The Hagerstown baseball team got a strong pitching performance from sophomore left-hander Nolan Cheeseman, played excellent defense, and collected nine hits to defeat the visiting Knightstown Panthers 11-1 in a May 7 conference game.

The Panthers, ranked 11th in the 1A state poll, needed a win to stay in the race to win the conference. The Tigers ranked fifth in the 2A poll, but with losses in five of their last six games, needed a win to remain tied at the top of the TEC standings with Northeastern. The game was halted after the fifth inning because of the 10-run mercy rule and was the Tigers’ 14th consecutive TEC win over two seasons. 

Panther lead-off hitter Camden Gorman reached base on an error and Jackson Daves singled, but both were stranded in the top of the first inning. The Tigers responded with a single run in the bottom of the first inning to take an early 1-0 lead. The Panthers tied the game in the top of the second inning when Bryce Marrow drew a walk to open the frame, and they eventually came around to score.

Hagerstown’s Braydon Sanders delivered an RBI single for the go-ahead run. 

Hagerstown broke the game open with six runs in the bottom of the second inning. The Tigers sent nine players to the plate in the frame, drawing two walks, reaching on an error and collecting four hits to push their lead to 7-1. The Tigers added a single run in the third inning and three more in the fourth inning. 

Cheeseman only surrendered two hits to pick up the win, and Carson Bonham took the loss. Daves and Braylon Johnson had the two Panther hits. Kaden Hall led the Tigers with three hits; Graham Vinson had two hits. 

Hagerstown head coach Jay Hale said his team was focused. ”They recognized the importance of this game and they were motivated,” he said. “We beat a good team tonight, and we still control our own destiny in the TEC race.” 

Hagerstown (13-5, 6-0 TEC)  1  6   1   3    –    11

Knightstown (10-6, 3-2 TEC)  0   1  0   0    0    1

Hagerstown hits: Hall (3), Gaige Howard, Nick Tinkle, Jack Rector, Braydon Sanders, Vinson (2)

Knightstown hits: Daves, Johnson

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A version of this article appeared in the May 13 2026 print edition of the Western Wayne News.

Dan Harney is a sports reporter at the Western Wayne News.