On Thursday, March 9th, the Frederick Community College Cougars baseball team welcomed in Hagerstown Community College for the first of two games in the season. The Hawks and Cougars braved the fierce cold and wind, as did the 43 fans in attendance.
The Cougars scored four runs early in the bottom of the first, finding three hits off the Hawks starting pitcher Colby Shimmel. The Hawks defense had two errors in the bottom of the first to aid the four runs first inning.
The Hawks later showed defensive strength in the second, third and fourth innings. They only allowed one run, two hits, and one error. Hagerstown executed a double play in the third inning with shortstop Robbie Houck, second baseman Doug Cassera, and first baseman Geraghty Showe.
Antonio Bianchini, starting pitcher for the Cougars, struck out four batters in his first three innings of work, allowing two runs to score. Bianchini found his way out of a bases-loaded situation in the first inning after walking two batters back-to-back and hitting right fielder Tanner Helms.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Cougars scored a run off a deep fly ball into center field by right fielder Mitchell Long for a triple. Longs triple would be followed by an RBI groundout from third baseman Brandon Austin.
The Hawks would give up another run in the fifth inning by allowing a double to first baseman Brady Harju. Harju would reach third on a wild pitch by Shimmel and later score off an RBI sacrifice fly in center field by first baseman Thomas Gonzalez.
In the top of the sixth inning, Bianchini struck out two more batters, one reaching base on a dropped third strike. Bianchini allowed back-to-back base hits in right field and threw two wild pitches in the inning, allowing for a run to score.
Bianchini was pulled after five and two-thirds innings, allowing four runs off of three hits and earning six strikeouts. Bianchini also surrendered two runs off of wild pitches.
Sean Clark pitched the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings for the Cougars. Clark picked up three strikeouts and allowed three runs to score off of four hits. Clark was recorded as the losing pitcher in the game.
Teagan Staver followed Clark’s two and two-thirds innings and pitched the ninth inning. Staver allowed two runs to score on two hits.
Shimmel picked up a win for Hagerstown, tossing a complete game, holding the Cougars to one hit in the final four innings. Shimmel allowed six runs to score off of nine hits while earning five strikeouts and no walked batters.
The Hawks would win the game by the final score of 10-6 in nine innings.
“We had double-digit walks, and that is no way to win a game for us,” said Cougars Head Coach Rodney Bennett. “We haven’t been playing consistent baseball to this point.”
