FREDERICK — After 31 combined runs, 28 hits and 12 pitchers, Garrett College won a 17-14 marathon of a baseball game on Thursday, upsetting No. 25 Frederick.
"We kinda thought that going in," GC manager Eric Hallenbeck said of a thrilling victory. "They've got a big weekend, we've got a big weekend. We were just looking for guys to get outs,"
"We started slow in the first two innings, no runs, and then it kinda ended the way we thought it would be. Whoever strung a bunch of hits together at the end was gonna win."
The Lakers (24-12, 17-4 Division II) moved into sole possession of second place in Region 20, Division II after entering Thursday even with the Cougars (26-11, 16-5 Division).
GC scored six runs in the sixth and five in the seventh.
The Lakers trailed 8-4 after five before two walks, an error, a Matthew Firestone single and a sacrifice fly put the Lakers ahead 10-8 in the sixth.
"Just getting our pitches, in the fourth inning we had bases loaded, in the fifth we left two guys on," Hallenbeck said. "Five runners on in two innings. They were getting the big hits with guys on base early, we were not. And then finally we got big hits late."
The Cougars quickly answered with a three-run home run in the bottom half off the bat of Vincenzo Cusat.
Now trailing 11-10 in the seventh, Garrett scored off a wild pitch and RBI singles from Aiden Screen, Ethan Earley and Meyer Cabrera.
Cabrera's drove in two runs to put the Lakers in front 15-11.
Frederick got within 15-13 after eight, but Garrett's Felix Aubin added a key insurance run in the top of the ninth.
Aubin led-off with a solo blast to right center before another sacrifice fly stretched GC's lead to 17-13.
It was the freshman's first collegiate home run.
"That was big, an opposite field in a spot like that," Hallenbeck said. "That was clutch for us."
Luis Perez Alfaro hit a two-out RBI knock in the bottom of the ninth, but the Lakers survived.
After Garrett opened the scoring with two runs in the top of the third, Frederick answered with six in the bottom half.
The big swing came from Casey Westerberg, who sent a grand slam just inside the left foul pole.
RBI singles from Firestone in the fourth and Earley in the fifth cut Garrett's deficit to 6-4.
"We both put some guys on," Hallenbeck said of the number of runs from both sides. "Then you get a big hit. We put the first two guys on and the four-hole hitter hits a grand slam. One hit gets three runs, where if we don't put those guys on, it's one run."
Tysan Gingerich extended the Cougar lead to 8-4 after five on a two-run knock.