McManus is limited to giving pointers from the dugout this season. He is on crutches awaiting knee replacement surgery after the season.