HOUGHTON, NY— A pair of well-pitched games propelled the Stevens Ducks past the Houghton Highlanders on Saturday, 5-0 and 6-3.
 
Game One: Ducks' starter Danny Poidomani outdueled Houghton's Brandon Joslin, allowing only three hits and striking out seven in a complete game shutout. 
 
Joslin allowed only two runs in six innings, walking two and allowing six hits while striking out seven.
 
The Ducks picked up a pair of runs in the fourth on three hits and a squeeze play, providing all the runs Poidomani would need. 
 
Houghton put at least one runner on in six of their seven offensive innings, but could not push a run across.
 
Game Two: Chandler Brierley and Ryan Larsen combined for 16 strikeouts without allowing an earned run for Stevens.
 
The Ducks jumped out to an early 4-0 lead, plating two in the first and two more in the third.
 
Houghton got a run back in the bottom of the third after Jared Couch scorched a double off the top of the left field wall and later scored on a passed ball.  The Highlanders then put runners on second and third with two outs could not score again.
 
The Highlanders closed the gap by another run in the fourth thanks to a trio of Stevens' errors.  Houghton then loaded the bases with two outs, but again could not push across a run.
 
Stevens added two insurance runs in the top of the seventh on two hits but left the bases loaded.
 
In the ninth, Houghton cut the deficit to three on a base hit by David Wessells, but the Ducks closed the door, stranding Wessells at first.
 
GAME VITALS                           
Game #1 Score: Stevens – 5 | Houghton – 0
Game #2 Score: Stevens – 6 | Houghton – 3
Records: Stevens: 16-18 (12-5 Empire 8) | Houghton: 10-20 (5-10 Empire 8)
Venue: Kerr-Pegula Athletic Complex, Houghton, NY | Attendance: 35/55
 
KEY STATS:
>> Over the course of the two games, the Ducks outhit the Highlanders, 17-6 and drew nine walks while Houghton tallied 11 free passes.
 
>> Couch collected his first multi-hit game of the year while David Wessells picked up one hit in both games.  Wessells has now reach base safely in 29 of the Highlanders 30 games this season.

COACH'S CORNER:
"You have to hand it to Stevens, they pitched well and picked up big hits when they needed them. 
 
"Bradon [Joslin] pitched very well in the first game, and Griffin [Tubbs] and Holden Deres both battled back after a somewhat rocky starts.  We put runners on base, we just couldn't get them in.
 
"We'll continue to learn from this and keep trying to improve." –Coach Brian Reitnour
 
UP NEXT:
The Highlanders return the Kerr-Pegula Athletic Complex on Monday for a non-conference tilt against Alfred State College at 6:00 p.m.