McHenry, MD – The Lakers won a game in which they were down to their final strike, swept a pair of doubleheaders, and moved over .500 in the conference for the first time this season.
All in all, it was a pretty good 72 hours for Garrett College's baseball team.
Pinch hitter Kody Fedkow's two-out, two-strike, two-run double Friday afternoon lifted the Lakers over visiting Hagerstown Community College, 6-5. Fedkow's hit salvaged a doubleheader split for the Lakers, who dropped a 15-6 decision in the opener.
"I was just looking for a pitch to drive, and I got it," said Fedkow, who had only 12 at bats this season prior to Friday's pinch-hitting appearance.
The Lakers (17-20 overall, 7-6 conference) swept CCBC-Essex, 9-2 and 6-4, on Thursday and Prince George's Community College, 12-2 and 11-1, on Sunday in Maryland Junior College Athletic Conference doubleheaders. The most critical wins from a playoff perspective were the ones against Essex, according to GC head coach Eric Hallenbeck.
"The big two were Essex – they're Division II games," said Hallenbeck. "That got us to 4-5 in the region with 11 games left – and that got us back in the race a bit."
While the Essex wins may have been the most important, the Hagerstown victory was the most dramatic.
Hagerstown pitcher Maddux Grove hit Giancarlo Bernardo leading off the bottom of the seventh inning and then hit Karson Reed (two runs) one out later. Grove struck out Daniel Garcia for the second out, but Fedkow's double brought home pinch runner Wes Landis and Reed, who scored the winning run all the way from first.
"Just a coach's hunch, I guess," Hallenbeck said of his decision to pinch-hit Fedkow in such a critical spot. "I'm happy for him. He hasn't had a lot of playing time and that was a big hit for us."
Coleman Bullard gave up five runs (four earned) on nine hits in 5 2/3 innings, but Hallenbeck said Bullard's gutsy effort kept the Lakers in the game.
"We needed a good pitching performance by Coleman," said Hallenbeck. "We were a little short on pitching with the number of games we've played over the last week."
Luis Rodriguez got the pitching victory, allowing one hit with one strikeout over the last 1 1/3 innings.
Bernardo and Chance Moore (run) each had a hit and drove in a run in the Hagerstown nightcap. Michael Cubilete had two hits and scored once.
GC 12, PGCC 2
McHenry, MD – Luis Rodriguez (two runs, triple) and Michael Cubilete (two doubles) each had two hits and two RBI for the Lakers in Sunday's opener.
Chance Ritchey (hit) also drove in two runs for GC. Kellen Kinsler (RBI) had two hits and scored three runs as the Lakers banged out 11 hits.
Will Bright (3-2) allowed two runs on two hits in a five-inning complete game with 10 strikeouts to earn the pitching win.
GC 11, PGCC 1
McHenry, MD – Matt Hutson (two runs, two RBI), Chance Ritchey (two runs, RBI), and Grant Landis (run, two RBI) each had two hits as the Lakers completed Sunday's sweep.
Collin Cottrell pitched five scoreless innings, allowing five hits with three walks while striking out six as he improved to 4-1. Luis Rodriguez gave up one run on a hit and two walks with one strikeout while pitching the final frame of the six-inning game.
GC 9, CCBC-Essex 2
McHenry, MD – Chance Ritchey and Matt Hutson each homered and Michael Cubilete (double, two RBI) went 4-for-4 last Thursday as the Lakers rolled in the first game of a doubleheader against CCBC-Essex.
Grant Landis went 2-for-3 with a walk, scored twice, and drove in a run for the Lakers.
Chance Moore (3-2) pitched a complete-game five-hitter, striking out eight with no walks.
GC 6, CCBC-Essex 4
McHenry, MD – Chance Moore went 3-for-3, scoring one run and driving in three, last Thursday to help the Lakers complete a sweep of CCBC-Essex.
Luis Rodriguez (two runs) went 2-for-2 with a walk for GC.
Wes Landis (3-3) earned the win, spacing seven hits and three walks over five innings while striking out six. Collin Cottrell picked up his first save with two shutout relief innings.
