The Garrett College Laker baseball team opened its 2021 campaign this weekend, losing a pair to Harford Community College on Saturday and winning a pair against Cecil College on Sunday. In game one on Saturday, the Lakers scored a run in the first on a sac fly by Brandon Lucas to take an early lead. Garrett starter Michael Joyce held the Fighting Owls at bay through 3 1/3 striking out six batters, but with one out in the fourth the tides changed. Harford's Andrew Sicinski launched a 2-2 pitch over the right field wall to give Harford a 2-1 lead. The Fighting Owls extended the lead to 4-1 on a Laker error. The lead ballooned to 7-1 when Reyce Curnane hit a three-run homerun. Harford scored three more runs to make the score 11-1. Laker shortstop Quintin Smith hit a solo shot to right center to extend the game but Harford added a run in the 5th to end the game by the ten-run rule.
In game two, Harford's Ajay Scepkowski hammered a 2-1 pitch over the right field wall to give the Fighting Owls a 2-0 lead. The game stayed that way until fourth when Smith delivered a two-run single to tie the game at 2-2. In the bottom of the fifth, Joe Quelch hit a double off the centerfield wall to give Harford a 3-2 lead. That's how the game ended as the Lakers could not take advantage of 10 Harford walks. Laker starter Justin Fluhart was the hard luck loser as he threw 4 1/3 giving up three runs on three hits while striking out seven. The Laker offense could muster only four hits in game two. Smith's 2 run single, doubles by Peyton Carr and Tanner George and a single by Eric Peters.
On Sunday in game one, Cecil College jumped out to a 1-0 lead, but Garrett's starter Skylar Kanacsky worked his way out of a bases loaded jam to keep it a 1-0. In the top of the second the Lakers took advantage of walks and errors to score six runs capped off by a two-run single by Juan Pinero. After Cecil cut the lead to 6-3, Baron Swiger delivered a two-run double to push the lead back to five. Garrett scored six more in the fourth with Peyton Carr delivering a bases clearing double to extend the lead to 14-3. Garret scored four more times in the fifth and won their first game of the year 18-8. Kanacsky picked up the win on the mound while Colby Johnson had three hits and Swiger finished with two hits and driving in four runs.
In game two, Quintin Smith hit the first pitch of the game for a solo home run to give the Lakers a 1-0 lead. Three batters later, Pat Bart hit a 2-0 pitch over the wall in left center to make it 3-0. After a sac fly deep to center by Smith and an RBI single by Carr the Lakers extended its lead to 5-0. Garrett would score two runs in the third and fourth and seven runs in the sixth to take game two 16-2. Carr finished with three hits, while scoring two runs and driving in two. Swiger had two hits, scored two runs and drove in two. Eric Peters had two hits including a double and drove in two. Bradie Moore picked up the win on the mound throwing four innings giving up two runs on two hits striking out two. Cam King threw two innings, giving up one hit while striking out three. The Lakers are 2-2 and will be back in action as they travel to Keyser, WV to play Potomac State College on Wednesday March 10 for a double header. First pitch is a 1pm.
