ARNOLD, MD – The Anne Arundel Community College baseball team dropped a doubleheader to visiting Thomas Nelson Community College Wednesday, falling 11-4 in the first game and 7-5 in the nightcap.
Parker Jones recorded three hits including a pair of doubles to go with a stolen base on the day. Ethan Grieb collected two hits and a pair of RBI, hitting a double in game one.
AACC held a 4-0 lead after two innings, and a 5-3 lead after four in the second game, but a four-run rally with two outs in the seventh saw the Gators take the lead. Thomas Nelson got two quick outs in the bottom of the seventh before stranding a walked batter to end the game.
Jones got the Riverhawks on the board with a double to right in the first inning before coming around to score on a Matkins single. Nick Toskov hit an RBI triple in the next inning, coming across the plate on a Grieb fielder's choice.
Thomas Nelson got all its runs in the third on a three-run home run to left. A Grieb RBI groundout in the fourth gave AACC a two-run cushion, 5-3.
Leginze took the mound in the seventh, striking out the first batter before giving up a single to left. The next Gators batter was called out for interference, but Thomas Nelson loaded the bases on a pair of walks to set up a two-run single to right to tie the game. A long single down the left field line sent the last two Gator runs across.
Jacob McDonald started the game on the mound for AACC, striking out four while allowing three runs on five hits in five innings. Brady MacDonald struck out one in the sixth before giving way to Leginze, who evens out at 1-1 on the year with the loss.
The teams traded runs in the first two innings of game one before the Gators plated two in the second to take the lead for good. AACC scored single runs in the second through fifth innings, but gave up five to the visitors in a tough sixth inning to put the game out of reach.
Gavin Umphries started on the mound for AACC, striking out two and allowing three runs on four hits in three innings. Andrew Edwards took the loss in two innings of work before being relieved in one-inning stints by Shane Emerson and Luke Emory.
AACC is back in action on Saturday at Skip Brown Field, hosting Bergen Community College in an 11 am doubleheader.