HOUGHTON, NY— For the second consecutive year, the Houghton Highlanders squared off against former Houghton baseball alum and current head coach Kameron Konert and his Eastern Nazarene Lions.  This time the Highlanders salvaged a split, thanks to a masterful game-two pitching performance by Holden Deres.
 
GAME VITALS                           
Game 1 Score: ENC – 6 | Houghton – 4
Game 2 Score: Houghton – 5 | ENC – 2
Records: ENC: 5-3 | Houghton: 2-7
Venue: Lawnwood Sports Complex, Field #6 | Attendance: 64
 
Game 1: Starting pitcher Brandon Joslin worked the Highlanders out of a bases-loaded jam in the first after a pair of defensive misques, then breezed through the second and third innings. 
 
With the score tied in the fourth, the Lions came alive, rapping out four hits and three runs to take a commanding lead.
 
Houghton quickly answered with two runs in the bottom half of the inning, trimming the lead to a single run.
 
After Joslin tossed a scoreless fifth, the Houghton bullpen ran into trouble in the sixth, allowing three more runs on two hits, pushing the ENC lead to four.
 
The Highlanders refused to go down without a fight.  After a one-out walk to Wayne Rode, Caleb Philips and Jeremy Newswanger ripped back-to-back doubles, pulling Houghton within two runs. 
 
Lions starter Brandon Houle would retire the next two batters and induce a game-ending double play in the seventh to pick up the complete-game win.
 
Game 2: Working on only three days rest, Deres again went the distance, striking out five batters and for the second time this week did not allow a walk.
 
Houghton opened the scoring in the top of the third, thanks to consecutive singles by David Wessells, Newswanger, and Ben Closson.  Newswanger would later score the second run of the inning on a one-out error.
 
The score would remain 2-0 Highlanders until the bottom of the sixth inning, when the Lions would manufacture a run, trimming the lead to only one.
 
But in the top of the seventh Houghton finally gave Deres a cushion, scored three runs on three hits before ENC worked out of a bases-loaded jam.
 
With the score now 5-1, the Lions refused to go quietly, roping a lead-off triple and scoring on a Houghton error.  Deres, however, would quickly settle back in, inducing two more ground balls, including the game-ending 6-4-3 double-play.
 
KEY STATS:
>> In his two Florida starts, Deres threw 14.1 innings, allowing only three earned runs (1.88 ERA) while not allowing a single walk and striking out nine.
 
>> Wayne Rode, David Wessells and Jeremy Newswanger each posted three hits apiece in the doubleheader, including a two-hit game each. 
 
>> The Houghton defense played a big role in keeping each game close as the Highlanders committed only one error over 14 total innings.
 
COACH'S CORNER:
"I was really proud of our team today.  We took some very good steps forward.  In the first game we were close, they scored some runs to pull ahead and we battled back to put ourselves in a position to win.  While we didn't pull it out in the end, we didn't give up when they went up by four, and that is something we'll need throughout the season and in life.
 
"On top of that, after losing the first game, we put together a complete game in the second.  We had two very strong pitching performances today from [Brandon Joslin] and Holden [Deres], both on three days' rest.  They were aggressive and challenged hitters all day long.  When their bodies fatigued they dug deep and pitched with a lot of heart.  The two of them keep stepping up to lead our team and I'm proud of them." – Coach Brian Reitnour
 
UP NEXT:
The Highlanders conclude their Spring trip tomorrow morning when they square off with Wilkes University on Lawnwood Complex Field Six at 9:30.