PITTSBURGH, Pa. — Hilbert College Baseball opened AMCC play this afternoon with a two-game sweep of La Roche on the road at Baierl Athletic Complex. The Hawks came from behind with four runs in the final two innings of game one's 7-5 victory before taking an early lead and holding on for a 6-3 game two win.
The Hawks set the tone immediately in the first inning of game one, stringing together four hits as
Joey Haynes' double and
Reed Lesmeister's two‑run single sparked a three‑run frame. La Roche answered with a run in the bottom half, but
Ryan Hilton steadied the pitching staff after an early offensive surge from the Redhawks in the third, retiring 10 of the next 11 batters to keep the game tied heading into the late innings.
After falling behind 5–3 in the third, Hilbert chipped away in the sixth when
Dustin Hendrix launched a solo home run to pull the Hawks within one. Moments later, pinch‑runner
Billy LoBello crossed the plate on a
Harley Hoag double down the right‑field line, tying the contest 5–5. The momentum continued in the seventh as
Chase Porter delivered the go‑ahead RBI single before Hendrix added another run‑scoring hit to stretch the lead to 7–5.
Andrew Johnson entered in the bottom of the seventh and struck out the side to lock down the save and finish off the comeback win.
Hilbert carried that energy straight into Game 2, completing the sweep with a 6–3 win behind a well‑balanced effort on both sides of the ball. The Hawks struck first again, pushing across a run in the opening inning thanks to aggressive baserunning by
Harley Hoag and an RBI single from
Chase Porter. La Roche tied the game in the third on a wild pitch, but Hilbert answered with its biggest inning of the day in the fourth.
Alex Ellison drove home the go‑ahead run with a single before
David Earsing doubled into the left‑field corner and Hoag followed with a run‑scoring single, giving the Hawks a 4–1 cushion.
Hilbert added insurance in the fifth when Lesmeister scored on a sacrifice fly from Hendrix, then tacked on a final run in the ninth on another RBI single from Porter.
Andrew Johnson delivered six strong innings, striking out six while allowing just one earned run. After a brief Redhawks rally in the eighth tightened the game to 5–3,
Ronald Mort finished with a scoreless ninth to secure the sweep on the road.
The offense of the Hawks was led by
Chase Porter, who went a combined 5-for-8 with 4 RBI and 3 runs scored to anchor the offense.
Dustin Hendrix finished the day 3-for-7 with a home run, 4 RBI, and a sacrifice fly, while
Harley Hoag delivered a 3-for-7 day that included three doubles, two RBI, two runs scored, and a stolen base.
Reed Lesmeister contributed consistently as well, totaling three hits, three runs, three RBI, and a stolen base across both games.
Alex Ellison added three hits and two RBI, and
David Earsing went 3-for-5 with a double, two RBI, and two runs. On the mound,
Ryan Hilton provided stability with 3.1 scoreless relief innings and three strikeouts, and
Andrew Johnson shined in both games, earning the Game 1 save with three strikeouts before posting six innings, six strikeouts, and one earned run in his Game 2 start.
UP NEXT:
The Hawks are back on the road next weekend as the team heads to Pitt-Greensburg for another AMCC doubleheader.
