HOUGHTON, NY—After battling back to tie the game twice in in the fifth and seventh innings, the Houghton Highlanders surrendered 12 runs over the final two frames, losing to St. John Fisher, 17-5.
The Cardinals took an early 4-0 lead before
Ben Closson singled home
Wayne Rode in the bottom of the fourth inning to put Houghton on the board.
Houghton struck again in the fifth after Rode hit a ground-rule double to right-center, scoring
Whitney Cook, and
Caleb Philips followed with a base hit to center, plating
David Wessells and Rode.
Fisher regained the lead in the top of the sixth with a single run, but the Highlanders responded as Rode ripped another double, this time to left-center, scoring
Jeremy Newswanger.
The wheels of the Houghton comeback came off in the eighth and ninth, however, as the Cardinals pounded out 12 hits over the final two innings, as they built an insurmountable lead.
GAME VITALS
Score: St. John Fisher - 17 | Houghton - 5
Records: St. John Fisher: 19-10 (5-4 Empire 8) | Houghton: 10-14 (5-5 Empire 8)
Venue: Kerr-Pegula Athletic Complex, Houghton, NY | Attendance: 65
KEY STATS:
>> Houghton starter
Griffin Tubbs went six innings, allowing three earned runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out three.
>>
Brandon Joslin lowered his team-best ERA to 1.50 with a scoreless inning in the seventh.
>> Rode finished 3-for-4 with two doubles, two RBI and two runs scored.
David Wessells improved his team-leading average to .365, going 2-for-3 in his 11
th multi-hit game of the season. He has had multiple hits in seven of his last eight game.
>> Justin Graham and Allen Murphy posted four-hit performances for St. John Fisher, while five other Cardinals collected two hits apiece.
COACH'S CORNER:
"This game was really much closer than the final score indicates. Things really got away from us in the final two innings, but we were right there with them until the eighth inning.
"I'm proud of the fact that we battled back after putting ourselves in a four-run hole early on. We strung together some quality at-bats at the right times and scored some runs.
"Griff[in Tubbs] gave us another quality start and [
Brandon Joslin] gave us the bridge inning that we needed, we just couldn't finish the game.
"Fisher has a tremendous lineup. They're solid one-through-nine, and there are no breaks. You really have to be on top of your game from start to finish with them. Their bats came alive at the end.
"I'm looking forward to getting back to work tomorrow. Ithaca will be solid, as always, but the challenge of a good competitor is what makes it worthwhile." –Coach
Brian Reitnour
UP NEXT:
The Highlanders return to action tomorrow, as they take on Ithaca College at the Kerr-Pegula Athletic Complex at 6:00 p.m.
