CRESSON, Pa. – The Hilbert College baseball season came to a frustrating end when dreams of a lengthy post season play-off run came to a crashing end.
The #5 Hawks suffered a 4-2 and a 6-5 walk-off loss to Mount Aloysius, #4 seed, to end their season at 11-21 overall. The 2016 team set several individual new single season records en route to the team's first AMCC post-season play-off appearance.
Justin Hulbert took both losses today having carried the Hawks through the first 7-inning game before closing the 9th inning against a pair of batters.
In the opening game, Hilbert jumped out a 2-0 lead through two innings. Mount Aloysius responded with one run in the bottom of the third before they posted a pair in the 5th to take a 3-1 lead. They then tacked one on in the 6th to hold on a for the 4-2 win.
Hilbert got on the board early with a
Sal Carroccia singe RBI to score
Ryan Bonafede in the top of the first inning.
Paul Wujek's double in the top of the second scored
Anthony Wurstner which gave Hilbert a 2-0 lead.
Hulbert maintained that lead through the next inning until the Mounties struck for their first run off a ground-out single to set a 2-1 score.
Neither team did any damage until the hosts took advantage of a fielder's choice and ensuing pitcher error which tacked two runs on the score board and swung the lead in favor of Mount Aloysius.
The Mounties added one additional run in the top of the 6th after they strung together three consecutive hits. MAC held on for the 6-4 victory.
Ryan Bonafede and
Kevin Moore each finished with two hits and
Paul Wujek and
Sal Carroccia knocked in the RBIs in the loss. Wujek and
Anthony Wurstner each plastered a double in the game.
Hulbert, with a complete game, went six innings with seven hits, four earned runs and five strike outs.
With that total, Hulbert moved in the number one All Time leader with 62 strike outs in his career.
Sal Carroccia went 8.2 innings in the night cap before he handed off the ball to Hulbert to finish the game.
With a 5- 3 lead at the start of the 9th inning, things looked good for the Hawks.
Hilbert struck first with a Wujek single RIB in the 3rd. That lead didn't last long since the Mounties found a few runs in the bottom of the third and fourth.
It wasn't until the 6th inning when Hilbert strung together a 3-run burst.
Haug scored off a Bradly Perrin ground-out and Wujek made it home thanks to a Bonafede triple in the 6th.
Kevin Moore pushed Bonafede home after a pitcher change as Hilbert took a 4-3 lead.
In the top of the 8th, Bonafede singled and made it home when Moore singled to the right field to build a 5-4 advantage. That score held until the bottom of the 9th.
The Hawks switched a few defensive positions to start the inning and got the first batter to ground out. The second Mountie hit a single before their third batter flew out to right field. Down, 5-3 with a pair of outs, the Mounties pulled a triple which scored one run. The Hawks changed pitchers and gave up an ensuing single RBI to score the tying run 5-5. After that batter stole second, the final Mountie hit a single RBI for the walk-off win, 6-5.
Sal Carroccia went 8.2 innings, gave up 13 hits, five earned runs with three strike outs. He was relieved by Hulbert who faced two batters and gave up two hits and the final walk-off win.
Haug went 2-for 4 scoring two runs as Bonafede went 2-for 3 with a pair of runs . The top four in the batting order knocked in all four runs.
Paul Wujek set a new single season record when his stolen base in the first game broke the All Time record. He now holds the lead with 92 stolen bases as well as Most at bats (124) and hits (40).
Kevin Moore set a new single season Most Put Outs (205) and second best with at bats (122).
Hulbert set a new single season record with Most Strike outs 62 and Carroccia most fly outs 64.
The 2016 Hawks ended their season at 11-21 overall. The Hawks tied the program's overall Win record but set a new AMCC-era win record. Hilbert, with 6 wins, also tied the program's all time AMCC win record but became the first team to capture an AMCC post-season play-off bid.
