HOUGHTON, NY—A seven-run second inning set the table, as the Houghton Highlanders fended off the Keuka Wolves to nudge back above .500, 12-7.
 
Vincent Lucyszyn's bases-clearing triple capped a five-hit second, as the Highlanders jumped out to an early lead.
 
But the Wolves clawed back, plating five runs in the bottom of the third on five hits of their own.
 
Houghton scored a run in the top of the fourth, but Keuka answered with a run in the bottom half of the inning, then tacked on another in the bottom of the fifth to pull within a run, 8-7.
 
In the top of the sixth, Qinyang Feng led off with a triple to deep centerfield, and Lucyszyn brought him home with a sacrifice fly.  Kanta Ueno would drive in Christian Tortorici three batters later with another triple to deep center. 
 
Ty Kenney would give the Highlanders a bit more breathing room in the seventh, lofting his first career homerun over the right field wall.
 
Houghton would tack on another insurance run in the ninth, while He Zhang and Nate Tyler combined to throw four shutout innings in relief, allowing only one hit and one walk over that stretch.
 
GAME VITALS                           
Score: Houghton – 12 | Keuka – 7
Records: Keuka: 9-14 (3-9 Empire 8) | Houghton: 12-11 (4-7 Empire 8)
Venue: Kerr-Pegula Athletic Complex, Houghton, NY | Attendance: 45
 
KEY STATS:
>> Ueno went 4-for-5 with a triple, two RBI and a stolen base.  Over his last four games he has gone 13-for-18 (.722).  He now has eight multi-hit games on the season, and is currently hitting .473 on the season.
 
>> Ian Slate went 3-for-5 with a double.  He has now had seven multi-hit games this season.  Slate now needs only one double to tie Taylor Huntsman ('18, 28) for 5^th place on the career leaders' board.
 
>> Lucyszyn, Kenney and Mason Sutherland all added two hits apiece for the Highlanders, while Lucyszyn set a career mark with five RBI.

COACH'S CORNER:
"This was a good win for us.  Our pitchers limited the number of free bases we allowed, and we did not make a defensive error. Given the inclement conditions, that's even more impressive. 
 
"He Zhang threw incredibly well for us out of the bullpen.  Just when they were threatening, he shut them down.  This was as well as I've seen him throw this year.  And Nate Tyler capped it off by being Nate Tyler.
 
"Kanta [Ueno] is simply on fire right now.  He is just torching everyone. 
 
"We put together a good team win tonight.  But we need to be easy to please, hard to satisfy—we need to come back with the same focus and intensity tomorrow." – Coach Brian Reitnour
 
UP NEXT:
The Highlanders will return to the Kerr-Pegula Athletic Complex tomorrow for the final two games of the three-game set.  First pitch is scheduled for 11:00 a.m.