Posted: Apr 21, 2021

Baseball: Knights Making Noise as Bats Come Alive

By Dominic Teoli

Rosedale, Md. -- Momentum has been on the Knights side over the last week, as head coach Sean O'Connor's squad has won four of its last six, outscoring opponents 45-34 during this span.

Chesapeake College entered Saturday's double header with the Knights 7-0 on the road this season.

The Skipjacks took game one 7-4 to extend its road streak to eight games.

Game one started out as a pitching duel between Essex's Rolando Heredia Bustos, who finished with seven strikeouts and four earned runs, and Chesapeake's Daniel Leo (4-0).

Chesapeake led 2-0 after four innings. In the fifth and sixth innings, the Chesapeake bats came alive with an RBI single, two-run triple, and two-run double to increase the Chesapeake lead to 7-0.

The Knights battled back in the home half of the seventh.

JJ Erazo and Mitch Haywood each drove in a run and Luis Gonzalez contributed two RBIs. But in the end it was not enough as Chesapeake was able to hold on for the three-run victory.

Game two was a back and forth affair.

The Knights got on the board early, as Nick Hemstreet extended his hit streak to seven games with a two-run homer to give Essex a 2-0 lead after one.

The Skipjacks took the lead in the top of the second, after a bases loaded walk and bases clearing double gave Chesapeake a 4-2 lead.

Essex took the lead right back with a solo home run by Sammy Canela and two-run single by Alvin Carela in the bottom of the second to give the Knights a one-run lead.

Chesapeake hit two home runs of their own in the fourth and fifth, respectively, to take an 8-5 lead into the bottom of the fifth.

CCBC Essex stormed back, scoring three runs behind a Devin Johnson two-RBI single and an Austin Mumaw RBI single to tie the game.

In the bottom of the sixth, Canela's sacrifice fly to score Cam Powers proved to be the game-winner, as the Knights won 9-8, handing Chesapeake its first road loss of the season.

Danny Padilla earned the win for the Knights, allowing no runs over 2 1/3 innings in relief.

Knights Sweep Marymount University JV

In game one against the Saints, the Knights put on a pitching clinic by sending six different pitchers to the mound who combined to allow just two earned runs on three hits, while striking out 13 and walking just two.

Alexander Rivera earned the win and Victor Cabrera earned the save for the Knights.

Marymount's two runs came on an RBI double and a passed ball.

The Knights were aggressive on the base paths, stealing five bases.

As a team, Essex ranks 15^th out of 125 NJCAA Division II teams with 88 steals. They have been successful 84% (88-for-105) of the time this season.

Canela leads the team with 12, followed closely by Max Jinjika and Erazon, each of whom have 10.

Johnson scored on a passed ball, Hemstreet had a RBI to tie the game at two.

It remained that way until the bottom of the fifth when Cabrera came through with a two-run single to put the Knights ahead for good at 4-2.

Game two saw the Knights explode at the plate, as the team had 11 hits and 12 RBIs in a decisive 17-7 win.

Cabrera led the Knights with five RBIs, followed by Powers who knocked in three

Logan Leasure, Canela, Johnson, and Jinjika each added an RBI.

The Knights were again belligerent on the base path, earning five runs on passed balls or wild pitches and swiping five bases in the game.

CCBC Essex's pitching squad allowed only five earned runs on five hits and struck out eight in the game.

Brandon Porter earned his first collegiate win.

The Knights then split a double header yesterday with Prince George's, winning the first 4-2, before dropping game two 8-7.

Hemstreet paced the Knights on the day, going 3-for-6 in the twin bill with three RBIs.

Erazo chipped in with a 2-for-3 performance in game two, including two RBIs.

Rivera earned the win in game one, going an inning and two thirds in relief, in which he allowed no runs or hits.

Next up…

The Knights are on the road for the rest of the regular season, as they make a push for seeding in the Region XX Division II Tournament.

CCBC Essex is off until Friday, when they head to Montgomery College for two. On Sunday, they travel to face sibling campus CCBC Dundalk for two, before ending the regular season on May 1^st against Frederick.

Game dates and times are subject to change.