Six-run Ninth Inning Leads to an Electric Walk-off Win Over No. 3 Seed East Central 11-10 

In a thrilling display of resilience and determination, the FCC Cougars made a breathtaking comeback on the brink of elimination from the 2023 NJCAA DII Baseball World Series. They scored six runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to walk off against the No. 3 seed East Central Community College Warriors 11-10. 

Jordan Trunnell got the start for Frederick making his 11th start and 11th appearance with a remarkable record of eight wins and one loss. Trunnell pitched two and one-third innings, giving up one hit and three earned runs with three strikeouts and five batters walked. Bryce Greene came in to relieve him and pitched four innings giving up four hits and two earned runs, and Aiden Fernandez came in to throw two and one-third innings giving up four hits and two earned runs. Jason Boak picked up his fourth win, pitching one-third inning, and gave up one hit with no runs, no earned runs. 

East Central struck early, put up two runs in the first inning, and tacked on another run in the third to take an early 3-0 lead. Undeterred, the Cougars refused to back down and finally found their rhythm and got on the board in the bottom of the fifth inning when Brendan Kleiman hit a double to score Brevin Neveker. The Cougars battled on defense through the game, successfully navigating a bases-loaded jam in the sixth inning to emerge unharmed. FCC would continue to fight and narrowed the ECCC lead when Jaylon Robinson delivered a timely single, scoring Josh Wilson from second to cut the deficit to just one run, with the score now 3-2.

The Warriors would pull away in the top half of the seventh inning with a two-run home run to take a 5-2 lead. However, FCC's homerun leader, Adrian Greenie, would answer back with his 15th long-ball of the season to blister a three-run bomb over the left field wall in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game at five. 

Neither team would score in the eighth inning, and the score remained tied, heading to the ninth frame. In the top half of the inning, the Warriors would score five runs on five hits to put the pressure on Coach Bennett and the Cougars, who were three outs away from being eliminated but refused to surrender.

Nick Keane would lead off and ignite his team with a double, and Brendan Kleinman would single to score Keane. Aidan Masters hit a fly ball to center field for the first out, Greaney would single, propelling Kleinman to third. Josh Wilson struck out, and now FCC was one out away and trailed 10-6. The Cougars would draw two walks to score a run, as Robinson would step up to the plate with the bases loaded and hit a single to score two runs. Daniel Herrera would single to score a run to tie the game, and Keane singled to score Robinson from second, and the Cougars walk-off with the 11 to 10 victory in electric fashion.

This win snaps the Cougars' seven-game losing streak in Enid, OK, and survives an elimination game to advance to play Monday against the No. 2 seed Lansing (MI) at 10:00 AM CDT.