Tortorici swings
9
Winner Houghton HOUGHTON 1-0
3
New England Col. NEW ENGL 0-1
Winner
Houghton HOUGHTON
1-0
9
Final
3
New England Col. NEW ENGL
0-1
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Houghton HOUGHTON 1 2 2 0 0 0 4 9 12 2
New England Col. NEW ENGL 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 3 6 1

W: Gross, Christopher (1-0) L: I. Nuno (0-1)

2
New England Col. NEW ENGL 0-2
10
Winner Houghton HOUGHTON 2-0
New England Col. NEW ENGL
0-2
2
Final
10
Houghton HOUGHTON
2-0
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
New England Col. NEW ENGL 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 3 1
Houghton HOUGHTON 1 6 0 0 3 0 X 10 10 0

W: Benitez, Conner (1-0) L: C. Chagnon (0-1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Baseball Opens Campaign with Sweep of New England College

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. -- Houghton baseball got the 2026 season off to a solid start, with 9-3 and 10-2 wins over New England College on Saturday in Myrtle Beach.

The Highlanders swept the doubleheader with strong offense and solid pitching performances in both games, showcasing timely hits and aggressive baserunning to secure wins.
 

Game 1: Houghton 9, New England College 3

Houghton jumped out to an early lead and never looked back in game one, scoring in five different innings on the way to a 9-3 victory.

Offensive Leaders

  • Christian Tortorici: 4 hits and 4 RBI, including a pair of doubles that drove in key runs early and late.

  • Matt Riddell: 2 RBI and 2 hits, including a double in the 7th that helped salt the game away.

  • JD Robinson: 3 hits and scored twice, setting the table multiple times.

  • Nate Hall: Contributed a run and reached safely, also swiping two bases.

Houghton scored consistently:

  • 1 run in the 1st on a Tortorici RBI double.

  • 3 runs in the 2nd inning with Tortorici's 2-RBI single and other timely knocks.

  • Added insurance with 1 in the 3rd and 3 in the 7th, highlighted by extra-base hits and smart baserunning.

Pitching Highlights

Game 2: Houghton 10, New England College 2

In the nightcap, Houghton's offense exploded in the 2nd inning, scoring 6 runs to flip the script after an early New England home run.

Key Offensive Contributors

Houghton struck for 6 runs in the 2nd to take control:

  • Riddell's RBI single and Robinson's knock plated early runs.

  • Feng and Lucyszyn capitalized on a wild pitch to extend the lead.

They added 3 more runs in the 5th, including an RBI double by Hall and an RBI single by Riddell, before rounding out the scoring with an unearned run later in the inning.

Pitching Performance

  • Conner Benitez (W): Strong outing with 6 innings pitched, giving up just 1 earned run on 2 hits while striking out 11.

  • He Zhang: Closed the game with a clean 7th inning.

Summary

Houghton's balanced attack — led by multi-hit efforts from Tortorici, Riddell, Hall, and Robinson — powered both wins, while sharp starting pitching from Gross and Benitez limited New England College's offense. Their aggressive baserunning and situational hitting were critical in breaking open both games and securing the sweep.

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