Campus News
April 8th, 2025
GC sweeps Wildcats, moves into first-place tie
Oquendo goes 6-for-8 in doubleheader against CCAC-South
Garrett College's baseball team swept visiting Community College of Allegheny County-South, 13-3 and 6-3, Monday afternoon to move into a tie for first place in NJCAA Division II Region 20's West Division.
The sweep by the Lakers (25-8 overall, 17-3 division) followed Saturday's critical doubleheader split with West Division co-leader Frederick Community College (27-5, 17-3). Frederick downed the Lakers, 17-10, in Saturday's opener, but GC bounced back to smash the Cougars, 15-5 in five innings, in the nightcap.
"Our guys embraced the challenge," GC head coach Eric Hallenbeck said about playing a Frederick team ranked seventh in this week's NJCAA Division II national poll.
Frederick will host GC in a May 2nd doubleheader to close the regular season that could decide the regular-season division title. The Cougars and Lakers have the inside track for the two first-round byes for the West playoffs, with third-place Hagerstown Community College (23-10, 9-7) four games back in the loss column.
GC avoided any post-Frederick letdown with a workmanlike sweep of CCAC-South. Angel Oquendo went 4-for-5, scored twice, and drove in a run to lead Garrett's 14-hit attack in Monday's opener. Josef Sneathen was 3-for-4, scored a run, and added two RBI for the Lakers in Game 1.
CCAC-South (4-19, 3-13) cut an early 4-0 deficit in the opener to 4-3, but JJ Charlton's two-out, RBI hit in the home fifth added an insurance run for the Lakers. GC then ended the game with an eight-run explosion in the bottom of the sixth that included a two-run single by Sneathen and RBI hits from Brandyn Gonzalez, Tristan Kenzevich, and Nick Suitte.
Conner Blake (3-0) threw a five-hit, six-inning complete game in Monday's opener with three strikeouts and two walks. Only one of CCAC-South's three runs was earned.
Oquendo (2-for-3, two RBI) had a run-scoring triple and scored on a first-inning wild pitch as the Lakers took a 2-0 lead in Monday's nightcap. The sophomore infielder finished the doubleheader 6-for-8 with three runs and three RBI.
CCAC-South cut the deficit to 2-1, but Parker Ferraro's two-run homer in the fourth made it 4-1.
Winning pitcher Dale Boone (3-1) yielded three runs (two earned) on six hits with three strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings. Hunter Dakan earned his second save, getting the final two outs after the Wildcats pulled within 6-3 with a seventh-inning run.
Frederick bunched 16 runs in the second and third innings to take command of Saturday's opener. Casey Westerberg (homer, three runs, four RBI), Cooper Harris (two doubles, two runs, two RBI), and Joshua Erd (double, two runs) each had three hits for the Cougars.
Sixth Laker pitchers combined to yield 15 hits, six walks, and two hit batsmen in Game 1.
While the Lakers lost the opener, Hallenbeck said his team's offensive output (10 runs, 10 hits) set GC up for the nightcap.
"We kept battling [in Game 1] and I thought we created a little momentum for the second game," said Hallenbeck.
GC blew out to a 9-0 lead after two innings in the nightcap, finishing with 15 hits in the five-inning contest.
Lakers Easton Rhoten (double, two runs, three RBI) and JJ Charlton (double, two runs, RBI) each went 3-for-3. Noah Broadwater (two runs, RBI), Oquendo (two runs, RBI), and Gonzalez (two runs, three RBI) each had two hits.
Ethan Sebold (4-0) pitched a five-inning, five-hit complete game to earn the victory. He walked three and struck out four.
Potomac State 15, Garrett 3
McHenry, MD – Ryan Conrad (double, 2-for-4, two runs) and Seth Healy (double) each drove in three runs last Thursday as the Catamounts coasted to the win.
Noah Broadwater (two RBI) and JJ Charlton each homered for the Lakers in the loss.
