JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Hilbert College Baseball saw its AMCC postseason run come to an end on Friday afternoon, dropping an 8-5 decision to Alfred State in an elimination game at Sargent's Stadium.
Hilbert came out with energy and grabbed an early lead in the bottom of the first inning.
Joey Haynes and
Patrick Evans opened the frame with back-to-back singles before
Reed Lesmeister delivered a two-run triple to right-center to put the Hawks on the board.
Harley Hoag followed with an RBI single to cap a three-run inning and give Hilbert a 3-0 advantage.
The Hawks maintained control through the middle innings behind a strong starting effort from
Gregory Lowry, who worked into the eighth inning while limiting Alfred State's offense. Hilbert added to its lead in the fourth when
Alex Ellison came around to score on a wild pitch, and pushed the margin to 5-0 in the sixth as
Shane Pray crossed the plate on a throwing error.
Alfred State began to chip away in the seventh, taking advantage of a wild pitch to get on the board and cut the deficit to 5-1. The momentum shifted in the eighth inning when the Pioneers strung together four hits, highlighted by a two-run triple and an RBI single, to pull within one at 5-4.
In the ninth, Alfred State completed the comeback. A leadoff double and a sacrifice bunt set the stage before a series of run-scoring hits, including a two-run double down the right-field line, pushed across four runs to give the Pioneers their first lead of the game at 8-5.
Hilbert threatened in the bottom of the ninth, loading the bases with one out following a single, walk, and another base hit. However, Alfred State was able to record the final two outs to secure the elimination game victory.
Offensively, the Hawks finished with 12 hits, led by a three-hit performance from Hoag. Evans and
Shane Pray each added two hits, while Lesmeister drove in a pair with his first-inning triple.
Lowry turned in a strong start on the mound, allowing just four runs over 7.1 innings while striking out six.
Andrew Johnson took the loss in relief after Alfred State's late-inning surge.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Following the contest,
Gregory Lowry and
Patrick Evans were announced as All-Tournament team members for their performances across the Hawks' two postseason contests. Lowry struck out six Pioneers across 7.1 innings of work while allowing four runs.
Evans, who was also named to the 2025 All-Tournament Team, hit 4-8 with a pair of runs scored and a walk across Hilbert's two postseason contests to earn his second career AMCC All-Tournament Team nod.
The Hawks conclude the 2026 season with a 22-17 record, including a 10-7 conference regular season record that earned the team the highest seed (two) in program history. 2026 also marked the sixth consecutive season Hilbert qualified for the AMCC postseason.
