UTICA, NY—The Houghton Highlanders took their first loss of the season at the hands of the Utica Pioneers, 13-6, before rebounding to take game two, 5-4.
 
Game 1: The Pioneers pounded out 11 hits and took advantage of nine Houghton free passes. 
 
Utica jumped out to early lead, scoring four in the first, then tacking on four more over the next two innings to go up, 8-1, after three.
 
After Houghton put up a run in the top of the fourth, and Davis McMillan tossed a scoreless bottom half of the inning, the Houghton bats came alive in the top of the fifth.  After a Joe Gross sacrifice fly to center scored Whitney Cook, Zach Parr and Jason Kauffeldt launched back-to-back homeruns to pull the Highlanders within two, 8-6.
 
That rally, though, would prove short-lived, as the Pioneers answered with five runs of their own in the bottom half, which is where the score would remain, 13-6. 
 
Game 2: Again the Pioneers jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the first thanks to some quality baserunning a couple of solid hits, and some shoddy defense on behalf of the Highlanders.
 
From there, Houghton starter Ryan Newtown settled into a groove, allowing only three baserunners over the final six frames to eventually earn his third win of the season.
 
The Highlanders did all of their damage in the top of the fourth.  After Wayne Rode scored the first run, Ethan Cetton hit a bases-clearing base hit to centerfield, the final run coming on a bang-bang play at the plate where Chris VanCheri's slide knocked the ball from the catcher's glove to tie the game.  Several plays later, Gross knocked in the go-ahead run with a two-out RBI single to right.
 
GAME VITALS                           
Game 1 Score: Houghton - 6 | Utica – 13
Game 2 Score: Houghton - 5 | Utica – 4
Records: Houghton: 8-1 | Utica: 4-3
Venue: Utica College Baseball Field, Utica, NY | Attendance: 30
 
KEY STATS:
>> Houghton stranded a total of 16 baserunners on the day, six in game one and 10 in game two.  The Pioneers left a total of 12 on base—eight in the first and four in the second.
 
>> Parr, Kauffeldt and David Wessells each collected three hits apiece for the Highlanders.  Kauffeldt's homerun was the first of his career.  Parr's hits included a homerun and a double, and he lodged four RBI and two runs scored.  The junior first baseman has hit safely in all nine of the Highlanders games and currently leads the team with a .500 average.
 
  Wessells three hits included two doubles, giving him 155 career hits, seven behind all-time leader, Tage Johnson.
 
>> Wayne Rode and Joe Gross also picked up two hits apiece for the Highlanders.
 
>> Newtown moved to 3-0 on the season and lowered his ERA to 2.63.
 
 UP NEXT:
Houghton matches up with the Pioneers again on Saturday for a doubleheader at the Kerr-Pegula Athletic Complex in Houghton.  First pitch is slated for 1:00 p.m.