Frederick Flying Dogs Semi-Pro Baseball Club - Flying Dogs Finish 3rd in Reno Powell Memorial Tournament

With a 3-1 record the Frederick Flying Dogs finished 3rd in the Reno Powell Memorial Tournament. During pool play the Dogs defeated the Middletown Brewers , the Western Charles Natty Bohs and then the Fedlock Falcons. With their 3-0 record and allowing only 9 runs in pool play the Flying Dogs grabbed the top seed and a place in the semi-finals where they fell to the Brunswick Orioles.

In game 1 against the Middletown Brewers of the East Shore Twilight League the Flying Dogs sent veteran Matt Buchholz to the hill. Buchholz pitched 3 hitless innings recording 3 k's before being lifted after the Dogs offense exploded for 8 runs in the top half of the 4th. Four players recorded doubles in the inning including 3 consecutive from Fulda, Sherwood and Ropp. Nick Bourque and Brian Moore combined to pitch the final 2 innings. The Dog's won the 5 inning contest, shortened because of the 2 hour time limit, 11-2.

In game 2 the Dog's quickly overcame an early deficit against the Natty Boh's with a 9 run 3rd inning. The offensive outburst was highlighted by a mamuth blast to right field by Brandon Roebuck with the bases loaded that resulted in a bases clearing triple. Roebuck was robbed of a grandslam because Boonsboro High School did not have a right field fence. Rob Staley capped the inning with a 3 run homerun to left center field to put the Dog's up 9-3. Rich Ropp went the distance allowing 7 runs, 5 earned and recording 8 strikeouts in the 11-7 win.

Erik Huffnagel dominated Fedlock in game 3 pitching a complete game shutout in the 5-0 victory. Huffnagel struck out 14 Falcons while allowing only 2 hits and 1 walk. Rich Ropp was the offensive star of the game with 2 doubles and 2 RBI.

In the semi-final game against Brunswick the Flying Dog's again sent Matt Buchholz to the hill. Buchholz struggled on short rest allowing 7 runs over 3 innings of work. After falling behind 1-0 in the first the Dog's quickly answered back with 2 runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning with a 2 out double from Chris Fulda and singles from Seth Sherwood and Steve Canale. Spencer Cox came on to relieve Buchholz in the 4th and held Brunswick to only 1 hit while recording 2 K's. Down 7-2 the Flying Dog's chipped away at the Brunwick lead with a 3-run blast from Steve Shriner in the bottom of the 4th, but that was the final score of the game as the Flying Dogs tournament ended in a 7-5 loss.