Cougars Battle to the End, Fall Short Against Heartland 4-3

The Frederick Community College Cougars saw their remarkable 2025 season come to a close on Monday afternoon at David Allen Memorial Ballpark in Enid, Oklahoma, falling 4-3 to the fourth-seeded Heartland Community College Hawks in a tightly contested elimination game at the NJCAA Division II Baseball World Series.

Frederick came out fast, scoring two runs in the top of the first inning thanks to a wild pitch and a timely RBI single from designated hitter William Gisriel. Starting pitcher Ethan Duff held the potent Heartland lineup at bay early, but the Hawks responded with a run of their own in the bottom half of the inning and eventually tied it in the third. Despite solid defense and a composed performance on the mound by Duff, Heartland slowly edged ahead with runs in the sixth and seventh innings to take a 4-2 lead.

The Cougars continued to fight, showing their trademark grit in the ninth when Jacob Downey reached base and came around to score on a passed ball, cutting the deficit to one, but a late rally wasn't enough.

Frederick was held to five hits, with Gisriel, Luis Perez Alfaro, Clayton Dorsey, Casey Westerberg, and Downey each collecting one. Duff finished with six strong innings on the mound, scattering 10 hits while allowing just three earned runs and striking out three.

With the loss, the Cougars finish their season at 51-13, closing the book on a record-setting campaign for the team. They shattered several season totals for the program, including the home run record with 74, previously set in 2022 and surpassed in 2023 with 56; runs batted in with 491, a record held for 15 years; and stolen bases with 140. Additionally, the pitching staff recorded a record number of strikeouts this year with 479.