HOUGHTON, N.Y. – Hilbert College Baseball traveled to Houghton this afternoon, where the Hawks used a six-run outburst in the top of the 11
th inning to take down the Houghton Highlanders, 9-3.
Houghton struck early with runs in each of the first two innings, using a pair of extra‑base hits to take a 2–0 lead. Hilbert threatened several times in the early going but couldn't cash in despite baserunners in each of the first three innings.
Hilbert broke through in the sixth when
Reed Lesmeister led off with a single and later came around when
Dustin Hendrix's infield hit was paired with a Houghton throwing error, trimming the deficit to 2–1.
Tyler Noel and
Jase Burdon kept the Hawks within striking distance over the middle innings, holding the Highlanders to just one run after the second inning to make it 3–1 heading to the ninth
.
Down to their final three outs, the Hawks rallied in the top of the ninth to extend the game.
Chase Porter opened the inning with a double, and Hoag followed with an RBI double to right center. Pinch‑runner
Billy LoBello then scored the tying run on
Patrick Evans' sharp single to right. Hilbert continued to threaten with runners on the corners, but Houghton escaped to send the contest into extras.
After a scoreless tenth powered by three strikeouts from reliever
Alex Rumfola, Hilbert seized full control in the 11th.
Austin Wasily jump‑started the rally with a leadoff single before
Patrick Evans and
Joey Haynes loaded the bases.
Jude Khoury delivered the go‑ahead RBI with a single to third, and the Hawks continued to pile on from there.
Alex Ellison forced home another run with a bases‑loaded walk, and Hilbert capitalized on a pair of Houghton throwing errors that allowed four additional runs to score. Rumfola closed the door in the bottom half, striking out the side for a second straight frame to seal the win.
Evans led the Hawks with three hits on the night, while Hoag, Haynes, Khoury, Lesmeister, Porter, Wasily and Hendrix each contributed offensively to the 10‑hit effort. Rumfola earned the win with a dominant outing, recording six strikeouts over two scoreless innings. Burdon and Noel combined for the first nine innings, limiting Houghton's offense long enough for the late‑game surge.
UP NEXT:
The Hawks begin AMCC play this weekend with a trip to Pittsburgh to take on La Roche on Saturday afternoon.
