HARRISONBURG, VA - Hilbert College Baseball wrapped up its road doubleheader at Eastern Mennonite on Saturday, earning a strong 6–4 victory in the opener before falling 16–7 in a high‑scoring second game. The Hawks combined timely offense with resilient pitching in game one, and despite a big fourth‑inning surge in game two, were unable to keep pace with the Royals' late‑inning production.
Game One: Hilbert 6 – Eastern Mennonite 4
Hilbert struck early in the opener as
Joey Haynes singled and later came around to score on a
Patrick Evans RBI groundout to give the Hawks a 1–0 lead in the first. Eastern Mennonite answered immediately with a solo homer to even the score at 1–1.
The Hawks kept the pressure on in the second, loading the bases with three straight singles from
Reed Lesmeister,
Dustin Hendrix, and
Austin Wasily before
Logan Hoyt drove in a run to reclaim the lead at 2–1. Hilbert added another run in the third behind
Harley Hoag's leadoff double and a
Jude Khoury RBI single. The Royals cut the deficit with a run in the fifth, but Evans delivered again with an RBI single to score Haynes and make it 4–1.
Eastern Mennonite battled back with two runs in the seventh, tying the score at 4–4 on a two‑run homer. The Hawks responded immediately in the eighth as
Shane Pray singled,
Billy LoBello came on to run, and
Chase Porter delivered the go‑ahead RBI single. Lesmeister then added insurance with an RBI single to make it 6–4.
Ryan Hilton sealed the win in the eighth, striking out two and securing his first save of the season.
Gregory Lowry earned the victory after a strong seven‑inning effort, allowing just two earned runs while striking four and walking two batters.
Dustin Hendrix led the offense with three hits, while Lesmeister, Evans, Porter, and Haynes each contributed key moments in a 13‑hit outing.
Game Two: Eastern Mennonite 16 – Hilbert 7
Game two opened quietly before Hilbert manufactured the first run of the day in the second inning. After a Hendrix single and an
Alex Ellison knock,
Garrett Brink delivered an RBI single to put the Hawks ahead 1–0. The Royals responded with a three‑run bottom half highlighted by a two‑run homer to take the lead.
Eastern Mennonite extended the margin to 5–1 in the third, but Hilbert stormed back with its biggest inning of the day in the fourth. Hendrix doubled, Khoury walked, and Ellison singled before Brink drew a bases‑loaded walk. A sacrifice fly from Haynes, an RBI double from Porter, another sac fly from Evans, and a Lesmeister RBI single capped a six‑run surge that put the Hawks in front 7–5.
The Royals answered immediately, scoring two runs in the bottom half to tie the game at 7–7. After a quiet fifth, the game turned dramatically in the sixth, where Eastern Mennonite posted a nine‑run inning fueled by five consecutive run‑producing hits, including a two‑RBI double, a pair of RBI singles, and a series of extra‑base hits that broke the game open at 16–7. Hilbert was unable to muster additional offense over the final three frames.
Hendrix finished the game with two hits and two runs scored, while Brink added two RBI. Multiple Hawks reached base throughout the contest, but EMU's late offensive eruption proved the difference.
UP NEXT:
The Hawks begin play at the Ripken Experience tomorrow against Olivet at 1:30.
