HAMBURG, NY – Hilbert College Baseball hosted their second AMCC doubleheader of the season this afternoon at Frontier High School as the Hawks took on the Redhawks of La Roche University. For a second straight weekend, Hilbert split the day, after a thrilling 9-8 game one victory was followed by a 5-4 defeat in the night cap.

Alex Ellison's bases-load walk in the bottom of the tenth walked it off for Hilbert in game one as home runs from Jack Duffek, Nolan Evans, and Patrick Evans, and three-hit efforts from Joey Haynes and Harley Hoag ignited the offense in the 9-8 win.

Dylan Moorhouse earned both decisions on the mound for Hilbert as his two-inning outing in relief in game one was enough for the win, before the senior started on the mound for the Hawks in game two. Joe Reitebach and Brendan Walsh each appeared in both contests, combining to allow three earned runs in six innings of work.

Patrick Evans reached base five times on the day (4-9, 1 HR, 1 Double, 4 RBI) highlighted by a game-tying three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning of game one which was the junior's first long ball as a Hawk.

Game One: Hilbert 9 – La Roche 8 (ten innings)
Game Two: Hilbert 4 – La Roche 5

Game One:

• Hilbert started slow in game one as a run-scoring single from La Roche saw the Hawks enter the third inning down 1-0. The Redhawks looked to add to the lead in the top of the third with a pair of singles, but two strikeouts and a groundout got Nolan Evans out of the jam and brought the Hilbert offense up to the plate in the bottom of the frame looking to do damage.
• Back-to-back singles from Haynes and Hoag, followed by a wild pitch, quickly put two Hawks in scoring position for Patrick Evans, who delivered with a single to score Haynes to knot the game at one. Following the Evans' single, Jack Duffek blasted his second homer of the season over the wall in left field to score Hoag, Evans, and himself to give Hilbert a 4-1 lead, their first of the game.
• However, the lead would be short lived as a five-single effort from La Roche in the top of the fourth produced three runs and a tie game heading into the bottom of the inning.
• Nolan Evans, the first Hilbert batter of the fourth, quickly re-gained the lead for the Hawks with a shot to center field to make it a 5-4 game. Haynes and Hoag each added singles in the inning once again, but the Redhawks got out of the inning down just one run.
• The back-and-forth offense continued into the top of the fifth, as La Roche recorded a home run of their own as a two-run shot gave the visitors a 6-5 advantage.
• Following a scoreless fifth from the Hawks, neither team added to the scoreboard in the sixth to send the game to its' final frame with La Roche still up by one.
• The Redhawks seemed to take full control of game one with two more runs in the top of the seventh to stretch the lead to three, but once again, the Hilbert offense had an answer via the long ball.
• After Haynes and Hoag each reached base to lead off the inning, Patrick Evans picked a perfect time to clear the fence for the first time in royal and white as the junior's three-run home run deadlocked the contest at eight all. The Hawks got the winning run in scoring position looking to end the game in the seventh, but a pop-out sent this one to extra frames.
• Hilbert threatened with runners in scoring positions in a pair of scoreless extra innings, but the game headed to a tenth inning after the Hawks were unable to capitalize.
• After Moorhouse struck out a pair in his second consecutive scoreless inning, Jack Duffek was intentionally walked to load the bases with one out and Alex Ellison up looking to end it. A patient walk by the Hilbert second basemen would be enough to do just that as Haynes trotted home to complete the 9-8, come-from-behind victory in game one of the conference doubleheader.

 
Game Two:

• After a scoreless opening frame, the Redhawks once again opened the scoring, as three runs in the top of the second opened up a 3-0 advantage for the visitors.
• After Dustin Hendrix walked, Nolan Evans doubled, and Griffin McAndrews walked to load the bases, an error by the La Roche shortstop allowed a pair of Hawks to score with two outs and make it a 3-2 game heading into the third.
• The teams each added a run in the third as a sacrifice fly from La Roche made it 4-2, before an RBI groundout by Duffek scored Patrick Evans, who led off the inning with a double, to once again make it a one run game.
• A blank fourth inning followed by a solo homer from the Redhawks in the top of the fifth made it 5-3. After solid pitching on both sides, including a pair of scoreless frames from Brendan Walsh, the Hawks entered the bottom of the seventh trailing 5-3 looking for more late game magic.
• A Duffek single, followed by an Ellison hit by pitch and Nolan Evans single brought around a runner to make it 5-4, and a Garret Brink walk loaded the bases, but the Hawks were unable to match game one's dramatics as a groundout ended the game and resulted in an afternoon split.

Up Next

The Hawks return to action for the first game on FSSJ Field of 2025 when Fredonia travels to Hamburg on Tuesday, April 8^th for a non-conference doubleheader. Game one of the afternoon between the Hawks and Blue Devils is set to begin at 1 pm.