Beth Tfiloh completes a double-dip for C Conference baseball championship

by Derek Toney

As he wiped the water off his face after being doused following Monday’s deciding game of the MIAA C Conference baseball tournament, Beth Tfiloh coach Don Wright thought back to about the same time a week ago after losing the opening game.

“It doesn’t feel like it was a week; it was like a year ago,” laughed Wright. “Unbelievable.”

The Warriors completed their marathon to the championship with an 8-4 victory over Concordia Prep at Joe Cannon Stadium in Harmans, on Monday. Junior first baseman Sam Krupkin drove in three runs for Beth Tfiloh (18-3 overall), and Adam Steinberg added two hits and pitched a complete game.

The Pikesville school won five elimination games in seven days to secure its first baseball title since 2008 when it claimed the C crown. The Warriors, who placed first in the Red Division during the regular season, fell into the losers bracket after a loss to St. Vincent Pallotti at home last Monday.

“We were kind of playing with house money,” said Beth Tfiloh senior left fielder Rafi Samuel. “We had nothing to lose.”

“We had the dog in us to go all the way,” said Steinberg.

After earning a save in relief on Sunday to keep the Warriors’ season alive, Steinberg was bullish Monday. The sophomore allowed seven hits, navigating through danger in the middle innings.

Steinberg’s effort complimented a solid performance Sunday from freshman Mason Hoffman. 

“He battled on the mound in this heat,” said Samuel.

It was Steinberg’s bat which got the surging Warriors off to a fast start. His one-out triple sparked a three-run first inning, featuring Samuel’s liner off Concordia starter Liam DeVincenzo for a RBI and Krupkin’s run-scoring double.

Ami Bresler’s RBI double made it 4-0 in the second inning.Steinberg retied the first eight batters before Kymani Afoa’s infield single ignited Concordia Prep.

Afoa scored with DeVincenzo on Jonathan Couser’s single to left field. The Saints trailed 5-4 after three straight hits to start the fifth. 

Concordia Prep loaded the bases on Steinberg, who induced a pop up (infield fly rule) and back-to-back force outs at home. He opened the Warriors’ half of fifth with a double to right field to start a three-run response with Krupkin singling home Samuel (three runs scored) and Hoffman.

Beth Tfiloh never trailed the last two days against Concordia (12-3).

“I can’t say enough about these guys. They have so much character and heart” said Young in his fifth season. “They just laid it all out there.”

Couser, a senior, had two hits and two RBI in his final game for Concordia along with his dad Peter. The elder Couser ended his coaching tenure after five seasons to go watch sons Jonathan and Caleb, play at Concordia University in Wisconsin. The Saints entered the championship round needing a win to capture their first C title since 2021.

Beth Tfiloh authored a different ending.

“They made plays and they’ve had an incredible run,” said Peter Couser. “Momentum is crazy in baseball. We had it almost all year long and then you hit a buzzsaw. I thought we matched up well with them.”

The Warriors departed Monday evening from BWI Airport to Columbus, Ohio for the Columbus Baseball Invitational, which features 24 Jewish programs from across the country. Beth Tfiloh sent nearly half of its roster Sunday to play an opening round contest on Monday.

The logistical maneuvering was fitting in a crazy and successful week. 

“We’re greater than the sum of our parts,” Wright said. “When we pull together, it just feels like there’s nothing we can’t accomplish.”