Steve Weber and the rest of the players in the Crown High School All-Star Game got to live out their baseball fantasies at Camden Yards yesterday, playing at a major-league park.
Weber, a catcher from Severna Park, and his South teammates lived them out the best, though, scoring a 7-6 victory over the North in the 21st edition of the event, which features top senior players from around the state.
Weber, named the South's Most Valuable Player, tripled over the right fielder's head in the top of the sixth inning, driving in two runs and sparking a four-run inning that gave the South the lead for good.
Outfielder Keith Williams of Glen Burnie hit a line-drive single off Eddie Ashwell of Westminster to drive in what turned out to be the winning run. Ashwell labored through two innings, giving up four runs and six hits.
"I knew he [Ashwell] was struggling with his curveball," Weber said. "When I got that hit, I felt like that started our rally. Rumor has it that the North always wins, so this is a nice change."
Throughout much of the seven-inning game, it seemed as if the North would prevail once again. Two passed balls by Weber and a wild pitch by Seth Overbey of Charles County's McDonough gave the North three runs in the third inning and a 4-3 lead.
Solid pitching by the North's Chris Le Gore of Catoctin quashed the South's offense during the third and fourth innings. Le Gore struck out four and allowed two hits.
The North had a final chance in the bottom of the seventh. But with the tying run on first, second basemen Chris Parker of Franklin hit into a double play.
However, members of the North team said they weren't disappointed by the loss.
"This was a win-win situation," said outfielder Lou Hutt III of McDonogh. "Today was special. Playing here is something we dream about all our lives. It was something to be excited about. We made some errors, and they got some big hits. They deserved to win today."
The MVP for the North was first baseman Josh Carter of St. Maria Goretti. The awards for best pitchers went to the North's Bryson Meyers of Southern-Garrett and the South's Tom Ballenger of DeMatha.
South 210 004 0 - 7 12 2
North 103 002 0 - 6 13 3 Lewis, Overbey (3), Bitter (5), Ballenger (6) and Jacobsen, Weber (3). Berlett, Le Gore (3), Ashwell (5), Meyers (6) and White. 2B: N--Stonesifer. 3B: S--Weber.
