PITTSFORD, NY— Nine walks, seven errors and 12 hits by the Russell Sage Gators brought the Houghton Highlanders 2023 season to an end on Friday morning.
Houghton dug an early hole, giving up two runs each in the second, third and fourth innings, before adding another in the fifth to make the score 7-0.
Meanwhile, the Highlander bats struggled to gain traction against Sage starter Liam Doyle, who allowed only one earned run over 7.2 innings, striking out five.
The Highlanders finally got on the board in the seventh, when
Chris VanCheri scored on a groundout by
Dylan Boprey.
Houghton threatened to claw back into contention in the eighth when VanCheri smoked a one-out double to left-center, scoring
Zach Parr and leaving runners on second and third. But the Gators induced two quick outs to end the inning, still leading, 7-2.
Sage added five insurance runs in the top of the ninth, as the wheels came off the cart for the Highlanders. With two outs and the score still 7-2, the Highlanders committed three errors, threw a wild pitch and walked a batter, pushing the final score to 12-2.
GAME VITALS
Score: #3 Houghton – 2 | #4 Sage – 12
Records: #3 Houghton: 19-22 | #4 Sage: 17-24
Venue: Dugan Yard, St. John Fisher University | Attendance: 47
KEY STATS:
>> VanCheri finished 3-for-4 on the day, making him 5-for-8 in two postseason games. The only Highlander with multiple hits in both games, he finished his season with a .298 batting average.
>>
Jason Kauffeldt swiped his 30
th bag of the season, one more than he had in 2022. Already the all-time Houghton leader, he finished his career with 79 stolen bases.
>>
Zach Parr finished his Houghton career on an eight-game hitting streak. While leading the team in nearly every offensive category this season, he surpassed Tage Johnson as the all-time career leader in doubles (46) and ranks in the top-five in multiple other categories.
COACH'S CORNER
"While today's game is certainly not how we envisioned the conclusion of our season, I believe it is appropriate, and more important, to highlight the contributions of the 10 seniors who will move on to a new phase of their lives.
"Without those 10 men we would never have reached the postseason or accomplished many of the goals we laid out for ourselves at the beginning of the year. They have molded and shaped the culture and trajectory of our program and I am incredibly grateful for their time, work, attitudes and willingness to devote their lives to something greater than themselves. They made this season—and the last several years—memorable and impactful. They have left a legacy worthy of honor and remembrance." – Head Coach
Brian Reitnour
