BUFFALO, NY— Outstanding pitching performances by
Ethan Cetton and
Ryan Newtown propelled the Houghton Highlanders to a pair of regular-season-ending wins on Saturday afternoon, 3-1 and 6-1, over the Medaille Mavericks. With the wins the Highlanders wrapped up a three-game sweep of the Mavericks, finishing the season with the highest conference win percentage (.611) in Houghton history.
GAME VITALS
Game 1 Score: Houghton – 3 | Medaille – 1
Game 2 Score: Houghton – 6 | Medaille – 1
Records: Houghton: 19-20 (11-7 Empire 8) | Medaille: 9-29 (2-17 Empire 8)
Venue: Medaille Sports Complex, Buffalo, NY | Attendance: 70/78
Game 1:
Ethan Cetton picked up his third win of the season, tossing all seven innings while allowing only two hits and two walks, striking out two.
After a sacrifice fly off the bat of
Zach Parr gave the Highlanders a 1-0 lead in the third, the Mavericks tied the game in the fifth on a sacrifice fly of their own.
Houghton finally broke through in the top of the seventh, loading the bases with only one out before
Jeremey Wilcox scored on a passed ball and
Dylan Boprey eventually drew a bases-loaded walk to put Houghton up, 3-1.
Game 2:
Less than 24 hours after
Hunter Kendall tied him as the all-time wins leader in Houghton history,
Ryan Newtown recaptured sole possession of the lead.
Newtown picked up his 14
th career victory, tossing six scoreless innings in only 68 pitches, allowing only three hits and three walks, while striking out one.
The Highlanders scored a pair of runs in the first on RBI doubles from Parr and Davis Mcmillan.
Houghton would tack on single runs in the fourth, fifth, sixth and eighth to take a 6-0 lead.
Following Newtown's exit, Chris Gross and
Aiden Talcott followed with scoreless single innings before the Maverick's plated their lone run in the bottom of the ninth.
Parr reached base safely in all five of his at bats, going 2-for-2 with three walks.
KEY STATS
>> Parr finished his day with three hits. He has hit safely in each of his past six games, and his double in the second game was the 45
th of his career, tying him for the all-time Houghton lead with Tage Johnson ('18).
>> Cetton has allowed only one earned run in his last two outings, both seven-inning complete games.
UP NEXT:
The Highlanders will enter the Empire 8 conference tournament on Thursday as the #3 seed. The #1 seed was locked up this afternoon by the St. John Fisher Cardinals, after they defeated the Utica Pioneers, who will be the #2 seed, twice. The Highlanders will take on the Pioneers in the first round of the tournament, while the Cardinals will host the #4 seed Sage Gators. Start times for both games have yet to be determined.