Posted: May 14, 2026
Parsons Brilliant, But Knights Fall to Allegany in Region 20 Final Four Opener
Allegany College of Maryland
(28-26)
3
CCBC Essex
(36-13)
0
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Allegany College of Maryland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 1 |
|
CCBC Essex | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
May 14, 2026 | Frederick, MD
CCBC Essex opened play in the Region 20 Final Four on Thursday afternoon at Frederick Community College, dropping a hard-fought 3-0 decision to Allegany College of Maryland in a matchup dominated by pitching.
The loss moved the Knights to 36-14 overall, but Essex remained alive in the double-elimination tournament and would need to win its next two games to keep its championship hopes alive.
Sophomore ace Casey Parsons once again gave the Knights a championship-caliber performance on the mound. The right-hander kept Allegany off the scoreboard through six innings and finished with a complete-game effort, allowing just three runs (two earned) on six hits over eight innings while striking out five and walking three.
For much of the afternoon, runs were hard to come by as both starting pitchers controlled the game. Parsons matched Allegany starter C. Fagot inning for inning through the first six frames, keeping the contest scoreless and giving Essex opportunities to break through offensively.
The Trojans finally found the breakthrough in the seventh inning. D. Psoras lined an RBI single down the right-field line to plate the game's first run before T. Kanehae followed with a run-scoring triple to right field, extending the lead to 2-0. Allegany added an insurance run later in the game to account for the final margin.
Fagot earned the win for Allegany, tossing eight shutout innings while allowing just two hits and striking out 11 Knights hitters.
Offensively, Essex managed hits from Joey Rosa and Connor Bailey, while continuing to create pressure on the bases with three stolen bases. Despite several opportunities, the Knights were unable to string together the timely hit needed against the Trojans' pitching staff.
Kanehae, Psoras, and A. Kennell each drove in a run for Allegany, while B. Abram led the offense with two hits.
Although the opener did not go the Knights' way, the season was far from over. Essex entered the tournament as the No. 2 seed after finishing 22-6 in Region 20 play, earning the program's fifth Final Four appearance in the last six seasons under Head Coach Sean O'Connor.
With their backs against the wall, the Knights would look to regroup and battle through the elimination bracket in pursuit of a Region 20 Championship and a berth in the NJCAA Division II World Series in Enid, Oklahoma.