BASEBALL: LION IN MYRTLE BEACH - WEEK 2

by Rich Barnett

DUNDALK, MD - So whaddya do when your baseball season begins with cold, snow, wind, and less-than-optimal field conditions resulting in the postponement of three of your first five scheduled games? To misquote Horace Greeley, you "Head south, young man!" The Lions did exactly that during the first weekend in March, traveling to slightly warmer weather in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and joining over 100 other junior college baseball teams for the Ripken Experience.

On March 4, the Lions went up against the 2017 NJCAA Division II National Champions, Kankakee Community College (Kankakee, Ill.). The game was scoreless through six innings before the top-seeded Cavaliers scored two in the top of the seventh. Chance Gensler (Kenwood) pitched five innings and Justin Santana (Dundalk) got the loss. Final score 2-0.

Later that day, the Lions kept Danville Area Community College (Danville, Ill.) scoreless through four innings. The Jaguars' two runs in the top of the fifth were enough to top the Lions 2-1 with the Lions' sole run coming off a home run by Charles Lebron (Grand Street Campus | Brooklyn, N.Y.) in the bottom of the seventh. Creed Mourey (Kenwood) for the loss after pitching five innings.

DACC and the Lions played again the following morning, with the Jaguars taking on the role as home team for the rematch. The Jags scored early with a run in the first, but a strong seven-run fifth inning sealed the Lions' fate as they fell 8-2. Antonio Fernandez (John Bowen | Queens N.Y.) got his first loss.

On March 6, the Lions got an early jump on Rochester Community and Technical College (Rochester, Minn.) scoring five runs in the first inning. The Yellowjackets came back strong scoring five runs in the next two innings, but the Lions held them at bay, winning 11-5. Joe Rubalcaba (Catonsville) pitched his first win. Shawn Dignazio (Kenwood) doubled, Ivan Martinez (Clifton | Bronx, N.Y.) and Arri Stakias (John Carroll) tripled, and Lebron and Andreas Holtzer (Good Counsel) homered. 

Pumped up by their first win of the season, the Lions carried their momentum into their second game of the day. The Lions scored seven runs in the first three innings, besting Luzerne County Community College (Nanticoke, Penn.) 12-2. Martinez and Ethan Alioto (Catonsville) doubled, Holtzer and Andy Duarte (Grand Street Campus | Brooklyn, N.Y.) tripled, and Lebron and James Moses (Loyola Blakefield) homered. Dignazio got his first win of the season. 

The Lions wrapped up their spring training road trip on March 7 against PSU Beaver (Monaca, Penn.). Riding high from their previous two wins, the Lions scored quick and scored often, topping the Nittany Lions 16-3. Santana got his first win. Stakias hit for a double and a triple, and Holtzer doubled and homered. Lebron, Dignazio, and Martinez also doubled. Bryant Gutierrez (Abraham Lincoln | Queens N.Y.) and Zach Huddleston (Good Counsel) also tripled, and Malik Miller (Cardozo | Queens, N.Y.) also homered.

The Lions' Ripken Experience went 3-3. Head Coach Kyle Campbell says, "Two of the losses were close and were against top-seeds." He added, "It looked like all we needed was that first win, because once we did, we got some confidence and finished up the trip with some strong momentum. We are looking forward to bringing that momentum back home to The Den."

At the end of week two, the Lions were 3-5 overall and 0-0 Maryland JUCO Conference.