Urena Shines as CCBC Essex Dominates Lakeland in Thrilling Home Opener

ESSEX, MD – The CCBC Essex Knights kicked off their home slate in electrifying fashion, powering past Lakeland Community College (OH) with a commanding 11-2 victory on Friday! Leading the charge was sophomore Maxwell Urena (Brooklyn, NY), who put on a show at the plate, going 3-for-4 with three singles and three stolen bases, setting the tone for a dominant offensive performance.

Lakeland struck first in the top of the second, capitalizing on an error and a bases-loaded walk to take an early lead. But the Knights wasted no time responding, roaring back in the bottom of the frame. Sophomore Brody Carroll (Church Hill, MD) lifted a sacrifice fly to bring in two runs, while Connor Bailey added an RBI single to push Essex ahead.

The Knights erupted again in the third, adding to their lead with a flurry of runs. Billy Hartman (Reisterstown, MD) grounded out but still plated two, Urena smacked an RBI single, and Bailey crushed a run-scoring double to put CCBC Essex firmly in control.

On the mound, it was all Logan Bennett (Forest Hills, NY), as the dominant lefty struck out seven batters over four innings, allowing just one hit and zero earned runs to pick up the win. Freshmen Casey Parsons (Salisbury, MD) and Albert Castillo (Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic) came out of the bullpen and slammed the door on Lakeland, combining for three scoreless innings of relief.

The Knights' bats were on fire, racking up 16 hits on the day! Justin Cook, Urena, and Bailey each collected three hits, with Bailey delivering a team-high four RBIs. Freshmen Lorenzo Rodriguez Pozo (Orlando, FL) and Laurin Guerra Guzman (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) also had multi-hit performances, ensuring a relentless attack from top to bottom.

Lakeland's offense struggled to get going, managing just three hits while working seven walks. Crawford stole two bases, but the Lakers couldn't crack Essex's pitching dominance.

With the home opener in the books, CCBC Essex now turns its attention to the region opener on Saturday at Prince George's Community College. Expect the Knights to carry this momentum into the weekend as they look to build on their red-hot start!