Playoffs

For the first time since the modern World Series era of Major League Baseball began in 1903, a team from Baltimore and a team from Washington, D.C., could both make the playoffs. “I've been a fan of the Orioles ever since Cal Ripken Jr., and I'm glad to see that they're doing better this year,” Falling Waters, W.Va., resident Cory Penrod, 29, said. “The Orioles and Nationals are proving to everybody that the underdog can come up, and that's what's great about America.” The Baltimore Orioles were 66-55 and in the second wild card position Monday afternoon.

Monday, May 20, 2013 PREP BASEBALL WAYNESBORO, Pa. - Dylan Bryan pitched a three-hitter with five strikeouts to lead Waynesboro to a 4-1 win over Governor Mifflin (14-8) in the first round of the PIAA District 3 Class AAAA playoffs on Monday. Brandon Yurek had two hits - including a two-run single in the fourth inning and an RBI single in the sixth - for the Indians (17-3). Cole Warrenfeltz scored two runs and Seth Hoffman had an RBI single in the second. Waynesboro will meet Dallastown in the next round on Thursday.

The first week of the playoffs, or wild-card week, was very exciting. It was a tough defeat for the Washington Redskins. They went ahead of the Seattle Seahawks 14-13 in the fourth quarter, but it all came crashing down after Seattle's offense scored followed by two Seattle interceptions-for-touchdowns. The New York Giants beat Tampa Bay, 24-14. Giants quarterback Eli Manning uncharacteristically threw no interceptions. The Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers, 31-29.

South's playoff hopes crash South Hagerstown's season of irony ended with the cruelest twist of all. The Rebels took the field Friday for the 44th renewal of the City Game as the featured guests of the party. They ended the evening as the subject of a wake. South Hagerstown's dream season filled with visions of Maryland state playoffs, an uncontested high finish in the Monocacy Valley Athletic League standings and an end to a two-game losing streak to their cross-town rivals ended with a thud.

Adam and Matt Grove grew up in Waynesboro, Pa., and drove from Columbus, Ohio, to see the Baltimore Orioles in the baseball playoffs. The brothers were not going to let the loss Sunday night to the New York Yankees in Game 1 of the best-of-5 American League Divisional Series deter their excitement. And the Groves are not alone. Baltimore's first divisional playoff game in 15 years was on the minds of area residents Monday after the Orioles allowed five runs in the ninth inning in a 7-2 defeat.

As has become the norm this season, Martinsburg and North Hagerstown finished the regular season at the unanimous 1-2 choices in The Herald-Mail's final regular-season Super 7 poll. Five of the seven teams in the pool are busy preparing for playoff games this weekend, including the unbeaten Bulldogs and Hubs, No. 3 Catoctin, No. 5 Walkersville and No. 7 Smithsburg. North Hagerstown will host Fort Hill in an eagerly anticipated Class 2A West semifinal at School Stadium Friday at 7 p.m. Catoctin hosts Hancock in a 1A West semifinal Friday at 7, while Smithsburg travels to Beall for the other semifinal, also Friday at 7. Walkersville travels to South Carroll in the other 2A West semifinal Friday at 7. Martinsburg, the top seed in the West Virginia AAA playoffs, hosts Robert C. Byrd on Saturday at 1:30.

Week 14 of the NFL season brings along more clinching of playoff spots and begins a whole new battle - for wild-card playoff spots. The biggest game this week was between Indianapolis and Jacksonville. Indianapolis needed to win this game to hold onto the top seed in the AFC. Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning did not have the best of games Sunday, throwing only two touchdowns. The Jaguars were a different story. They made five touchdowns and three field goals and defeated the Colts 44-17.

PREP FOOTBALL MILLERSVILLE, Pa. -- Twelfth-seeded Chambersburg, competing in the PIAA District 3-AAAA playoffs for the first time since 1998, fell 35-14 Friday night in a first-round game against fifth-seeded Penn Manor. Brian Reese scored on a 37-yard run and ConRoy Smith had a 3-yard touchdown run as Chambersburg (5-6) built a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. It was all Penn Manor from there. Penn Manor (9-2) tied the game at 14-14 by halftime, took a 21-14 lead in the third quarter and added two more TDs in the fourth.

BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. - It's been a long time since Martinsburg entered the Class AAA playoffs on a losing note, but that's the situation the Bulldogs find themselves in tonight. A week after a 29-6 loss to Jefferson, No. 11 Martinsburg (7-3) will play at No. 6 Bridgeport as the Bulldogs start what they hope will be a trek to their first state championship. They've played in the title game four out of the last six years. But in the way are the 9-1 Indians, whose only loss came against undefeated Robert C. Byrd.

The flip of the calendar page to May means state baseball and softball playoff games are not far away. In fact, in West Virginia, they're already here. The softball sectional playoffs started Wednesday, with Martinsburg upending Jefferson 5-2 in the double-elimination tournament. That earned the Bulldogs a date Thursday at Hedgesville, and the Eagles - as they've done all season - pulled out another close one, 2-0. Hedgesville is 4-1 against Martinsburg this season. The margin of victory in each game has been two runs or less.

