’Jacks battling on spring break baseball trip
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – This is exactly why Frank Szymanski schedules these spring break trips for his Chesapeake College baseball team.
The Skipjacks (9-6) are playing good competition and lots of close games. Szymanski wouldn't mind a few more wins – Chesapeake is 2-5 so far on the trip, including 1-3 in one-run games – but preparing his squad for the rigors of the Maryland Junior College Athletic Conference is the main goal.
"We're very competitive and playing hard. We're just making some small mistakes that have ended up costing us games," said Szymanski. "We just have to clean up some things – and we think we're going to be able to do that."
The Skipjacks are playing at The Ripken Experience, a baseball complex developed and owned by Cal Ripken Jr. and his brother Billy Ripken, both former Orioles. Szymanski said the experience is "as advertised."
"You play on fields that are replicas of professional stadiums – the Polo Grounds, Griffith Stadium, Ebbetts Field," said Szymanski. "It's just a huge complex with practice fields, batting cages, playgrounds. It's just unbelievable."
Szymanski said sophomore outfielder Jordan Gowe (St. Michaels High) "is a real standout right now for us. He's hitting over .700 on the trip." The Skipjacks' head coach also praised Jack Wood (North Caroline High) and Connor Gorman, who both have pitched well on the trip.
The Skipjacks lost a pair of one-run games on Tuesday, taking a 5-4 defeat against Mercer County College and then dropping a 3-2 decision to Mohawk Valley Community College. Mercer's Dan Denton hit a homer leading off the eighth to break a 4-4 tie for the extra-inning win while Mohawk Valley scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to rally past the Skipjacks.
Trent Ehret (RBI), Daniel Allen (run) and Gowe each had two hits for Chesapeake against Mercer. Gowe went 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI against Mohawk. Gorman took the loss against Mohawk despite throwing a complete-game six-hitter with three strikeouts.
In earlier games on the trip:
Sullivan CC 6, Chesapeake 5
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Michael Trefil's two-run double in the fifth inning Monday erased Chesapeake's 5-4 lead after the Skipjacks had fought back from a 4-0 deficit to go in front.
Trefil went 3-for-3 with four RBI against Chesapeake.
Jordan Gowe (run, two RBI), Kam Stewart (run, RBI) and Daniel Allen (two runs, RBI) each had two hits for the Skipjacks.
Chesapeake 11, Bunker Hill 2
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Matt Schotanus went 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBI as nine different Skipjacks had hits in Monday's game.
Jack Wood spaced six hits over four innings with two strikeouts and no walks to earn the win.
The Skipjacks, already leading 6-1, used a 12-run fourth to break the game open.
Chesapeake 12, Alfred State College 11
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Jordan Gowe went 3-for-4, including a walk-off, two-run single to cap a three-run seventh inning Sunday as the Skipjacks completed their comeback from an 11-8 deficit.
Brice Manship (run, three RBI) joined Gowe (two runs, two RBI) with three hits while Kam Stewart (two runs, RBI), Daniel Allen (run, RBI), Lane Farmer (two runs, two RBI), and Matt Schotanus (two runs) each added two hits.
John Wood CC 11, Chesapeake 5
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Jordan Gowe (three runs, three RBI) collected three of Chesapeake's seven hits in Saturday's loss.
Lackawanna 11, Chesapeake 1
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Jordan Gowe (double, triple, run) went 3-for-3 Saturday and was the only Skipjack with more than one hit in the loss.