Zayas’ Heroics Power CCBC Essex to 8-6 Victory Over Cecil in Game Two

NORTH EAST, MD — Sophomore Eduardo Zayas (Cidra, PR / Bilingual Education School at Cidra) delivered a career performance on Sunday, driving in four runs on three hits, including his first collegiate home run, to lift CCBC Essex to a much-needed 8-6 win over Cecil College Seahawks in Game 2 of the doubleheader.

Zayas' biggest moment came in the top of the seventh inning, with Essex trailing 6-5. The outfielder crushed a three-run shot over the left field wall to give the Knights the lead for good, snapping a five-game skid and improving their record to 15-17 overall. The win also evened the four-game season series with Cecil at 2-2.

The Knights got off to a strong start when Jimmy Perez (Queens, NY / High School for Arts and Business) hit his second home run of the day — a solo blast to right field in the top of the first — followed by a Zayas RBI single to center to jump out to a 2-0 lead.

Cecil quickly responded in the bottom half, plating four runs on singles by Hunter Sipel, Justin Weaver, and Gio Malatesta to make it 4-2. The Seahawks added another run in the third on a Tyler Burger RBI single to extend their lead to 5-2.

Essex clawed back into the game in the fourth, thanks to a two-run home run by sophomore catcher Cameron Brewer (York, PA / Susquehannock), his second of the season. An error by Cecil in the fifth helped the Knights tie the game at five apiece.

Weaver put Cecil back on top with a solo homer in the bottom of the sixth, but it wouldn't hold. In the seventh, Zayas delivered the game-winning blow, scoring Perez and Justin Cook with his three-run homer to left.

Freshman Yadier Henriquez Lopez (Harrisburg, PA / Central Dauphin East) earned the win in relief, tossing two innings while allowing just one run on two hits, striking out two. Sophomore Arnaldo Carrion (Wellington, FL / Wellington) started the game for Essex, going five strong innings with eight strikeouts, allowing five runs on six hits.

Offensively, Essex racked up 10 hits in the win. Zayas and Cook led the way with three hits each, while Perez went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored. The trio of Zayas, Cook, and Perez were the heart of the Knights' offense all afternoon.

Cecil was led by Weaver, Woods, and Burger, each collecting two hits. Weaver and Malatesta each drove in two runs for the Seahawks.

The Knights now turn their attention to a non-region road doubleheader against Delaware Tech, set to take place in Georgetown, DE.