Delgado's Strong Game Two Powers Broncos to Win
(Mitchell, SD) – After their four-game home series against Waldorf, Hastings went on the road on Friday for a double-header against Dakota Wesleyan. The Broncos led most of game one, but gave up the lead in the sixth to fall, 8-4. Hastings bounced back in game two of the series with a 7-5 win.
(Mitchell, SD) – After their four-game home series against Waldof, Hastings went on the road on Friday for a double-header against Dakota Wesleyan. The Broncos led most of game one, but gave up the lead in the sixth to fall, 8-4. Hastings bounced back in game two of the series with a 7-5 win.
Junior Jaden Stone led off the game with a home run to give Hastings an early 1-0 lead. Dakota Wesleyan loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom half of the first, but senior pitcher James Velasquez got a strikeout to end the inning.
The Tigers tied the game at one with one out in the second inning on a solo home run. Hastings bounced back in the next half inning as freshman Jordin Albertson and sophomore Jared Delgado hit back-to-back homers to put Hastings back on top, 3-1. Senior Elijah Merritt put Hastings up 4-1 in the fourth inning with the teams' fourth solo blast of the game.
The game turned in the bottom of the sixth, as they scored seven runs on four hits. With two on and two out, the Tigers scored with a walk, three straight singles, a second walk, and a double to take an 8-4 lead. They retired Hastings in order in the seventh to get the first win of the series.
Dakota Wesleyan continued to score by getting a couple in the first inning of game two. The first two batters singled and the third reached on an error, scoring the first run in the process. They got their second run on an RBI groundout to go up 2-0.
With one out in the third, junior Ben Richter walked, then with two outs, Albertson reached on a single. Delgado followed him up by hitting his second home run of the day and first of the game to put Hastings ahead 3-2. Dakota Wesleyan pulled back in front, 4-3, with a two-run RBI double.
Hastings tied the game up in the fourth with a sac fly to right from Merritt after Hastings loaded the bases with Stone reaching on an error, followed by a single from Delgado and a walk from freshman Eddie Henchek walk. Senior Mason Masur came up next and hit a double to deep left, scoring two to go up 6-4.
The Tigers got a run back in the eighth inning on a two-out RBI single, but Hastings got the run back in the top of the ninth on an RBI single from Henchek to make it 7-5 going to the bottom of the ninth. Senior Alec Fichter came in for the save and allowed three of the first four batters to reach to load bases with one out, but he struck out the next two batters to nail down the win, 7-5.
Delgado had a great game offensively, going 5-5 with a home run, three RBIs, and two runs scored. Stone was 2-4, with a double, walk, and stolen bases, in addition to scoring two runs. Henchek and Masur also recorded two-hit games in the second game.
Junior Markus Miller got the win, going six innings and allowing just three earned runs on seven hits, striking out five. Freshman pitcher Albert Broussard also pitched well in relief, throwing two innings and allowing one earned run on three hits, striking out two.
Up next, Hastings will host Morningside on Sunday, Mar. 23 for a double-header beginning at 12pm.
