AUBURNDALE, FL— After rallying from nine-run deficit to tie the game in the seventh inning, the Houghton Highlanders fell to the Alma Scots, thanks to a perfectly executed squeeze play in bottom of the eighth inning.
 
The Scots scored seven runs in the first, before pushing across two more in the second, on seven hits, four walks, a hit-by-pitch and several wild pitches.
 
Houghton's Mark Lewandowski eventually calmed the storm, shutting down the Scots offense over the next three innings before giving way to Brett Rosario, who held Alma at bay for another three innings.
 
The Highlanders finally pushed across their first two runs in the fifth before exploding for six more in the sixth, capped by a clutch two-out, two-RBI single to right by Kanta Ueno.
 
In the seventh, Mason Sutherland led off with a single and eventually scored on a two-out fielding error to tie the game. 
 
The Scots led off the bottom of the eighth with a single and sacrificed the runner to second base.  A Houghton error put runners at the corners before Alma executed a perfect suicide squeeze to retake the lead.
 
In the top of the ninth, Ethan Cetton led off with a pinch hit single and was replaced by pinch-runner Jeremiah Chow.  With one out, Chow swiped second base, but the Highlanders could not come up with the timely hit to push across the tying run.
 
GAME VITALS                           
Score: Houghton – 9 | Alma – 10
Records: Houghton: 0-4 | Alma: 4-3
Venue: Lake Myrtle Sports Complex Main Field | Attendance: 80
 
KEY STATS:
>> The Highlanders outhit the Scots, 14-11, but Alma drew seven walks while Houghton walked five times.
 
>> Eight of the nine Houghton starters collected at least one hit, while five of them (Chris VanCheri, Ian Slate, Ueno, Nate Hall and Sutherland) each posted two apiece.  VanCheri and Vincent Lucyszyn also drew two walks apiece.
 
>> Rosario picked up the hard-knock loss, giving up only one run on two hits over 3.2 innings.
 
COACH'S CORNER:
"While the result wasn't what we wanted, we took some significant steps forward today.  After the last two games, and the first two innings, it would have been easy for our guys to mail it in, but they didn't.  They fought back and competed all game long.  That's a very good sign.
 
"Mark [Lewandowski], Brett [Rosario] and Aiden [Talcott] gave us exactly what we needed out of the pen, and our bats finally came alive.  We'll keep moving forward." – Head Coach Brian Reitnour

UP NEXT:
Houghton will return to action on Friday at the Northeast Regional Park in Davenport, Florida, when they will match up with Wartburg College for a doubleheader beginning at 3:00 p.m.