Myrtle Beach baseball tops Georgetown, inches closer to region title

Myrtle Beach baseball is just one win away from claiming the Region VII-AAA championship and the region’s top seed in the playoffs thanks to a dominating performance by junior Michael Calamari in a 5-0 victory over region rival Georgetown on Tuesday night.

“Rarely do you get two chances at a championship,” Myrtle Beach coach Tim Christy said. “With Georgetown beating St. James [on Monday] night, it gives us another chance at a championship, and we can’t let this one slip away.”

Calamari, a junior making his first start of the season, went six innings and gave up one hit while striking out 11. During a stretch from the second inning through the fourth, Calamari struck out six of seven Bulldogs. He did walk a batter and hit another. Praise Thorsen got the final three outs to complete the shutout for the Seahawks (11-9, 7-2 Region VII-AAA).

“I felt good. I was just trying to get ahead of the hitters,” Calamari said. “… My curveball was good today, and I got it over the plate, and I got ahead of people with my fastball. I wasn’t really thinking about [the strikeouts] too much, I was just trying to throw strikes.”

After Georgetown beat St. James 6-5 on Monday, the Bulldogs had a chance to knock off the top two teams in the region on successive nights.

“You can’t win when you have to steal first,” Georgetown coach Ben Waddle said.

Calamari also did damage at the plate and started the Seahawks’ two-run second inning with a one-out double to the center-field wall. Cameron Bodge came on as a courtesy runner and scored on a single by Chris Timmons. Tim Burgess ran for Timmons and came home on a double by Zack Coble.

Burgess scored on an error in the outfield in the sixth to make it 3-0 before Drayton Arnold had a RBI single in the seventh and then scored on another outfield error to make it 5-0.

“I got to meet that kid at the Coastal Carolina camp. What a great kid,” Waddle said of Calamari. “I knew he was a good hitter, … but that is the first time I have seen him on the mound. He is a smart kid. That is the thing about Calamari. … He has enough of a fastball to keep you off his breaking stuff.”

Georgetown’s only threat came in the bottom of the fifth inning with Myrtle Beach holding a 2-0 lead. Drew Williams was hit by a pitch with one out, and Will Bellune came up with Georgetown’s first hit of the night on a sharp liner up the middle. With runners on first and second, Alex Hughes tried to bunt, but could not get it down and eventually became one of Calamari’s strikeout victims. Calamari then struck out Tyler Baxley to end the inning.

Matthew Owens (0-4) got the start for Georgetown (5-15, 4-4) and allowed just two runs on five hits with a walk. It was Senior Night at Georgetown, and the Bulldogs only lose two players from this season’s squad – Chase Funderburk and Alex Hughes.

“I told Tim before this started that I thought he had the best team and the most talent in the region,” Waddle said. “If they take care of business against North Myrtle Beach, they will be the one seed, and I am happy for him.”

This story was originally published April 21, 2015 at 10:10 PM with the headline "Myrtle Beach baseball tops Georgetown, inches closer to region title."