ARNOLD, Md. – Sophomore John Greenawalt drove in the winning run in the bottom of the eighth with two outs and the bases loaded to lift the Anne Arundel Community College baseball team to a 5-4 walkoff win against Hudson Valley Community College in the second game of a doubleheader Sunday at Skip Brown Field. The Vikings scored three runs in the seventh of the first game to win, 7-4.
In the top of the eighth with the score tied at 3-3, Brendan Connolly hit a leadoff double for the Vikings. He went to second on a sac bunt, and scored on an Aidan Chrysler sac fly to left. AACC reliever Sam Ross induced a high infield popup to end the inning and send the Riverhawks into the bottom of the eighth down one run, 4-3.
Donny White drew a walk to lead off the bottom of the eighth, went to second on a Russell Turner sac bunt, reached third on a wild pitch, and crossed the plate on a Chris Ricks single through the right side.
Agustin Murillo moved Ricks to second with an infield single, and both completed a double steal to put runners on second and third with one out. The next batter struck out before Ross drew a walk to load the bases, setting up Greenawalt for the walk-off hit.
Hudson Valley got one aboard in the first inning on a sac fly before Nicco Holland homered way over the centerfield fence to score two runs in the bottom half of the inning.
The Vikings scored two on an infield error in the top of the second and ended AACC's scoring threat in the bottom of the inning with a double play.
After a 1-2-3 inning from reliever Zach Ford in the top of the third, AACC used the momentum to tie the game in the bottom half of the inning. Conner Bosley beat out the throw for a single and advanced to second as the shortstop overthrew the first baseman. Casanova tucked his single right inside the right field line to send Bosley across the plate.
The Vikings got their first hit of the game in the fifth, but the Riverhawks ended the inning on a double play.
It looked like Hudson Valley was going to score in the top of the sixth when Chrysler tried to get to home from second on a single through the right, but Riverhawks' right fielder White threw a laser to catcher Griffin Klein to get the tag out at the plate.
Ross earned the win in three innings of relief work, allowing one run on two hits while walking three and striking out three. Holland walked six and fanned two while giving up three runs (one earned) in 1.2 innings. Ford struck out three and walked one in 3.1 relief innings.
In the day's opener, the Vikings took a 2-0 lead in the first on three hits. AACC got two back in the bottom of the second, scoring one on a Turner double to right center before taking advantage of an infield fielding error to plate Turner from third.
In the fifth, Hudson Valley added two runs, first taking a 3-2 lead on a sac fly foul out and then adding one on an infield throwing error. AACC got a run back in the bottom of the fifth on a bases-loaded single from Ricks.
But it was the top of the seventh where the Vikings did the most damage, plating three runs on three hits and an error. Runners from second and third came across on a shallow hit to center that was misplayed. A pitch clock violation and a balk rattled AACC pitcher Evan Pohlman, who then gave up an RBI single to center before settling down to strike out the final batter of the inning.
AACC got one runner on in the bottom of the inning before Hudson Valley ended the game on a double play.
Pohlman shouldered the loss with three runs on three hits in two relief innings. He struck out four and walked two. AACC starter Jack Davidson gave up four runs on six hits while striking out two and walking one through five.
AACC (2-7) is back in action on Sunday, February 25, when the Riverhawks host Westmoreland for their Region 20 opener at noon at Skip Brown Field.