In Walk-Off, CCBC Essex Falls to Surry Knights

DOBSON, N.C. - A dramatic finish saw CCBC Essex fall to the Surry Knights 7-6 on Saturday at Surry Community College, as an error in the bottom of the seventh inning allowed the winning run to score.

The game opened with an early offensive burst from Surry. Elijah Palmer singled up the middle to bring in the first run, followed by an RBI groundout from Tate Green and a single to center field by Colby Umbarger, giving the Knights a 3-0 lead in the first inning.

CCBC Essex responded in the top of the fifth when sophomore Rafael Castillo (Queens, N.Y.) executed a safety squeeze to tie the game at three. The Knights reclaimed a 3-1 lead in the second inning thanks to a single from Lucas Graham, but Essex fought back.

The Knights found themselves trailing in the sixth when CCBC Essex took a 5-3 lead. Freshman Laurin Guerra Guzman (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) reached safely on a first-and-third play, and Jimmy Perez (Queens, N.Y.), a sophomore, grounded into a fielder's choice, each bringing in a run.

However, Essex's defensive struggles allowed Surry to tie the game again in the bottom of the sixth due to a costly error.

With the game hanging in the balance, Castillo launched a solo home run to center field in the seventh, giving CCBC Essex a 6-5 lead. But the Knights refused to go quietly. Umbarger's sacrifice fly knotted the game at six before a final miscue by Essex brought in the game-winning run.

Surry's Brooks Kinser earned the win, allowing three runs on four hits in two innings of work. Freshman Casey Parsons (Salisbury, Md.) took the loss in his collegiate debut, pitching one-third of an inning and surrendering two runs (one earned) on two hits. Sophomore Arnaldo Carrion (Wellington, Fla.) started on the mound for Essex, throwing three and two-thirds innings, giving up four runs on five hits while striking out one and walking three.

Offensively, Castillo led CCBC Essex, going 2-for-3 with two RBIs, while sophomore William Hartman (Reisterstown, Md.) also collected two hits. Defensively, Essex turned one double play during the contest.

For Surry, Graham had a standout performance at the plate, going 4-for-4. Palmer contributed two hits in four at-bats, while Umbarger drove in two runs.

CCBC Essex quickly regrouped for the second game of the doubleheader, set to begin 30 minutes after the thrilling conclusion of Game 1.