HOUGHTON, NY—In one of the most exciting games of the year, Nate Hall laced a base-loaded, 2-2 slider into left field, as the Houghton Highlanders walked-off a 3-2 win over the St. John Fisher Cardinals.
 
The win is the 20^th of the season for the Highlanders, tying the single-season highwater mark they set in 2021, and clinches their trip to the Empire 8 conference championship tournament.
 
The Highlanders took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth after Hall scored on an infield single by Ty Kenney, but the Cardinals evening the game in the top of the seventh on a bases-loaded walk.
 
After Houghton stranded runners in scoring position in both the seventh and eighth innings, the Cardinals loaded the bases with two outs, and once again scored on a walk, this time to take a 2-1 lead.
 
Down to their final three outs, Jeremiah Chow led off the bottom of the ninth with a base hit to left field.  After Vincent Lucyszyn drew a one-out walk, Christian Tortorici hit a ground ball to shortstop for what looked like the second out of the inning.  But the ball stuck in the Fisher shortstop's glove, he double-clutched and threw the ball away, scoring Chow and putting runners at second and third with only one out.
 
Following a strikeout for out number two, the Cardinals opted to intentionally walk Kanta Ueno to load the bases, setting up Hall's heroic walk-off.
 
GAME VITALS                           
Score: St. John Fisher - 2 | Houghton - 3
Records: St. John Fisher: 20-16 (14-7-1 Empire 8) | Houghton: 20-18 (10-12 Empire 8)
Venue: Kerr-Pegula Athletic Complex, Houghton University | Attendance: 115
 
KEY STATS:
>> Christopher Gross turned in another stellar performance on the mound, tossing 6.1 innings, while allowing only three hits, striking out 10.  He leads the Highlander pitching staff with 56 strikeouts in 37 innings of work this season (13.6 K/9).
 
>> Ethan Cetton picked up his fourth win of the season, breaking the all-time Houghton strikeout record in the seventh inning.  Cetton tied Victor Cavalieri's record with the second out of the inning, then struck out the next batter to break the record.  He now has 214 punchouts in his career.
 
>>  Kanta Ueno went 2-for-4, becoming the first Highlander to even tally 60 or more hits in a season.  Ueno currently ranks fifth in the NCAA with a .477 batting average.
 
>> In only his first season with the Highlanders, Qingyang Feng broke what, until last week, was the Houghton single-season hits record, lacing his 52^nd hit of the season into the outfield.  Unfortunately, for Feng, who already owns the Houghton single-season total bases record, he is teammates with Ueno, who currently owns the new record with 61 base hits.
 
>> With the game-winning run, Vincent Lucyszyn broke David Wessells single-season mark for most runs scored, established in 2021.  Lucyszyn has now scored 41 times this season.
 
>> The Highlanders have now earned their third consecutive trip to the Empire 8 championship tournament, and their fourth trip in the past five seasons.
 
COACH'S CORNER:
"That was an amazing game.  One of our parents made the comment heading into the bottom of the ninth inning, that, win or lose, this game is a classic, and he's exactly right.
 
"Chris [Gross] was tremendous again, and Ethan Cetton came through when we needed him most.
 
"We played excellent defense, pitched well, and got a base hit with the game on the line.  This was a tremendous team win.
 
"All our guys wanted was a shot at the post-season.  We have emphasized all season long that we want to play our best baseball in May.  Tonight, we did exactly that.
 
"Whatever tomorrow brings, our guys will remember this game for a long, long time." – Head Coach Brian Reitnour
 
 UP NEXT:
The Highlanders return to the Kerr-Pegula Athletic Complex tomorrow for a doubleheader with the Cardinals, beginning at 3:00 p.m.