Cougars Drop Game One in Region 20 Championship Series Opener

In a tightly contested battle in the opening game of the NJCAA Region 20 DII Baseball Championship Series, Frederick Community College Cougars fell just short in Game One, dropping a 5-4 decision to Anne Arundel Community College Riverhawks on Friday afternoon. The Cougars came out strong and led for most of the game, but a seventh-inning surge by the Riverhawks turned the tide and forced Frederick into another elimination scenario.

Frederick opened the scoring in the first inning when Andrew Varga crossed the plate on an error, giving the home team an early spark. The Cougars extended their lead in the second with a bases-loaded walk to Jacob Downey, and again in the fourth as Casey Westerberg scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-0. Starting pitcher Adam Horst kept Anne Arundel off the board through five and two-thirds innings, striking out six and allowing just three hits.

But in the top of the seventh, things unraveled. Anne Arundel plated four runs, capitalizing on a pair of walks and a costly throwing error to swing the game in their favor. A two-run single by capped the comeback, giving the Riverhawks a 4-3 lead. They would tack on another run in the ninth with a clutch RBI double from AACC.

Frederick made one final push in the bottom of the ninth as Shawn Karpaitis launched a solo home run to left center, bringing the Cougars within one, but the rally fell short. Despite out-hitting Anne Arundel and drawing nine walks, Frederick stranded eleven runners on base and was unable to reclaim the lead after the seventh.

Now 49-11 on the season, the Cougars will need to regroup quickly. Game Two of the best-of-three series is scheduled to resume at 11 AM on Saturday, May 17, after being delayed due to inclement weather.