Knights Return to Maryland with a Win on Opening Weekend

By Brianna Seren Rosso 

Rosedale, Md.— This past weekend was opening weekend for the Essex Knights baseball team as they traveled to North Carolina to take on the Wake Technical Community College Eagles. Over Friday and Saturday, these teams played three games against each other having a double header on Saturday. Over three competitive games, the Knights were able to win one out of three starting the 2022 season off with a 1-2 overall record.

In the game on Friday, Danny Padilla took the bump for the Knights. He had three strong innings, giving up only one earned run off of six hits with two strikeouts. Tommy Peifley came in to relieve Padilla, throwing one scoreless inning. Joey Galloway also entered the game to throw two innings of relief, giving up two hits, one a solo homerun, and tallying one strikeout. Todd Murphy came in to finish the game for the Knights, allowing one hit with two strikeouts over two scoreless innings.

Out of the five hits that were made by the Knights, Logan Leasure was able to come off the bench and hit two of them. Manuel Jackson had the only extra-base hit for the Knights that day with a double. The Knights were unable to string the hits together to score a run and the end of game score was 3-0 in favor of the Eagles.

The Knights to score their first runs of the season in this game, but their four runs were not enough to overcome eight runs put up by the Eagles. On the Knights team, the four hits of the game were made by Luis Marrero, Tucker Freer, Daniel Silgado, and Jordan Daddio.

For the Essex Knights, the only RBI in the first game of the double header was from Likeiry Taveras Jimenez. Knights were able to successfully steal bases three times in this game, once each by Marrero, Liam Bowers, and Leasure.

Out of the four pitchers for the Essex Knights in this game, which ended 8-4 not in favor of the Knights, Joshua Youngberg was the only pitcher to give up zero runs in the two innings he pitched, along with getting four strikeouts.

In the third game of this series, the Knights were able to get ahead early and take the win, 6-5. The Knights baseball team had a couple shining moments in game two of the double header against Wake Tech.

Out of The Knights 26 at-bats, they scored six runs, had eight hits, half of which were RBI's. Marrero made an impact on the Knights score with a total of three of the team's four RBI's. He had three hits and scored the other Knights run in his four at-bats of the game. The only other RBI made on the Knights team was by Armando Prieto, who also trailed Marrero in hits with two of the team's hits.

The Knights recorded another three stolen bases this game by Haywood, Marrero, and Carela. Reed Adams also made his first collegiate save as a pitcher in this win over the Eagles.

The Essex Knights Baseball team heads into their next game which is a double header at The College of Southern Maryland. Games are March 3^rd, at 12:00pm and 2:00pm.