Eastern Tech

The one thing cold weather can't hide is good pitching. Low temperatures and a bit of wind-chill can hide good hitting, which will come out later with the warm weather. But good pitching is all-weather and it was there yesterday, with visiting Eastern Tech's proving a little better as the No. 5 Mavericks upset top-ranked Arundel, 4-0. Ryan Rivers, a 6-foot-4 senior right-hander headed to North Carolina-Charlotte, worked four strong innings and left-hander Josh Kempa threw the last three as the two combined for a six-hit shutout of the Wildcats in the season opener for both teams.

No. 11 Eastern Tech and Loch Raven attacked each other for 100 minutes in the Baltimore County girls soccer championship game last night at CCBC-Essex, but neither could find the finishing touch in a 0-0 tie. The teams will share the championship, but could meet again in the Class 2A region final. Eastern Tech forward Cindi Nickles came close to winning the game near the end of regulation, with a 20-yard strike that just missed the far corner, and in the first overtime, with a shot that was cleared off the line by Loch Raven defender Jamie Fahey.

Eastern Tech's Josh Kempa pitched four shutout innings of relief as the second-ranked Mavericks earned a 3-2 win over Middletown for the Class 2A state title yesterday at Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen. Eastern Tech ace Ryan Rivers started the game, but grew tired after allowing two runs in three innings. After walking only six batters all season, Rivers walked three in the third inning alone. He also threw two wild pitches in the inning, and the 6-foot-5 right-hander found himself down two runs when he was moved to third base at the start of the fourth.

Nick Arminio, Eastern Tech's record-breaking football coach, is leaving his position for a new one in his native New Jersey. Randallstown's Bruce Strunk will replace Arminio at Eastern Tech after re-establishing the floundering Rams program as a metro-area power.Arminio will move to Toms River High after four seasons at Eastern Tech, where his Mavericks went 1-9, 7-3, 9-2 and, last fall, a school-record 12-1 for the No. 2 area ranking.Arminio told his players Friday about his decision. And yesterday, a couple of hours after Strunk had met with his players about the move, the two coaches met at Eastern Tech "to complete paperwork and try to make this transition as smooth as possible," Arminio said.

Zach Witkowski, Willie Williams, Vinnie DePaola and David Wood each ran for more than 70 yards Friday as the No. 7 Hereford football team beat visiting Franklin, 31-15. The Bulls (10-1) will advance to next week's state semifinals, and the Indians finished at 9-3. Witkowski led the way with two touchdowns, while DePaola and Wood scored one each in the win. Hereford will be making its 11th appearance in the state semifinals (since 1996). The Bulls have won three state titles.

Three days after seventh-ranked Franklin edged Eastern Tech by one run in a pitchers' duel, the two Baltimore County Division I rivals met again yesterday.This time, the game featured 14 runs, 17 hits and 10 errors, but visiting Franklin again prevailed, 11-3.The Indians (9-0, 8-0), who scored two unearned runs in Tuesday's 2-1 victory over the Mavericks (7-3, 4-3), parlayed six Eastern Tech errors into four unearned runs.Eastern Tech's fielding woes began almost immediately, as Franklin took a 3-0 lead in the first inning without getting a hit.After pitcher Kristen Evans retired the first two batters, the next four hitters reached on errors.

After his team's narrow 14-13 over Eastern Tech yesterday, Woodlawn coach Brian Scriven sat on the bench and drank a bottle of water. And breathed a big sigh of relief."

Power beat speed last night as No. 2-ranked Eastern Tech advanced closer to the Baltimore County 3A-4A League title and unbeaten regular season with a 35-26 triumph over No. 6 Milford Mill at Catonsville Community College.The Mavericks (9-0) can win the league title outright with a victory over Kenwood next weekend, as well as the Class 3A North region title and a top seed for the state tournament in two weeks. The loss possibly eliminated Milford Mill (7-2) from post-season play.After falling behind 20-6 against Milford Mill's spread offense in the first half, the Mavericks dominated after halftime behind Ray Jones.

Coach Nick Arminio took his "new" Eastern Tech Mavericks to Dundalk Community College last night. It's a team that is fast making a reputation as an over-achiever, winning games with grit and determination.On this night, however, it was no match for the size and speed of Woodlawn.The Warriors rushed for 314 yards and three touchdowns, including an 86-yarder by junior Reggie Damage that proved to be the game-winner, as they defeated Eastern Tech, 22-6, in a Baltimore County Class 3A-4A League game.

Down by nine points at halftime against visiting Eastern Tech before a partisan homecoming crowd, second-ranked Randallstown, penalized 10 times yesterday, seemed to have lost control.Rams coach Anthony Knox had been ejected in the second period. But assistant Mike Sye took over, directing a come-from-behind, 26-21 Baltimore County 3A-4A League win as the Rams shut out 13th-ranked Eastern Tech in the second half."He [Sye] said, `Cut down on mistakes, we'll win,' " said linebacker Quan Mitchell.