HOUGHTON, NY—The Houghton Highlanders rallied from an 8-2 deficit to win the first game of their twinbill with Medaille College, 9-8, on a walk-off sacrifice fly in the 8
th. Capitalizing on their offensive momentum the Highlanders scored eight runs in the first three innings of the nightcap, winning their sixth straight game, 9-5.
Game 1: The Mavericks jumped out to an early 4-2 lead thanks to four hits and two Highlander errors in the first two innings.
In the third and fourth innings Houghton put runners on base but could not capitalize on their opportunities.
Then in the top of the fifth lightning struck, both figuratively and literally.
Back-to-back singles and a sacrifice bunt put runners at second and third with one out for freshman catcher Ryan Cooper, who quickly deposited a 1-0 fastball over the leftfield fence to put the Mavericks up 7-2.
Before another pitch could be thrown both teams were removed from the field because of lightning.
When play resumed, the Mavericks quickly strung together three hits and walk to plate another run.
Houghton threatened again in the fifth, placing runners on second and third, but again could not score.
In the bottom of the sixth, though, the floodgates opened when the Highlanders scored five runs, capped by a bases-clearing double by Tim Leathersich to pull Houghton within one.
In the seventh relief pitcher
Taylor Huntsman (Niagara Falls, NY, Niagara Falls) shut down a Medaille rally, stranding runners at first and second.
Chris Welch (Denham Springs, LA, Denham Springs) walked to lead off the bottom of the seventh, then stole second and
Michael Knapp (Brockport, NY, Brockport) drove home the tying run.
After
Lucas Cornell (Almond, NY, Alfred-Almond) shut down another Maverick's rally in relief of Huntsman in the eighth,
Garret Kirkpatrick (York, PA, Central York) ripped a one-out triple to right-center for the Highlanders.
John Zamites (Olean, NY, Olean) came on to pinch-run for Kirkpatrick and up stepped Cornell to the plate. On a 3-1 pitch Cornell lofted a shallow fly ball to right field. Kruszka's throw, Zamites and Cooper met simultaneously at home, but Zamites hard slide through the legs of Cooper dislodged the ball, giving the Highlanders the walk-off win.
Bryan Hodge (Thornton, CO, Community Christian) finished the game 3-for-4 at the plate, while
Tage Johnson (Jamestown, NY, Frewsburg) and
Timothy Leathersich (Lima, NY, Lima Christian) each added two hits apiece.
Cornell picked up the win in relief, striking out the only two batters he faced.
Daniel Luppens went 3-for-5 for Medaille, while Joe Napolitano, Cooper and Franky Vazquez each added two hits apiece.
Game 2: Ethan Duryea (Concord, OH, Cornerstone Christian) went 3-for-3 with a walk, two doubles and a home run to lead the Highlanders in the second game.
Over the first three innings Houghton scored eight runs on nine hits, including a pair of doubles by Duryea and another by
Joseph Gilligan (Ringwood, NJ, Lakeland Regional).
Garrett Alread (Victor, NY, Victor) cruised through the first four innings, allowing only one run on two hits, before hitting choppy waters in the fifth. Two walks, a hit batter, a pair of wild pitches and a triple to right-center would knock Alread from the game.
Robert Schmidt (Lima, NY, Lima Christian ) came out of the pen for the Highlanders allowing only one baserunner over 1.2 innings to keep the Mavericks at bay before Cornell came on for the second time to close the door in the seventh.
Gilligan, Welch and Huntsman each collected two hits apiece as the Highlanders outhit the Mavericks, 13-3. Alread picked up his second win of the year on the mound.
