FORT PIERCE, FL— With the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning, Ben Closson hit a walk-off sacrifice fly to centerfield, scoring Josiah Nowak and giving the Houghton Highlanders a 12-11 victory over the Wilkes Colonels.
 
After the Highlanders jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, the Colonels tied the score with two runs in the third and another in the fourth. 
 
But in the bottom of the fifth David Wessells led off with a towering homerun to right, igniting the Houghton bats.  The Highlanders would score six runs on six hits and send 10 batters to the plate in the inning.
 
Trailing 9-3, Wilkes refused to quit, tacking on two runs in sixth, four more in the seventh, and eventually took the lead, 11-10 in the top of the eighth.
 
In the bottom of the eighth, Ben Closson and Wayne Rode hit back-to-back singles and Caleb Philips walked to load the bases with one out.  A deep fly ball to right field from Jeremy Newswanger would score Closson to even up the score.
 
Working on only two days rest, Philips took the hill in the ninth and held the Colonels scoreless for the first time in four innings, stranding runners on first and second.
 
A walk, a bunt single and a hit-by-pitch quickly loaded the bases for the Highlanders in the bottom of the ninth.  With one out, Closson drove the 2-1 pitch into centerfield and Nowak slid past the catcher with the winning run. 
 
GAME VITALS                           
Score: Wilkes – 11 | Houghton - 12
Records: Wilkes: 2-7 | Houghton: 3-7
Venue: Lawnwood Sports Complex Field #6 | Attendance: 175
 
KEY STATS:
>> While the Highlanders bats had struggled through the first two weeks of the season the team rapped out a season-high 17 hits.  The 12 runs scored is also a new season high.
 
>> Houghton starter Griffin Tubbs picked up a no-decision, striking out a career-high eight batters over 5.1 innings of work.
 
>> All nine Houghton starters posted at least one hit, and seven of them posted at least two.  Closson posted three hits, including a double, and Wessells roped a triple off the right field wall in addition to his homerun. 
 
COACH'S CORNER:
"This was another good win for us.  We were running on fumes at the end and showed a lot of grit to pull this one out.
 
"Wilkes just refused to go down.  They battled us every step of the way.  Overall, it was a lot of fun to coach this game.
 
"We strung together a lot of quality at bats today.  We moved runners and drove them in with a variety of hits and quality outs.  We're all looking forward to getting home, but this was a great way to leave the Sunshine state." –Coach Brian Reitnour
 
UP NEXT:
The Highlanders are tentatively schedule to play a doubleheader against D'Youville College on Tuesday, March 12.  With forecasted temperatures in the low 30's, a decision whether to play or not will be reached by Monday afternoon.