The baseball team (7–1) defended their home turf and defeated the BCC Barons (6–6) 4–2 on Friday afternoon to beat their Bethesda rival. 

The game started as a pitchers’ duel, with both teams having trouble racking up hits. However, senior Ben Scholossman got the Vikes on the board when he laced a single, plating sophomore Sammy Berman. The Vikes continued scoring in the bottom of the fourth when Berman smacked a single up the middle, sending junior Ethan Murley home. Senior Mitchell Hwang barreled up the ball on the next pitch, and one run was scored. But the Vikes weren’t done, as junior Gideon Schwartz singled on a ground ball, sending the Vikes to a 4–0 lead.

The Barons answered the Vikes’ loud inning, quickly scoring one run in the top of the fifth, which signaled coach Joe Cassidy to take Holy Cross commit senior Lion Gardiner out of the game. Gardiner had an impressive outing, hitting 93 MPH on the radar gun. Gardiner threw 4.2 innings, allowing two runs on two hits while striking out nine players. Sophomore Wells Twining got the call to relieve Gardiner. However, Twining had his hands full, inheriting a bases-loaded jam. The right-hander immediately hit a Baron, allowing one run to score, but Twining struck out Noah Light after his uneasy start, ending the half-inning. Twining completed 1.2 innings, earning the save for the Vikes. The game ended 4–2 in favor of Whitman.

“Honestly, I was so pumped up because this is our big rivalry game, and we got BCC at home,” Twining said. “After I got the strikeout to end the game, I was just so amped for not only me but for all the guys on the team. It was electric.”

The Vikes will host the Richard Montgomery Rockets (4–3) next Tuesday at 7:00 pm. Be sure to tune into The Press Box for a live radio broadcast of the game.