HAMBURG, NY – Hilbert College Baseball hosted Alfred State College this afternoon at Frontier High School in AMCC action. The Hawks struck first and controlled most of the contest, but a late rally from the Pioneers gave the visitors a 7-5 come-from-behind conference victory.
Hilbert opened the scoring in the second inning, capitalizing on traffic on the bases as
Alex Ellison delivered a run-scoring single to give the Hawks an early edge. Alfred State answered in the top of the third, tying the game on an RBI double before Hilbert quickly reclaimed momentum in the bottom half. After working the bases full,
Harley Hoag was hit by a pitch to force home a run and put Hilbert back in front, 2–1.
The middle innings remained tightly contested, highlighted by a strong performance on the mound from
Andrew Johnson, who limited damage while keeping the Hawks in control. Alfred State briefly tied the contest again in the fifth on a solo homer, but Hilbert responded once more in the sixth when
Jude Khoury singled home a run following catcher's interference to restore a one-run advantage.
Hilbert added crucial insurance in the seventh inning.
Joey Haynes and
Patrick Evans set the table, and Hoag drove in his second run of the day before
Austin Wasily lifted a sacrifice fly to center to push the lead to 5–2.
However, the Pioneers erupted for five runs in the top of the eighth, headlined by a pinch-hit three-run home run, to seize a 7–5 lead. Hilbert was unable to mount a comeback over the final two innings despite putting runners on base, as Alfred State's bullpen shut the door.
Offensively,
Joey Haynes paced Hilbert with four hits, while
Patrick Evans reached base three times and scored twice. Hoag drove in a pair of runs, and Ellison finished with two hits and an RBI.
Johnson turned in a solid start on the mound, striking out eight over 7.1 innings, while
David Alessi pitched a scoreless ninth.
UP NEXT:
The Hawks will look to avenge this afternoon's defeat this weekend when the team travels to take on the Pioneers on Saturday.
