The chance of rain in the forecast at Hawks Baseball Field yesterday (May 6th) was practically 100% as they were slated to host #6 CC of Allegheny County in the first round of the NJCAA Region 20 tournament. But it was going to take more than a little precipitation to drown out Hagerstown's desire to earn their spot in the final four of the Western conference.
With the game being a single 9-inning contest as opposed to a 7-inning doubleheader; Head Coach Scott Jennings and staff were forced to adapt the Hawks' strategy to an "all hands on deck" mindset. Which is precisely what transpired as the early innings laid the groundwork for nothing short of a poetic finish.
The Hawks struck first as they put up a run in the first inning off a 2-out single by Quinn Illig. The energy in the home dugout was palpable and reminded all attendees that there is nothing quite like postseason baseball. That lead was quickly relinquished however, by the feisty Wildcats as they put up single runs in the 2nd and 3rd innings while holding the Hawks scoreless. With the score 2-1, the momentum was beginning to shift in favor of #6 CCAC, so Jennings went to his bullpen and brought in freshman pitcher, Gene Magin, to relieve starter Colby Hahn in hopes of sparking a turnaround.
After a clean inning by Magin and the Hawks defense, the skies opened with heavy rain. Ironically, so did Hagerstown's bats as they began to rain down hits on Wildcats' starting pitcher, Zach Karp, putting up 5 runs in the bottom of the 4th inning. The charge was led by sophomore right fielder, Aidan Grudzinski (Greencastle-Antrim HS), who recently was moved to the 2-hole in the lineup as he been providing consistent production at the plate. Known as "Grud" to his teammates, Grudzinski (4-5, 2B, 3B, 2 RBIs) cleared the bases with a 1-out triple which scored two runs and powered the Hawks offensive output exactly when they needed it.
But much like any "win or go home" atmosphere, CCAC was going to go down swinging. They promptly came back out in the top of the 5th inning and scored 3 runs themselves, forcing Jennings to once again go to his bullpen and bring in clutch reliever, Nic Pierce. Known for his devastating slider, Pierce got the Hawks out of the jam while still leading 6-5.
They might as well have played "Enter Sandman" by Metallica on the stadium sound system at this point as sophomore pitcher, Peyton Castellow, entered the game. The reliable southpaw has been a force this year for the Hawks as he has led their stable of pitchers with an 8-1 record including 89 Ks, and a 2.67 ERA. Reminiscent of legendary Yankees closer, Mariano Rivera, Castellow's presence on the bump struck fear into the Wildcats dugout and they knew it was going to be an uphill battle to score runs in the remaining 4 innings. After conceding a blooper base hit to the first batter he faced, he did not allow another hit the remainder of the game, striking out 4 in the process. He was also given two more insurance runs by his offense along the way and completely suffocated CCAC's attempt at a comeback, helping to secure the 8-5 victory.
"Survive and advance" is the name of the game and the Hawks did just that as they now set their sights on #2 Garrett College in the second round. The game is scheduled for a 12PM start at #1 overall seed, Frederick Community College's campus. Please consider coming out and showing your support as the Hawks look to be the last team standing in the double elimination tournament this weekend. GO HAWKS!
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