HOUGHTON, NY— The Houghton Highlanders continue to find ways to win baseball games, sweeping the Alfred State Pioneers on Saturday afternoon, 2-1 and 11-8, to remain unbeaten this season. 
 
GAME VITALS                           
Game 1 Score: Houghton - 2 | Alfred State – 1
Game 2 Score: Houghton – 11 | Alfred State – 8
Records: Houghton: 6-0 | Alfred State: 1-4
Venue: Kerr-Pegula Athletic Complex, Houghton, NY | Attendance: 0
 
Game One: Zach Parr pushed across the go-ahead run with a two-out single to centerfield, scoring David Wessells. 
 
Hunter Kendall finished things off in the seventh for his second win of the year.  The sophomore right-hander went the distance for the Highlanders, striking out eight while allowing only three hits on the day.
 
Houghton picked up the first run of the game in the third on a sacrifice fly line-out by David Wessells scored Dylan Boprey. 
 
Alfred State tied the game in the top of the sixth on a Brody Burdett homerun to leftfield. 
 
In the bottom half of the inning, Wessells singled to lead off the inning, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Joe Gross, moved the third on groundout, and scored on Parr's base hit.
 
Game Two: After a pitcher's duel in game one, the second game was all about offense.  Alfred State jumped out to a five-run lead after only two-and-a-half innings of play, thanks to homeruns by Justin LoTemple and Matteo Avallone.
 
Houghton added one in the third before the Pioneers tacked on another in the fourth.  Houghton answered with another run in the bottom half of the inning before erupting for four in the fifth to tie the game.
 
In the seventh, Alfred State loaded the bases with nobody out.  Houghton brought Whitney Cook on in relief of Davis McMillan and the Pioneers attempted a suicide squeeze on Cook's first pitch.  The batter popped the ball up in front of the mound, which Cook caught and quickly fired to third base for the crucial double play.
 
The Pioneers would, however, go on to tie the game on a wild pitch later in the inning.
 
Houghton would respond in the bottom half, scoring a run of their own on a wild pitch before tacking on another on an Alfred State error.
 
Houghton earned some breathing room in the eighth after Joe Gross singled, Jason Kauffeldt walked, and Wayne Rode ripped a double down the right field line past a diving first baseman, scoring both Gross and Kauffeldt.
 
Jared Couch closed the door in the ninth to earn his first win of the season.  Couch did not allow a hit over the final 2.1 innings, striking out one.
 
KEY STATS:
>> Houghton outhit the Pioneers, 4-to-3 in the first game and 11-to-7 in the second. 
 
>> Parr finished the day 4-for-8, including a homerun, a walk and two RBI.  Joe Gross went 3-for-3 in game two with two walks and four runs scored.
 
>> David Wessells moved into second place on the all-time hit board with a base hit in the first game.  He now has 152 career hits, 10 behind all-time leader, Tage Johnson.

COACH'S CORNER:
"Winning a pair of games today in two very different fashions displayed the versatility of our team, and I'm incredibly proud of our guys for that.
 
"In the first game, Hunter [Kendall] gave us a tremendous effort on the mound, we executed situationally, played excellent defense and Zach Parr came through in the clutch. 
 
"In the second game, we dug a hole early, but we never quit.  We scored runs in each of our final six at bats, and just continued to chip away.  Our bullpen did a very good job of keeping their bats in check after an early outburst, and we made a few key defensive plays late in the game.
 
"Alfred State is going to win some games this year.  They have some very good players and they played hard all day long.
 
"I'm really proud of our team all the way around.  We're looking forward to a day of rest, then going toe-to-toe with A-State one more time on Monday." – Coach Brian Reitnour
 
UP NEXT:
Houghton will lock horns with the Pioneers again on Monday at 5:00 p.m. at the Kerr-Pegula Athletic Complex.