HOUGHTON, NY—Less than 24 hours after loading the bases in the final frame with the tying run on third before falling on a spectacular defensive play at the plate, the Houghton Highlanders repeated that exact same scenario, again coming up short against the Keuka Wolves in game one of a doubleheader, 5-4. 
 
While Houghton rebounded yesterday to claim a 4-2 victory in game two, today the Highlanders claimed redemption with a bit more authority, pounding out 14 hits in a run-shortened, 14-3, victory over the Wolves.
 
GAME VITALS                           
Game 1 Score: Houghton – 4 | Keuka – 5
Game 2 Score: Houghton – 14 | Keuka – 3
Records: Keuka: 12-14-1 (6-7-1 Empire 8) | Houghton: 12-22 (5-11 Empire 8)
Venue: Kerr-Pegula Athletic Complex, Houghton, NY | Attendance: 115/125
 
Game One:
Trailing, 5-1, in the top of the seventh, Davis Mcmillan led off with a double to left, followed by a pinch-hit walk by Phil Schurr and an RBI-single from Ian Slate, trimming the deficit to 5-2.  After a strikeout, a walk to Jason Kauffeldt loaded the bases, and Dylan Boprey ripped a two-RBI base hit to pull the Highlanders within a run.
 
Keuka then intentionally walked Zach Parr to load the bases, bringing Chris VanCheri to the plate.  The pitch from Keuka starter Spencer Brown jammed VanCheri, who sent a soft ground ball to the left of the mound.  Brown dove for the ball, found his footing and threw home for the force out, and catcher RJ Murphy threw a bullet to first to clip VanCheri for a game-ending double-play. 
 
Brown earned his fourth victory of the season, going all seven innings while allowing eight hits and four walks, striking out seven.
 
Boprey went 3-for-4, while Mcmillan went 2-for-3 for the Highlanders.
 
Keuka's Nick Brown went 3-for-3 with a double and three RBI.
 
Game Two:
What looked like a pitchers' duel early, turned into a Houghton hitting spree very quickly.
 
After three consecutive scoreless innings from Keuka's Anthony Laurinitis and Houghton's Ethan Cetton, Davis Mcmillan broke the tie with a two-run homer in the top of the fourth.
 
Keuka, however, answered quickly with a pair of runs on three hits in the bottom half of the inning to once again tie the game.
 
Both teams went down 1-2-3 in the fifth, as the game continued to look like it would be a low-scoring affair.
 
But in the top of the sixth, the Highlander bats came alive, pounding out six hits and four runs.  Zach Parr led off the inning by delivering an 0-2 delivery onto the hillside beyond the left field fence, his third homerun in the past two days, and Houghton finished the inning up, 6-2.
 
Doubles by Nick Brown and Josh Tryon in the bottom of the inning would pull the Wolves back within three, but the Highlanders came to do damage in the seventh. 
 
Houghton took advantage of three walks, a hit-by-pitch, and five hits, including a bases clearing double by Jason Kauffeldt, to put up eight runs and pull ahead, 14-3. 
 
Cetton closed out the game with a scoreless bottom of the seventh to pick up his third win of the season.  Over seven innings, he allowed only five hits and one walk, while striking out four. 
 
Mcmillan again stayed hot, going 3-for-4 with a homerun, three runs scored and four RBI, while Kauffeldt, Parr, Isaac Mann, Ian Slate and Sebastian Rodriguez all added two hits apiece.
 
KEY STATS:
>> Mcmillan finished 5-for-7 on the day with a double, homerun, four runs scored and four RBI.
 
>> Parr continues to terrorize Empire 8 pitching.  While his overall slash line this season is an impressive .394/.670/.485, his in-conference slash-line in even more unbelievable: .426/.820/.515.  He currently leads the conference in overall batting average and slugging percentage

COACH'S CORNER:
"I'm incredibly proud of our guys right now.  We have played so many one-or-two-run games this year, it's unbelievable.  We're young and we're learning, but our guys continue to battle.  It's astounding to me.  To experience another heart-breaker, then bounce back the way we did is indicative of the type of men I have the privilege to coach.  They never quit and I couldn't ask for more.
 
"We had so many good performances today it's hard to give tribute to all of them.  Davis [Mcmillan] had an outstanding day at the plate, and [Zach] Parr continues to be other-worldly.  He is simply demolishing baseballs right now. 
 
"We close the regular season with Utica, a team we have battled with for years, so I'm looking forward to seeing what next weekend brings.  I can't wait until Monday to get back to work." – Head Coach Brian Reitnour
 
UP NEXT:
The Highlanders are scheduled to open their final Empire 8 four-game set with the Utica Pioneers on Thursday at 3:00 p.m. in Houghton.