Skipjacks stun first-place Cecil - twice
WYE MILLS – The Skipjacks aren't going to win the state baseball crown, but they sure left their imprint on the title chase.
Chesapeake College stunned first-place Cecil College – twice – Saturday afternoon to throw a monkey wrench into the Maryland Junior College Athletic Conference race. The Skipjacks swept Cecil, 7-2 and 8-2, as they reverted to their impressive, early season play.
Chesapeake's sweep dropped Cecil (32-16 overall, 19-5 league) even with CCBC-Catonsville (37-12, 18-5) and Frederick Community College (27-16, 17-5) in the loss column. Catonsville and Frederick were scheduled to play a pivotal doubleheader Sunday afternoon in Frederick.
"Cecil's an outstanding team – first in the state, first in the region, won 17 of 19 coming in here," said Chesapeake head coach Frank Szymanski. "We just wanted to come out, put forth our best effort and capitalize on our opportunities. We're definitely excited about this."
Danny Allen went 2-for-4, scored a run and drove in a pair with a single in Chesapeake's four-run second inning that wiped out a 1-0 deficit to lead the offense in Game 2.
"Danny has been clutch for us all year – very consistent," said Szymanski. "He's having an outstanding year."
Blake Musser also had two hits in addition to walking and scoring a run as part of a two-run fourth that helped Chesapeake (24-17, 13-8) stretch its lead to 6-1. Jordan Gowe drove in two runs, scored another and had a hit in Game 2.
Jack Wood (5-2) threw a complete-game three-hitter to win Game 2, walking one and striking out two.
Brice Manship had the hot bat in Game 1 for the Skipjacks, singling in a pair of fourth-inning runs to break a 1-1 tie and doubling in a run in a four-run fifth that gave Chesapeake a 7-1 lead
"Brice also executed a perfectly placed sacrifice bunt in addition to coming through with some big knocks for us," noted Szymanski.
Allen had two more hits and two more RBI, while Casey Joseph went 2-for-2 with two runs and drove in a run.
Jim Wix (4-3) also had a complete-game win, spacing six hits and a walk while striking out four in the opener.
"Our pitchers threw complete games, our defense was solid and we had timely hitting," said Szymanski, summing up the effort it took to cool off the Seahawks.
Notes: Chesapeake's Sunday doubleheader at Garrett College was postponed due to rain and has not yet been rescheduled. The Skipjacks' Tuesday contest against Stevenson University's junior varsity has also been postponed due to a forecast of rain.
Chesapeake's women's softball team swept the U.S. Naval Academy Plebes, 5-1 and 5-2, Saturday afternoon to halt a four-game losing streak and finish the regular season with a 31-5 record. The Skipjacks extended their own record for wins in a season, with last year's 28 triumphs the previous mark.