HOUGHTON, NY—The Houghton Highlanders continued to score runs in bunches, putting up 27 runs in a double-header sweep of the Pitt-Bradford Panthers on Monday night, 10-0 and 17-5.
The Highlanders paired their prolific offensive output with a pair of pitching outings that limited the Panthers to only eight hits on the day, while the Houghton defense did not make a single error.
GAME VITALS
Game 1 Score: Pitt-Bradford – 0 | Houghton - 10
Game 2 Score: Pitt-Bradford – 5 | Houghton – 17
Records: Pitt-Bradford: 6-6 | Houghton: 6-5
Venue: Kerr-Pegula Athletic Complex, Houghton College | Attendance: 50/10
Game 1: Holden Deres tossed a complete game shutout, allowing only three hits while striking out four to pick up his first win of the year.
The Highlanders did all of the damage they would need in the second inning when
Ethan Duryea and
John Zamites hit back-to-back base hits to score three runs, and
Whitney Cook drove in a fourth with a bunt base hit.
Houghton would tack on six more unearned runs in the sixth on only one hit, an RBI single by
Ben Closson.
The shutout is the first thrown by a Highlander pitcher since April 14, 2014 when Houghton pitched back-to-back shutouts over the Utica Pioneers.
Game 2: Tage Johnson led a 16-hit Highlander attack that scored in all but one inning.
Johnson went 5-for-5 with a triple and a homerun, while scoring four times and driving in six.
With the score tied at three in the bottom of the third, Johnson tripled home
Taylor Huntsman with a drive to the right-center gap. After an
Ethan Duryea sacrifice fly, the Highlanders loaded the bases for
David Wessells, who ripped a 3-RBI triple down the right field line.
Ben Closson quickly followed with an RBI single to center to plate Wessells, giving the Highlanders a 9-3 lead.
While the Panthers would push two more runs across in the fourth, chasing Houghton starter
Griffin Tubbs, they would come no closer, as Houghton scored two more in the fourth, four in the fifth and two in the sixth. The death blow came in the sixth as Johnson plastered a moonshot over the left-centerfield wall to put Houghton up by ten.
Caleb Philips picked up his first win of the season, pitching three scoreless innings of relief before giving way to
Aaron Monroe, who tossed a scoreless seventh.
KEY STATS:
>> Wessells scored four runs in the second game and has now scored 10 runs in the past four.
>> Johnson now has 10 hits in his last four games, raising his season average to .421.
>> Closson went 4-for-8 on the day to maintain his Empire 8-leading .500 average.
>> Huntsman and
John Zamites each added three hits apiece for the Highlanders.
COACH'S CORNER:
"After playing so well on Saturday it was great to see us come back out today and put together another pair of well-played games.
"Pitt-Bradford always plays us tough, but we put a lot of offensive pressure on them with our bats and our legs and that led to big numbers on the board.
"Perhaps what I'm most proud of is how Holden [Deres] pitched in game one. He had a rough first outing of the year in Florida, then he had to sit and wait for over two weeks. To come out today, when the temps were in the low 30's, and pitch as well as he did was outstanding. He's put in a lot of work and it was great to see it pay off today.
"Our defense was awesome. We executed pickoffs and defensive plays that kept them on off-balance, and we turned another key double-play in game two.
"Our offense produced at the right times and Tage just had a monstrous game in the nightcap.
"We're starting to click at the right time heading into our conference opener this weekend. I can't wait." –Coach
Brian Reitnour
UP NEXT:
Houghton takes on Empire 8 rival Utica College in three-game set starting with a single-nine-inning game on Friday, March 23 at 5:00 p.m.
