Baseball Completes Sweep with 5 Runs in 6th Inning of Game 2
(Fremont, NE) – Facing the Midland Warriors in a doubleheader on Monday, Hastings scored the first nine runs in their 9-2 game one victory and came back from a 6-2 deficit by scoring five runs in the sixth to win game two, 7-6.
(Fremont, NE) – Facing the Midland Warriors in a doubleheader on Monday, Hastings scored the first nine runs in their 9-2 game one victory and came back from a 6-2 deficit in game two by scoring five runs in the sixth to win, 7-6.
Hastings scored first in game one in the third inning, as a leadoff walk by sophomore Tyler Rojas led to an RBI-double down the left field line by junior Samuele Bruno. With two outs, senior Tristan Martinez drove in Bruno to take a 2-0 lead.
In the fourth, the Broncos scored three more runs to take a 5-0 lead. With two on and one out, Rojas drove in junior Jared Delgado on a sac fly. Junior Evan Morrison followed that up with an RBI-double and Bruno brought Morrison home on a base hit up the middle.
The Broncos matched that run total in the fifth, going up 8-0. Midland got the first two outs of the inning, but after Delgado was hit by a pitch and junior Levi Fletcher singled, Hastings capitalized on a Warrior throwing error, scoring Delgado on the play. With the bases loaded, Morrison singled in senior Jace Valdez and Fletcher to conclude the scoring in the inning.
Hastings added a run in the sixth, as a double by sophomore Peighton Vargas came around to score on a one-out sac fly from sophomore Cody Haynes to go up 9-0. Midland got on the board in the sixth, hitting a leadoff home run and later scoring on a one-out RBI-single to make it 9-2, which held to be the final.
Bruno went 3-4 with a double, two RBIs, and a run scored. Morrison was 3-5 with a double and three RBIs, while Vargas, Martinez, and Fletcher all recorded two hits in game one as well. Freshman Cameron Dahlgren pitched 5.2 innings and got the win, allowing two runs on four hits, striking out five. Junior Eduardo Galicia pitched the final 1.1 innings in relief, giving up only one hit.
In game two, Midland took an early 1-0 lead on a solo home run to lead off the second inning, then added a second run in the fourth, occurring on another solo home run to lead off the inning.
Hastings briefly evened it up in the fifth, beginning with Valdez getting hit by a pitch, allowing Morrison to tie the game with a two-run home run over the right field fence. Midland retook the lead at 3-2 on their third solo home run of the game in the fifth inning. Later in the fifth after the Warriors got two runners on, they hit a three-run homer to go up 6-2.
The Broncos fought back to take the lead in the top half of the sixth. Delgado and junior Joshren Mace Magnaye started the inning with back-to-back solo home runs. Fletcher continued the momentum with a single and Valdez grounded a ball to second that was bobbled, allowing both runners to reach base safely.
Two batters later, Morrison drove in Fletcher on a chopper into center field. Morrison then stole second to put two runners in scoring position. On a wild pitch occurring on ball four to Bruno, Valdez scored. Attempting to throw out Valdez at home, the catcher's throw went past the pitcher coming to cover home plate, allowing Morrison to come around to score and give the Broncos a 7-6 lead.
Coming in for the two-inning save, junior Ryder Derouin worked around a one-out double in the sixth, picking off the runner at second and ended the inning on a lineout. He faced the minimum in the ninth, with the game ending on a diving catch in left center field by Haynes.
Senior pitcher Spencer Searcey was the winning pitcher, coming into the game with one out in the fifth and getting out of the inning without allowing a run. Derouin threw two innings, allowing one hit and striking out a batter to get the save. Morrison went 2-3 at the plate in game two with the three-run home run and also scored two runs.
Up next, Hastings will play a doubleheader at Waldorf on Saturday, Apr. 11 at 1 and 3:30pm.
