HOUGHTON, NY—Less than 24 hours after pounding out 18 hits in the opener the Houghton Highlander bats were silenced by Utica Pioneer ace Joshua Webb in four-hit shutout in today's opener.
In the second game Houghton rallied from a late 3-0 deficit, scoring three in the sixth and two in the eight, then holding off a comeback attempt in the ninth to earn the split.
Houghton moves to 11-10 overall, 2-1 in the Empire 8, while Utica falls to 1-10, 1-2 Empire 8.
Game #1:Webb tossed a complete game gem for the Pioneers, allowing only four hits and one walk while striking out 12.
Utica drew blood in the first inning, scoring three runs on three walks and a triple to right by freshman Tim Quinlan.
That would be more than enough support for Webb, who did not allow a batter to reach base until
Tage Johnson (Jamestown, NY, Frewsburg) singled to right on a 3-2 slider with two outs in the fourth.
In the second Utica reached on a bloop double down the left-field line, a ground out and a sacrifice fly.
The Pioneers tacked on a fifth run in the third thanks to a lead-off single, a hit-by-pitch, a groundout and another sacrifice fly.
After a shaky start, Houghton starter
John Kopicky (Centerville, OH, Centerville) settled into a rhythm, allowing only four baserunners over the final six innings and retiring 15 of the final 16 Utica batters.
Johnson posted two hits for the Highlanders and Bryce Patterson had two hits for the Pioneers.
Game #2:The nightcap looked to be more of the same for the two teams. Utica jumped out to a 3-0 lead off Houghton starter
Victor Cavalieri (Rochester, NY, Northstar Christian), scoring two runs in the second on three straight hits and another in the third on back-to-back hits and an error.
Cavalieri would allow only two more hits and one walk over his final four frames, tossing seven innings while striking out six, but the Houghton bats remained silent.
Through the first five innings Utica starter William Winsman allowed only two hits: a leadoff single to
Michael Knapp (Brockport, NY, Brockport) in the first and a leadoff single to
Bryan Hodge (Thornton, CO, Community Christian) in the fourth.
In the sixth, the Highlander came alive.
Chris Welch (Denham Springs, LA, Denham Springs) led off the inning with a hit-by-pitch and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Johnson singled Welch to third and advanced to second a great baserunning read on a ball in the dirt.
With one out
Tim Leathersich (Lima, NY, Lima Christian) crushed a two-run double to center field then scored on a two-out single by
Garret Kirkpatrick (York, PA, Central York).
In the eighth Johnson led off with a single. Hodge laid down a sacrifice bunt that moved Johnson over and reached first on an error by the first baseman, which brought up Leathersich with no one out.
Leathersich drove the one-one pitch to deep left, missing the homerun by a foot as the ball caromed off the fence.
Utica, however, would not bow out silently. In the top of the ninth the Pioneers mounted a comeback. Houghton reliever Rob Schmidt gave up back-to-back singles and a walk to load the bases with no one out. Coach Reitnour called on freshman closer Lucas Cornell and Cornell responded.
A strikeout, a groundout to second and a weak comebacker to the mound and the Highlanders had salvaged a split and a 2-1 advantage over the Pioneers overall.
Johnson, Leathersich and Knapp each posted two hits for the Highlanders with Leathersich collecting three RBIs.
Jacob Gaboriault went 3-for-3 for the Pioneers while Quinlan and Jake Ryan each collected two hits apiece.