Monday, May 20, 2013 PREP BASEBALL WAYNESBORO, Pa. - Dylan Bryan pitched a three-hitter with five strikeouts to lead Waynesboro to a 4-1 win over Governor Mifflin (14-8) in the first round of the PIAA District 3 Class AAAA playoffs on Monday. Brandon Yurek had two hits - including a two-run single in the fourth inning and an RBI single in the sixth - for the Indians (17-3). Cole Warrenfeltz scored two runs and Seth Hoffman had an RBI single in the second. Waynesboro will meet Dallastown in the next round on Thursday.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013 PREP BASEBALL BRUNSWICK, Md. - After losing two games to Brunswick during the regular season by healthy scores, Boonsboro turned the tables on the Railroaders in the postseason. After 12-2 and 10-1 losses during the regular season, Boonsboro put together one of its finest games of the season in turning back the Railroaders 6-1 in the Maryland Class 1A West region East section semifinals Tuesday. Boonsboro (8-11-1) will hit the road again today to face Clear Spring (14-4)

Friday, May 10, 2013 PREP BASEBALL The South Hagerstown baseball team came out hot until a heavy rainstorm cooled it off. The Rebels scored in every inning and starting pitcher Airin Martin had a perfect game through three innings for a 12-0 lead against Watkins Mill before it was halted by rain on Friday in a Maryland Class 3A West playoff opener. The game is scheduled to resume today at noon with the winner traveling to meet Damascus on Monday.  Leadoff hitter Timmy Kitchen had three hits and Colby Johnson hit a two-run home run in a five-run third inning.

Lacrosse The MPSSAA boys and girls playoff draws will be held Monday, with regional action starting on Wednesday. At 10-1 through Wednesday, North Hagerstown's girls have by far the best record among Washington County teams, and still have a shot at the No. 1 seed in Class 3A/2A West - although unbeaten Damascus (10-0) is the front-runner. The Hubs are one of four very good teams in the region, along with Damascus, Century (11-2) and Middletown (9-2). Middletown has been a thorn in North's side, beating the Hubs twice last year - including in the 2012 3A/2A West quarterfinals - and again earlier this season, North's only loss.

Skip Chambers is hoping it doesn't take four more years for his Boonsboro boys basketball team to win another playoff game. While the 41-33 win over Manchester Valley in the Maryland Class 1A West region East sectional quarterfinal Tuesday night wasn't a thing of beauty, the Warriors coach sees it as a step in the right direction, snapping a playoff losing streak that dates back to 2009. “It's been a while since we've won a playoff game,” said Chambers. “We're getting better.

Fourth-seeded Smithsburg survived a tough battle against fifth-seeded Clear Spring, scratching out a 49-43 win on Saturday in a Maryland Class 1A West region East section quarterfinal girls basketball game. Smithsburg advances to the East Section semifinal at top-seeded Boonsboro (14-8) on Monday night at 7. “We didn't play great, but we survived and advanced,” Smithsburg coach Jimmy Powell said. “It wasn't our prettiest-played game, but we played hard and got a win. If we would have made our layups in the first quarter, we would have been up by at least 20 points at the half.

As ninth-seeded Northeastern celebrated its PIAA District 3-AAA boys playoff win in front of a orange-clad student section - speckled with the emerald green of a few James Buchanan fans - few noticed the Greencastle-Antrim players treading back to their locker room, downtrodden and defeated after their season slipped away. The eighth-seeded Blue Devils had their fans on the edge of their seats like many times this season, but ultimately dropped their first-round game 54-50 to the Bobcats.

No one is surprised that Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder hates the New York Giants, or that Mike Shanahan hates the debilitating salary cap penalty imposed on his team by the NFL. And, by now, no one should be surprised that the Redskins are playoff contenders with Robert Griffin III, who not only has his first Monday night win but also managed to reference “Gumby” during the postgame news conference. There was all sorts of passion on display before, during and after the Redskins' 17-16 win over the Giants.

If that's the case, the Screamin' Eagles have seen the North defense at its absolute best. After cycling players in and out of the lineup and shuffling them from one position to the next throughout the middle part of the season, the Hubs have shored things up defensively over the last four games. That includes holding a couple of eight-win teams - Boonsboro and South Hagerstown - that each scored more than 350 points in the regular season to just 12 points apiece in North's last two games.

CORRECTION: This story originally incorrectly stated that Williamsport would host Winters Mill in Friday's 2A West final. Williamsport will host Francis Scott Key on Friday. FSK beat Winters Mill 3-2 in the other 2A West semifinal. The Herald-Mail apologizes for the error. Boosted by a raucous crowd in its gym, Williamsport's volleyball team advanced to the Maryland Class 2A West final with a 21-25, 25-22, 25-17, 25-18 victory over Oakdale on Wednesday. The Wildcats (16-1), who are the top seed in the region, recovered from a Set 1 loss to win the final three sets from the fourth-seeded Bears (12-4)