Baseball Sweeps Comets on Beautiful Day at Duncan Field

Hastings, NE – The Hastings College baseball team bounced back on Sunday to sweep Mayville State 6-5 and 6-3 out at Duncan Field.

Game one was a good back-and forth battle as the Comets struck first taking advantage of a Bronco error which came off a questionable call at first to score a run in the top of the first. The Broncos returned the favor in the bottom half when Eli Merritt hit a fly ball to left field but the baseball God's returned the favor as Carson Lundmark dropped the fly ball allowing Jaden Stone to score. Tyler Welsh then delivered a single to left scoring Merritt as HC held a 2-1 lead.

In the bottom of the second, Hastings got a big double down the left field line to put runners in scoring position with one out. Tristan Martinez would later score on the Derek Palmiere wild pitch to make it 3-1.

After the Comets regained the lead 4-3, the Broncos would get a RBI groundout from Merritt and then Welsh singled to center which brought home Stone to regain the lead at 5-4. MSU would tie the game in the fifth again taking advantage of a Bronco miscue.

With the game tie, Cooper Gierhan did a nice job keeping Mayville State off the base paths over the final two innings as the game remained tied going into the bottom of the seventh. But it also took a big play in the sixth inning when Jared McCorrister doubled to left center when the relay home cut down Tanner Boyle at the plate to keep the game tied 5-5. With one out, Tyler Kissler reached out a got just enough of the ball to bloop a single to right. Antonio Rigney came in to run for Kissler and made his immediate presence felt by stealing second. Dylan Otto would later walk and Brody Severin singled to shallow left to load the bases with one out. Thomas Hartman stepped up and hit a fly ball to center which was deep enough for the speedy Rigney to score as the Broncos walked off game one 6-5.

Stone and Severin each went 3-for-4 while Welsh went 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Gierhan earned his first collegiate victory by throwing 2.1 inning giving up just two hits with one strikeout.

Game two started a bit slow for Hastings as the Comets jumped out to a 2-0 lead. HC would get one back in the bottom of the fourth as Rigney beat out an infield single to third. He then stole second followed by a Stone single to short putting runners on the corners with one out. Merritt hit a fly ball to right which was plenty deep to bring home Rigney to make it 2-1.

Danny Wisor would sit the Comets down in order in the top of the fifth and then the Bronco bats came to life. Welsh started the inning with a walk followed by a Kissler single. The Comets made quite a few changes including new pitcher Gunner Thompson to try and stop the bleeding. It did not go well as Thompson tried to pick off Welsh from second only to hit him with the ball rolling away from the defense, Welsh advanced to third.

With one out, Severin would walk to load the bases and then Matt Lucero would get hit by a pitch which forced home a run and tied things 2-2. Jace Valdez then took the tough 1-2 pitch and lifted over the short stops head bringing two runs home to give the Broncos the 4-2 lead. Rigney then caught the defense sleeping with a bunt and would beat it out to first. Thompson then threw the ball away which allowed Lucero to score. Merritt would pick up another sac fly RBI to make it 6-2.

Wisor then worked a quick 1-2-3 sixth and then battled in the seventh. After giving up one run and with runners on first and third, he got Kole Jessamine to chase the high fast ball striking him out to finish off his complete game victory.

Wisor went 7.0 innings giving up three runs on seven hits while striking out six.

Rigney went 2-for-2 with a run scored while Valdez went 1-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored. Merritt finished with two RBIs on sac flies.

Hastings improves to 3-9 on the year and will be back in action Friday Mar. 10 taking part in the RussMatt Invitational as the Broncos first doubleheader is against Cornerstone (Mich.) with first pitch set for 9:15 am down in Davenport, FL.