AUBURNDALE, Fla. – Houghton baseball got its first win of the season after splitting a twinbill with Lyndon State on Thursday in Auburndale, Fla.

Houghton lost 2-0 to start the day before closing with a 7-5 extra innings win in the nightcap.

The Highlanders couldn't get much going offensively in the first game, producing just four hits. Lyndon State scored single runs in the fifth and seventh innings and rode the arm of starter Jeff Williams who got the complete game shutout.

Down 1-0 in the bottom of the sixth, the Highlanders did threaten to bring home the tying run. Michael Knapp (Brockport, NY, Brockport) singled then stole second and third. But Bryan Hodge (Thornton, CO, Community Christian) flied out to left to end the inning.

Knapp did tally two hits and two stolen bases to pace Houghton, who wasted a strong performance by sophomore pitcher Victor Cavalieri (Rochester, NY, Northstar Christian). The hurler gave up just five hits and one run (unearned), while striking out 10 over five innings. Reliever Robert Schmidt (Lima, NY, Lima Christian ) went two innings with one run allowed.

Game two produced a bit more offense for both sides.

The Highlanders got on board first, with two runs in the opening frame and added single tallies in the third and fourth innings to go up 4-0.

The Hornets pulled one back in the bottom of the fourth when Houghton starting pitcher Garrett Alread (Victor, NY, Victor) lost a bit of his control. The freshman hurler walked the first batter to start the inning and then hit back-to-back Hornets. After a groundout brought home a run, Alread hit his third batter of the inning, forcing Highlander coach Brian Reitnour to his bullpen. Freshman Sean Brown (Lockport, NY, Starpoint) came on with the bases loaded and struck out two-straight to end the inning.

Houghton scored again in the fifth to take a 5-1 lead.

Brown had his own control issues in the bottom of the fifth. With two out and a runner on second, Brown hit two batters and then gave up three-straight singles as the Hornets evened the score at five apiece.

Taylor Huntsman came on in relief in the sixth and did his part to keep the Hornets off the board.

Offensively, Houghton advanced runners to third in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings, but could not muster a run. Highlander runners were thrown out at home in both the eighth and ninth.

After Knapp flied out to start the 10^th, Chris Welch (Denham Springs, LA, Denham Springs) reached on an error and stole second to get into scoring position. Tage Johnson (Jamestown, NY, Frewsburg) promptly brought Welch home with his third double of the game to put Houghton up 7-6. Hodge followed with a single to score Johnson before Jacob Hayes (Homer, NY, Homer) hit into a double play to end the Houghton at-bat.

Huntsman calmly retired the side to end the game.

Houghton produced 13 hits, led by Johnson's 3-for-5 performance. Knapp and Welch had two hits apiece, while Garret Kirkpatrick (York, PA, Central York) drove in two runs. Timothy Leathersich (Lima, NY, Lima Christian) finished with three stolen bases.

Huntsman was credited with the win after throwing five innings of hitless and scoreless relief and striking out five batters.

Alread went 3 1/3 with no hits and five strikeouts, while Brown struck out four and gave up four runs on three hits in 1 2/3.

Houghton (1-3) is back in action with a double-header against Augustana (Ill.) on Friday in Auburndale, Fla.