HOUGHTON, NY—The Hilbert Hawks played to their strength, capitalizing on 12 stolen bases on the day, to sweep the Houghton Highlanders on their home field on a frigid Saturday afternoon, 12-6 and 6-2.
 
GAME VITALS                           
Game 1 Score: Hilbert – 12 | Houghton – 6
Game 2 Score: Hilbert – 6 | Houghton – 2
Records: Hilbert: 2-10 | Houghton: 5-8
Venue: Kerr-Pegula Athletic Complex Baseball Field, Houghton College | Attendance: 52/48
 
Game 1:
Leading, 5-3, heading into the top of the seventh inning, the Hawks exploded for seven runs to take a commanding, 12-3 lead.
 
After the Hawks led of the game with an unearned run in the first, Jason Kauffeldt reached on a bunt base hit, stole second, stole third, and scored on a Chris VanCheri base hit to left.  Zach Parr would immediately follow with an RBI base hit to give the Highlanders the lead.
 
Hilbert would even the score in the fourth after another failed pickoff attempt by the Highlanders gave the Hawks another unearned run. 
 
In the top of the fifth, a lead-off walk, a stolen base and a base hit put the Hawks up, 3-2.
 
Hilbert would tack on two more in the sixth to take a 5-2 lead before an Ian Slate base hit scored Zach Parr to cut the deficit to two runs.  The Highlanders would eventually put runners on second and third with only one out, and eventually load the bases, but would fail to score again.
 
After Hilbert's offensive outburst in the top of the seventh, Houghton rallied to score three runs, all with two outs, and again loaded the bases, but failed to push any more across, taking the defeat.
 
Game 2:
In a nearly identical replay of the start of game one, the Hawks plated an unearned run in the top of the first, and the Highlanders responded in the bottom of the inning.  Dylan Boprey tripled to right center and scored on a VanCheri groundout to even the score. 
 
Houghton would eventually take a 2-1 lead in the third after Boprey scored on wild pitch. 
 
Jeremey Wilcox, throwing on short rest, lasted three innings for the Highlanders, giving up only the unearned run in the first, striking out three and walking one.
 
Hilbert would take the lead in the fourth against the Houghton bullpen, capitalizing on another Houghton defensive error and two base hits. 
 
Jackson Medeiros would take over for the Highlanders in the fifth, putting up a pair of goose eggs on the scoreboard, but the Houghton bats remained silent in the fifth and sixth innings.
 
The Hawks added some insurance in the seventh with a two-out rally.  A hit-by-pitch, another stolen base, and a double scored a run.  Another Houghton error kept the inning alive, and the Hawks followed with back-to-back base hits to widen the score to 6-2.
 
Houghton again attempt to get something going in the bottom of the seventh.  Following a lead-off base hit, Hilbert starter Michael Contini picked the Houghton runner off first base.  The Highlanders would put the next two batters on base, but Contini would settle in to retire the next two in a row.
 
Contini stifled the Houghton bats all day, changing speeds and attacking the zone.  He threw all seven innings, allowing only two runs on seven hits, walking only one while striking out three.
 
KEY STATS:
>> The Hawks stole 12 bases (five in game one, seven in game two) on 14 attempts.
 
>> Houghton made six defensive errors on the day, three in each game, while the Hawks committed only one.
 
>> Zach Parr went 4-for-7 with a double for the Highlanders, while Ian Slate and Davis Mcmillan added three hits apiece.

UP NEXT:
Houghton will enter conference play next weekend, kicking things off with a four-game set against St. John Fisher College on Friday and Saturday.  The Highlanders will travel to Rochester on Friday for a 1:00 start, before returning to the Kerr-Pegula Athletic Complex on Saturday for another doubleheader at 1:00 p.m.