Baseball Wins Series Over SAGU American Indian College

Phoenix, AZ – The Hastings College baseball team was dealing with some weather issues midway through its Arizona trip but was finally able to get all three games in against SAGU American Indian College over the weekend. The Broncos won the series by winning game one 12-2, dropped game two 10-4 but held on to win game three 8-7 to claim the 2-1 series victory.

The Broncos jumped out to a quick game one lead as Alliskair Descartes reached base due to an error. Then Tyler Kissler doubled to right putting runners in scoring position with Jaden Stone bringing home the runners with a double of his own to make it 2-0.

After picking up a run in the third, the HC bats went back to work opening up a 6-0 lead on the Tristan Martinez 3-run home run before mother nature did her thing. The game would get postponed until Saturday at noon and one it resumed; the Bronco bats did not slow down. Hastings would load the bases and pick up another run on a passed ball as Descartes scored from third. Following another walk to load the bases, Matt Lucero drew a walk to force another run in to make it 8-0. Dylan Otto got in on the act with a two RBI double of his own and the final run scored on yet another passed ball as the lead was now 11-0.

HC went on to claim game one 12-2 as Kissler led the way by going 3-for-4 at the plate while Stone went 2-for-3 with a team high three RBIs. Otto also went 2-for-3 with two RBIs.

James Velasquez went 3.0 innings giving up just one hit, no runs and one strikeout. Cole Peterson picked up win No. 1 as he went 3.0 innings giving up two runs on four hits.

After dropping game two 10-4, each team was looking for the rubber match victory and it was the Warriors that jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead on the Diego Mares RBI single and the Manuel Frias-Moreno RBI groundout in the first.

The Broncos bucked back in the second as Caleb Duinink opened the frame with a double. Santo Chirco followed suit with a RBI double to right to plate Duinink to make it 2-1. After a walk to Mason Masur, Jace Valdez roped a RBI single to plate Chirco as Masur made it all the way to third. Martinez brought Masur home with a sac fly as HC now had the 3-2 lead.

Lane Harris kept the Warrior bats quiet in the bottom of the second as HC was looking for more from its offense. Stone led the inning off with a double and then Welsh belted his first home run of the season over the right field wall to make it 5-2. Kissler then made it 6-2 with a RBI single in the fourth as HC seemed to be in control of this rubber match. 

The Broncos picked up two more runs in the fifth off a Chirco RBI single and a SAGU error to go up 8-2. But then Hastings had to hold on for dear life as the Warriors picked up a run in the fifth and a three run home run off the bat of Frias-Moreno to make it 8-6. 

SAGU would pick up a run in the seventh and had a runner on third but Cooper Gierhan would get Konner Chacen Herbison to strikeout swinging as the Broncos held on for the 8-7 victory.

Chirco led the way by going 3-for-4 with two RBIs while Valdez went 1-for-3 with two RBIs in the win.

Hastings improves to 8-11 on the year and will be back in action Monday Mar. 11 taking on Embry-Riddle for its final game of its Arizona trip set to begin at 4:00 pm down in Prescott, AZ.