ERIE, PA – The Hilbert College baseball team gutted out a double-header loss to La Roche College April 13.  The Hawks faced a fired-up RedHawks team who has averaged 20+ runs in their last two conference sets. Hilbert dropped the opening game 16-1 before they gave up a 19-2 nightcap to the AMCC league-leaders on the Penn State Behrend baseball field.

For the day, La Roche finished with 41 hits through 14 innings.  One of the three home runs hit today knocked in four runs while the RedHawks also reached for 5 triples and 15 doubles.

Things slipped away from Hilbert early in the first game.  La Roche opened with a deep 400' triple and finished with a total of four stolen bases to take a 2-0 lead.   

Tyler Roth shut the visitors down in top of the second inning but a few singles through the left side sent a few more runs in in the top of the third. The fourth inning was a tough time for Hilbert.  A volley of hits loaded the bases before La Roche connected for a grand slam to pull away with an 8-0 lead by middle of the inning. 

Paul Wujek earned the Hawks first hit of the game as the first batter in the 6th inning. He stole second base but was left stranded there after the next three Hawks either struck out or grounded out.  Michael Voveris singled the third base to start the 7th inning and moved to second on a passed ball.  Tyler Shaw earned the Hawks third hit in the game which ultimately scored Voveris for Hilbert's only run in the game.

Roth took the loss on the mound after giving up 8 hits through 3.2 innings.  Justin Crawley and Justin Hulbert shared duties the rest of the way and they combined for eight 'Ks' with six walks. 

The second game picked up where the first left off for La Roche.  They tripled, singled, doubled, hit a deep ball to center field which was caught by Anthony Wurstner, but then witnessed back-to-back home runs to the left field wall for a quick 5-0 lead.  The RedHawks tacked on five more runs in the top of the second inning and coasted from there.

Tyler Wangler earned the Hawks first hit much earlier in this game when he jumped on base in the second inning.  Wurstner followed suit with a triple in the 3rd and moved home after John Babocsi grounded out to the short stop.  Michael Best singled to right center in the 4th, and when Dalton Reynolds singled to right field immediately after, it felt like the Hawks had a rally in the making.  A quick strike-out ended the run.

La Roche made a massive line-up change to start the 5th inning and Voveris, having just taken the mound, shut them down to keep the score 16-2.  Wujek and Wurstner each singled again but never made it past third base after getting to run the bags.

Sal Carroccia singled against the new RedHawks pitcher giving Hilbert a solo hit in the sixth.   And in the final inning of the game, Hilbert connected with three hits in a row (Shaw, Michael Vogel, Sean McGrath), but were stranded with the last ground-out to end the game.

La Roche's Cole Lentz went five innings and gave up seven hits with six strikeouts and one walk for the win.  Hilbert's battery of pitchers shared the loss, with Kevin Moore taking the big hit early in the first two innings. Michael Voveris tossed two innings giving up three hits and was credited with getting one of Hilbert two strikeouts.

After playing back-to-back AMCC double headers and a non-conference DH on Friday, the Hawks deserve a day off.  But they will be back at it Tuesday, April 15th when they travel to Pitt-Bradford for a 1pm set of game.