GTCC Titans Baseball

Game Update

4/2/12

The GTCC Titans baseball team won 3 of 4 games over the weekend against defending Region X champion Pitt CC.  The Titans move to 16-16 overall and 8-8 in the conference.

Game 1 saw Titan starter Dylan Thompson scatter 6 hits over 7 innings and strike out 10 en route to his 4th victory of the season and a 5-2 Titan win.  Victor Morel led the Titans at the plate going 3-3 with 3 runs scored and 3 stolen bases.  Zach Burkhart added 2 hits and 2 RBI's for the Titans as well.

The Titans raced to an early lead in Game 2 as they plated 5 runs in the 1st inning and never trailed in a 7-4 victory.  Landon O'Dell threw 5 solid innings for the Titans to pick up his 3rd win of the season.  Adam Kirkpatrick came on for the final 2 innings to pick up his first save of the year.  Kyle Brandenburg, Edwin Soto, and Corey McKinney had 2 hits apiece for the Titans.

Game 3 saw the Bulldogs take advantage of 2 Titan errors to score 2 unearned runs in a 4-3 Titans' loss.  Victor Morel had 3 hits for the Titans while Zach Burkhart added 2 more and Kyle Brandenburg cracked his first home run of the season.  However, the Titans could not overcome 2 costly errors in the 4th inning that plated 2 Pitt runs.  The Titans threatened in the bottom of the 7th inning by scoring 1 run and loading the bases with 1 out, but could not come up with a clutch hit.  Clint Ingram pitched well, but was saddled with the loss.

In Game 4, it was GTCC cashing in on Bulldog miscues to score twice in the 5th inning and ease past Pitt by a score of 3-1.  Edwin Soto was 2-2 with 1 RBI, and Ernesto Fernandez added 2 more hits.  Zach Burkhart pitched 5 solid innings to pick up his 1st collegiate win on the mound.  Adam Kirkpatrick tossed 2 scoreless innings to pickup his 2nd save of the season.

The Titans travel this Friday and Saturday to Region X foe USC-Sumter for a big 4-game conference series.  The Titans return home the following weekend to play host to Spartanburg Methodist College in the final home series of the season.

3/23/12

The GTCC baseball team rallied for 4 runs in the top of the 9th inning to get by the home-standing Rockingham Community College Eagles by a score of 9-6.  The win moves the Titans overall record to 13-11.

Zack Burkhart pitched 5 strong innings for the Titans who squandered a 4-1 lead in the bottom of the 7th by allowing 4 RCC runs on only 1 hit.  The Titans took advantage of an Eagle error in the 8th to tie the score at 5.  The Eagles struck back by taking advantage of a Titan error in the bottom of the 8th to regain the lead 6-5 heading into the last inning.  Two RCC errors, a perfectly executed squeeze play by Corey McKinney, and a 2-run double by Kyle Brandenburg highlighted a 4-run 9th inning for GTCC as they regained the lead for good 9-6.  Brandenburg also pitched 1 2/3 innings of relief to pick up the win.  Ernesto Fernandez pitched a perfect 9th to pick up the save for the Titans.  Dillon Rudio led the Titan hitters going 2-5 with 1 RBI.  Greer Crowder added 2 hits as well.

The Titans travel to Louisburg College this weekend for a big 4-game Region X series.

R   H   E
GTCC   030 010 001 4   9  10  2
RCC     010 000 041 0   6   6   3

Win-  Brandenburg (1-1)  Save- Fernandez (1)
Hitters- Dillon Rudio 2-5 w/ 1 RBI; Greer Crowder 2-3

3/19/12

The GTCC baseball team, losers of 4 straight and 9 of the last 10, righted the ship this weekend with a 4-game sweep over conference foe USC-Salkehatchie.  The Titans used two late rallies to get by the Indians on Saturday and dominant pitching on Sunday to sweep the series.  The wins move the Titans' record to 12-11 overall and 5-3 in conference play.

In Game 1, Victor Morel's RBI single over a drawn in outfield capped a 3-run rally in the bottom of the 7th to give the Titans the win by a score of 9-8.  Zach Burkhart was 3-3 with 3 RBI's including a solo home run.  Adam Kirkpatrick tossed 2 innings of scoreless relief to pick up the win for GTCC.

