Stone's First Pitch Homer Leads Broncos to 6-4 Win

(Lincoln, NE) – In a one-game trip against the Nebraska Wesleyan Prairie Wolves, the Hastings Broncos held on to win 6-4 on Tuesday night. Junior pitcher Max Smith had a no-hitter when he departed through six innings, striking out seven batters.

Hastings wasted no time in getting ahead as junior Jaden Stone skied one over the right field wall for a leadoff solo home run on the first pitch of the game. In the second inning, junior Jake Poris led off the inning with a single and after moving to second and third on a wild pitch and flyout, he put Hastings up 2-0 by scoring on a wild pitch.

Nebraska Wesleyan had runners on second and third with just one out in the third and they hit a ground ball to freshman Eddie Henchek, who delivered a strike to senior catcher Vince Byrne. It was ruled initially that while Byrne tagged the runner, the ball was knocked out of his glove as the Prairie Wolves knocked over Byrne at the plate, scoring the run and the runner from second to tie the game. After a lengthy discussion between the two umpires, the runner at third was ruled out due to the play at the plate and the runner on second was put back at third base. With two outs, Hastings got out of the inning on a ground ball fielder's choice.

Senior Caleb Duinink and Stone reached to begin the fourth and both moved up to scoring position on a sac bunt. Sophomore Jared Delgado drove Duinink home with a sac fly to center, as Hastings went up 3-0.

In the top of the seventh, Stone walked and senior Matt Lucero put runners on the corners with a one-out single. Stone scored on a wild pitch, then with two outs, Henchek doubled in Lucero. Junior Tristan Martinez kept the line rolling with a base hit to center, scoring Henchek and putting Hastings ahead, 6-0.

Smith ws pulled after six innings of great pitching, not allowing a single hit and striking out seven batters. The only runners that reached base were in that third inning on a walk and a hit by pitch. Nebraska Wesleyan capitalized on the pitching change by getting a run in the bottom of the seventh to make it 6-1.

Junior Caden Holm allowed just the one run in his two innings of work on the mound, striking out two along the way. The Prairie Wolves made it interesting in the ninth by scoring three runs, but freshman Albert Broussard came in relief with the bases loaded and struck out Nebraska Wesleyan with two outs to save the game for the Broncos, 6-4.

Stone was 1-2 at the plate with the home runs, along with three walks. Henchek was 1-3 with a double, an RBI, two walks, and one run scored. Poris led the team with two hits in his four at-bats, scoring one run.

Up next, Hastings will host Northwestern for a four-game series beginning with a double-header on Friday at 3:30pm at Duncan Field.