Wye Mills, MD. – In a somewhat ironic twist, Chesapeake College's high-powered offense was overshadowed Friday afternoon by the Skipjacks' brilliant defense.  Frank Szymanski's top-seeded squad turned three double plays and finished with at least a half-dozen defensive gems in holding off fourth-seeded Garrett College, 12-7, to reach the NJCAA Division II Region XX baseball finals.

"They played great defense – at least five or six great plays," said GC head coach Eric Hallenbeck.  "But we didn't go down without a fight."

The Lakers (29-23) did indeed battle despite facing 3-0, 5-3 and 9-5 deficits along the way.

GC scored twice in the visitors' seventh to pull within 9-7 and seemed prepared to do more damage with the bases loaded and one out.  Colby Johnson then hit a ball back up the middle that Chesapeake second baseman Dylan Young turned into the Skipjacks' third 4-6-3 double play to end the threat.

"We've been preaching defense all year long," noted Szymanski, whose team advanced to Saturday's double-elimination finals needing to beat undefeated Frederick Community College twice to win the region.

Chesapeake, which rolled to a 13-2 win over the Lakers in Monday's opening game of the double-elimination tournament, looked poised to do the same on Friday.   GC started Dylan McCartney lasted just 2/3 of an inning as Young (2-for-4, 3 runs) and Jackson Halla (4-for-5, 2 runs) produced RBI singles to help the Skipjacks build a 3-0, first-inning cushion.

Garrett, however, drew even on Quintin Smith's 3-run homer in the top of the second to give the Lakers a huge emotional boost.

"Quintin's homer really settled everything down," said Hallenbeck.

Pinch-hitter Austin Massey delivered a run-scoring single in the third and Will Glick launched a solo homer in the fourth to give Chesapeake a 5-3 lead.  Garrett, however, pulled within 5-4 as Elijah Hanible (2-for-5, 2 runs) singled, took second and third on infield outs, and scored on a passed ball in the top of the fifth.

Chesapeake (29-8) got that run back on Mitchell Jolikko's  sac fly in the home fifth, but a solo homer by Colby Johnson (2-for-4) in the top of the sixth pulled the Lakers within a run.

Chesapeake put together a 3-run sixth, stretching the lead to 9-5, as Nick Newman (2-for-5) delivered a 2-run double and GC reliever Bradie Moore hit Jolikko (run, 2 RBI) with a pitch with the bases loaded.

The Lakers made what turned out to be their last stand in the top of the seventh.

An error and a one-out walk set up an RBI single by Tanner George (2-for-3, run).  Skipjack reliever Nick Gatton hit Juan Pinero to load the bases and then walked Smith (2-for-3, 4 RBI) to force in a run, pulling Garrett within 9-7.

Szymanski then elected to replace Gatton with Devin McClendon, who induced Johnson into the last of the three double plays turned by the Skipjacks.

"That kept us at bay a little bit," Hallenbeck said of the twin killings.  "We just couldn't get over the hump."

Chesapeake responded with another 3-run rally in the home seventh as Massey (3-for-3, 2 runs, 3 RBI) cracked a 2-run single and GC reliever Michael Joyce issued a bases-loaded walk to Kyle Waters.  McClendon then slammed the door shut on the Lakers, yielding one hit over 2 2/3 innings.

Reliever Skylar Kanacsky took the loss, allowing 3 runs on 8 hits and a walk in 3 1/3 innings.  GC's five pitchers combined to yield 14 hits and 12 walks while hitting 3 batters.

Hallenbeck said he was proud of the way his team played in the regional tournament as well as throughout the season.

"Our philosophy is to grind it out no matter what," said Hallenbeck.  "With COVID, we had to grind it out even more.  Our guys stayed focused, made plays, made pitches – they just competed."