Garcia no-hits Manor College, Knights sweep doubleheader
By Paul Miller
Knightly News Co-Adviser
Photos by Noah Lopez
Knightly News President
noah.lopez@mymail.centralpenn.edu
The Central Penn College Knights baseball team was victorious in both games of a doubleheader on Tuesday versus the Manor College Blue Jays at FNB Field in Harrisburg, winning the first game 12-0 and the second game 20-14. Among the highlights of the day was Anthony Garcia’s no-hitter in the five-inning contest in Game 1.
Game 1
In this game, Garcia tossed his strongest game of the year. While he did walk the lead-off batter in the top of the first, Knights catcher Jack Getty was able to throw out Lucky Lindley at second base, getting Garcia out of the inning without further issue.
In the bottom of the inning, JaMarcus Wilson started the game off on the right foot with a walk, quickly stealing second base to get himself into scoring position. After moving to third on a sacrifice fly by David Thomas, Wilson scored on another sacrifice fly by Tanner McCoy to give the Knights a 1-0 lead.
In the top of the second, Garcia continued his dominant ways, throwing a 1-2-3 inning for the Knights to retain the momentum they’d built in the first inning. In the bottom of the frame, the Knights were able to get two runners aboard, but were not able to get anything going offensively.
After another 1-2-3 inning from Garcia, the Knights capitalized in the bottom of the third. After Wilson again walked to lead off the inning, he promptly stole second, then third. After a Tanner McCoy walk, Nic Joseph drove in Wilson with a sacrifice fly, giving the Knights a 2-0 lead.
In the fourth, Garcia led off the inning with a convincing strikeout of Lindley to lead off the inning. Then, Emiliano Hernandez reached base on an error, but was quickly erased by, again, with Getty throwing out a runner on an attempted steal. Garcia came back with a strikeout of Manny Roach to end the inning, with Garcia facing the minimum through four.
In the fourth inning, the Knights were relentless with their offense, plating ten runs and sending 15 men to the plate. In the inning, Darwin Cruz drove in two runs after reaching base on an error, then McCoy and Joseph both walked with the bases loaded to plate two more. Jordon McCahan, Terrell Smith-Cole and Cruz all singled to drive in runs, bringing the score to 12-0 at the end of the fourth.
In the top of the fifth, with the no-hitter still intact, Garcia induced three quick outs to close the door on Manor College, completing the complete game no-hitter for the Knights. Central Penn College was victorious in the contest, 12-0.
Due to this performance, Garcia was the Weis Knightly News Player of the Game, tossing five innings, only allowing one walk while facing the minimum and striking out five.
Elsewhere for the Knights, Wilson didn’t record a hit, but walked three times, stole four bases and scored three times. Cruz was 1-for-3 with 3 RBI, with a run and a steal.
Game 2
In the second game of the doubleheader, the Knights continued their offensive display, though Knights pitching struggled throughout the early innings.
Darwin Cruz took the hill from Central Penn and struggled mightily, walking four batters while only recording two outs. Tyler Haynes came in to attempt to relieve Cruz and also struggled, walking two more without recording an out. By this point, Manor College had scored five runs without even reaching base on a hit after six walks from Knights pitchers. Braydon Kipple came in and got the third out on one pitch to stop the rally from the Blue Jays, but the Knights were down five before they even came to bat.
But the offensive firepower of the Knights showed through, plating nine runs in the bottom of the first. In the frame, the Knights sent 13 men to the plate, highlighted by McCoy reaching base on an error, scoring two and, later in the inning, driving in another with an RBI single. RBI singles from Weston Campbell, Smith-Cole and Wilson got the Knights going, giving them some breathing room in the inning.
Still, Manor College wasn’t done. While Kipple got the key out in the first, he struggled in the second. Kipple was only able to get two Blue Jays out, while walking three, allowing three hits, and ultimately seeing seven runs charged to him when all was said and done. Jordan Spadafore came in and, while not perfect, was able to get the Knights out of the inning down 13-9. But the Knights answered in the bottom of the second, scoring four more runs of their own to tie the game at 13.
With all of the offensive fireworks in the first two innings, the next two innings were the polar opposite. Spadafore, who had struggled somewhat in the second, was dominant over the next two frames, pitching around two hits to keep the Blue Jays at bay. Shawn Navas for Manor College was equally as impressive, allowing only two walks across the third and fourth innings to keep the game tied.
Spadafore continued his strong outing in the top of the fifth, retiring the side on a 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout. The bottom of the inning saw McCahan’s first-ever collegiate home run, giving the Knights the lead for good. Later in the inning, Wilson drove in another run, giving the Knights a 16-13 lead after five.
While Spadafore continued to hold it down for the Knights the rest of the way, the Knights continued to push runs across, highlighted by a towering home run from McCoy that reached the boardwalk in left at FNB Field. Ultimately, the Knights put up four in the bottom of the sixth, giving Spadafore all of the run support he needed. Central Penn College was victorious by a score of 20-14.
The Weis Knightly News Player of the Game was McCoy, going 2-for-4 with and home run, six RBIs, two runs and a steal. Smith-Cole was 1-for-2 with three walks, three runs, two steals and two RBIs. Spadafore picked up the win, pitching 5 2/3 innings in relief while allowing two runs.
With these two home victories, the Knights moved to 9-0 at home and 13-4 overall on the season. They will return home on Sunday for a noon doubleheader against rival Bucks County Community College at CD East High School.