McHenry, MD – The Lakers were due for a ball to bounce their way.
Garrett College entered Monday's baseball doubleheader with visiting Allegany College of Maryland having lost three straight, one-run games. The Lakers were involved in another nail-biter in Monday's opener, locked in a 6-6 tie as they batted in the bottom of the seventh.
Zach Hallenbeck drew a leadoff walk from ACM hurler Zach Neville, and Erick Batista then dropped a single into center field. The ball, however, took a strange bounce past ACM center fielder Christian Toledo and just kept rolling as Hallenbeck sprinted home with the winning run.
Ironically, Batista wasn't even supposed to be hitting away.
"We were going to sacrifice," said GC head coach Eric Hallenbeck, who was willing to give up an out to move the potential winning run into scoring position. "He [Batista] got two quick strikes, so then we had him hit away.
"Batista fouled off three or four pitches until he got the one he wanted," added Hallenbeck.
The Lakers used a three-run, sixth-inning rally to create a 6-6 tie in Monday's opener. Garrett strung together four straight one-out hits, the last three by Dariel Walker, Jacob Kennell, and Jonathan Padgett driving in runs.
Ty Giblin (two RBI) went 3-for-4 with a home run to lead GC's 13-hit attack. Colby Schmitz (RBI, walk), Chance Ritchey (run), and Batista each added two hits.
Laker reliever Alphonso Westbrook earned the Game 1 win, allowing just an unearned run in 2 2/3 innings on two hits and one walk.
Game 2 – an 11-3 Laker win – was decided early as GC bunched 10 runs together in the second and third innings. Schmitz (three runs) and Ritchey (two runs, two RBI) each had two hits as part of Garrett's seven-hit attack as the Lakers also benefited from six walks.
Stefan Machkovski earned the pitching win, allowing two runs on four hits with five strikeouts and no walks.
GC (19-21) used the sweep to avenge last Friday's 9-8 and 3-2 doubleheader loss at ACM. Garrett is 6-5 in NJCAA Division II Region 20 – currently seventh in the region standings, with the top eight teams qualifying for the playoffs.
GC reached .500 (8-8) in the Maryland Junior College Athletic Conference standings with the sweep.
ACM 9, Garrett 8
Cumberland, MD – Laker pitchers issued five walks in the bottom of the seventh, including one to force in the winning run in last Saturday's first game against Allegany College of Maryland.
GC had taken an 8-7 lead on Jonathan Padgett's two-out, two-run homer in the top of the seventh.
Alphonso Westbrook walked the leadoff batter in the home seventh before Colby Schmitz came on to pitch. Schmitz walked four, including one intentionally, and took the loss.
Nasir Mendez went 3-for-3, drove in three runs, walked once and scored once to pace ACM. Christian Toledo was also on base four times for the Trojans, with two doubles and two walks while scoring three times.
Slade Seville earned the win, getting the final out of the visitor's seventh to set up Allegany's game-winning rally.
Ammon Sanchez (3-for-4, run, RBI), Padgett (2-for-3, two runs, three RBI) and Collin Reed (2-for-4, two runs) each had multi-hit games for the Lakers.
ACM 3, Garrett 2
Cumberland – Casey Tomasik allowed five hits and a walk, striking out four over five innings to earn the win while relievers Andrew Lynch and Zach Neville each pitched a scoreless inning last Saturday as ACM finished off the sweep.
Griffin Roussell went 2-for-3, scoring one run and driving in another, to lead the ACM offense. The Trojans overcame a 2-0 deficit with a three-run fourth to complete the scoring.
Colby Schmitz had a double and drove in both Laker runs.
Brandon Metivier took the complete-game loss, spacing seven hits and two walks over six innings with three strikeouts.
Seton Hill 12, Garrett 11
McHenry, MD – Angel Oquendo homered twice, collected four hits and drove in seven runs, but the Lakers' comeback from a 12-5 deficit last Wednesday came up just short.
GC scored twice in the home seventh and four times in the eighth to get within a run, but the Lakers were shut out in the ninth.
Colby Schmitz (double) and Collin Reed (two RBI) each had two hits for the Lakers. Jonathan Padgett homered and scored twice, while Chance Ritchey had a hit and scored three runs for GC.
Garrett College 1, PSC 0
McHenry, MD – Angel Oquendo walked, advanced to third on an error, and scored on a first-inning wild pitch in last Tuesday's opener against Potomac State College of West Virginia University for the game's only run.
Collen Cottrell pitched a complete-game shutout, spacing six hits and two walks with six strikeouts.
Garret College 9, PSC 2
McHenry, MD – Collin Reed, Erick Batista, and Ammon Sanchez delivered consecutive, run-scoring singles as part of a five-run fourth inning as Garrett College won Game 2 to complete a sweep of last Tuesday's doubleheader.
Coleman Bullard earned the win, allowing two runs on three hits and four walks with two strikeouts in four innings. Andrew Bell pitched three shutout innings, yielding one hit and two walks.
Sanchez (homer, two runs, two RBI) and Batista (two runs, RBI) each had two hits to lead GC's 10-hit attack in the nightcap. Angel Oquendo had a hit and drove in two runs.
The Lakers used their five-run fourth to erase a 2-1 deficit and gain control of Game 2.