Game 2 saw more late inning drama as Titan 1st baseman Zach Burkhart hit a walk-off grand slam with 1 out in the bottom of the 7th inning to give GTCC a 7-3 victory.  Landon O'Dell and Victor Morel both added 2 hits for the Titans.  Adam Kirkpatrick pitched 1 scoreless inning to pick up his 2nd victory of the day for the Titans.

Game 1 on Sunday saw Titan sophomore pitcher Clint Ingram throw a 2-hit complete game shutout to lead the Titans past the Indians by the score of 5-0.  Ernesto Fernandez and Edwin Soto both belted 2-run homers for the Titans.  Corey McKinney added an RBI single for the Titans as well.

Game 2 was more of the same as Titan sophomore pitcher Landon O'Dell threw 6 scoreless innings to lead GTCC to a 6-2 victory and a series sweep.  Kyle Brandenburg and Corey McKinney paced the Titan offense by both smacking 2-run doubles.  Victor Morel added 2 hits and 3 stolen bases for the Titans.

The Titans return to action on Thursday with a non-conference game at Rockingham Community College.  They return to Region X action on Saturday and Sunday as they travel to nationally ranked Louisburg College for a big 4-game series.

2/27/12

The GTCC Titans baseball team improved to 7-3 overall with two wins Saturday in Richmond, VA over Chesapeake College and Salem Community College, as well as a win over Macomb Community College on Sunday.

Game 1 versus Chesapeake saw the Titans overcome a slow start offensively and rally by the Skipjacks in extra innings by a score of 4-3.  Titan sophomore Mike Whited hit a two-out RBI double in the top of the 9th inning to break a 3-3 tie and put the Titans up for good.  Adam Kirkpatrick pitched three innings of solid relief to pick up the win for GTCC. Ernesto Fernandez was 1-3 with a two-run homer as well as a sac fly for a total of 3 RBIs for the Titans.  Landon O'Dell added two hits as well.

In game 2, the Titans shook off a poor defensive start and rallied by Salem Community College by a final score of 9-5. Edwin Soto highlighted a 5-run 2nd inning for the Titans by blasting a 2-run home run- his second of the year.  Every Titan starter had at least one hit for the game.  Starter Chris Erker picked up his 3rd win of the season for GTCC.

The first game on Sunday saw the Titans score three unanswered runs and rally by the Macomb CC Monarchs en route to a 3-1 victory.  Ernesto Fernandez clubbed a 2-run homer to lead the Titans.  Landon O'Dell threw 6 strong innings to pick up his first collegiate win and Kyle Brandenburg notched his first save by pitching a scoreless 7th inning.

In the final game of the weekend, the Titans squared off once again with Chesapeake College.  GTCC squandered 2 big scoring opportunities by leaving the bases loaded twice without scoring and ultimately lost the game by a score of 7-4.  Victor Morel, Ernesto Fernandez, and Trevor Leonard each had 2 hits apiece to lead the Titans.  Clint Ingram pitched well, but was saddled with the loss.

The Titans return to action this Saturday and Sunday as they battle Lakeland Community College here at home.  Games will be played at Ragsdale High School with Saturday's games starting at 1:00 and Sunday's games starting at noon.

2/12/12

The GTCC Titan baseball team improved to 3-1 on the young season as they swept a doubleheader from visiting Rappahannock CC on Saturday.  The Titans battled through a blustery cold day and used two dominating pitching performances to overwhelm the Gulls.

Sophomore Dylan Thompson picked up his first win of the season in game one of the double header by tossing a complete game and allowing only 1 run on 2 hits while striking out 4.  Sophomore Mike Whited led the Titans at the plate going 3-3 with 2 RBI's en route to a 9-1 victory for GTCC.

Not to be outdone, Titan sophomore lefty Chris Erker tossed the 1st no-hitter in GTCC history as the Titans won 2-0 in game two of the double header. Ernesto Fernandez had 3 hits and Kyle Brandenburg added 2 more for the Titans, but the story of the game was Erker. Erker dominated from start to finish as he struck out 9 and walked none.  Two Titan errors prevented a perfect game for the left hander.

The Titans return to action next weekend as they battle the Community College of Rhode Island in a three game series.