HOUGHTON, NY—With two outs in the top of the ninth, the tying run stood on third and the go-ahead run close behind at second, but Caleb Philips put a 1-2 fastball past the SUNY Canton batter to seal the win for the Houghton Highlanders.
 
The Roos jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the fourth, touching Houghton starter Brandon Joslin for two unearned runs.
 
Houghton got a run back in the bottom half of the inning, the scored two more in the fifth when David Wessells scored on groundout by Taylor Huntsman, and Ethan Duryea added an RBI single.
 
The Highlanders extended their lead to 5-1 in the sixth when Huntsman crushed a two-out, two-RBI double off the base of the left-centerfield wall.
 
Joslin cruised into the eighth before running into some trouble.  The Roos scored a pair before Philips came into put out the fire.
 
With two outs in the ninth, a hit-by-pitch, a base hit, and a double steal put two runners in scoring position before Philips recorded the final out.
 
GAME VITALS                           
Score: SUNY Canton – 4 | Houghton - 5
Records: SUNY Canton: 4-15 (1-3 Empire 8) | Houghton: 10-11 (3-5 Empire 8)
Venue: Kerr-Pegula Athletic Complex, Houghton College | Attendance: 55
 
KEY STATS:
>> The Roos outhit the Highlanders, 8-6, but walked seven, while Houghton allowed only three free passes.
 
>> Houghton stranded nine runners.  The Roos left eight men on base.
 
>> Jeremy Newswanger picked up two hits for the Highlanders.
 
>> Joslin improved to 4-0 on the season, allowing only two earned runs on six hits and three walks over 7.1 innings of work while striking out five.
 
COACH'S CORNER:
"Brandon gave us a great outing tonight.  We had some clutch hits when we needed them and we played well enough to win.
 
"Goose [Caleb Philips] closed the door in a tough situation, and that's what we've been looking for.
 
"We knew Canton would be better than their record.  They have some good players, for sure.  We hit a few atom bombs at them, but their coaches had their guys positioned perfectly and they made some nice plays.
 
"I can't wait to get back to the field tomorrow for the second day." –Coach Brian Reitnour
 
UP NEXT:
The Highlanders take only a few hours off before returning to the Kerr-Pegula Athletic Complex tomorrow morning to finish the series with the Roos.  In an attempt to beat some inclement weather, the teams have agreed to start Saturday's doubleheader at 10:00 a.m.