Baseball Scores 11 Runs in Game 2; Splits with Northwestern

(Hastings, NE) – The Hastings Broncos earned the split on the first day of a four-game series with the Northwestern Red Raiders, bouncing back from a 6-0 loss in game one by winning game two, 11-6.

Northwestern scored one run in the first on an RBI single down the left field line, then scored three more runs in the second to go up 4-0 after two innings.

The Red Raiders went up 5-0 in the fourth before Hastings was able to record its first hit of the game, an infield single by junior Jaden Stone. Northwestern tacked on one more run in the fifth to go up 6-0. Hastings had a base runner in each of the next three innings, but were unable to cut into the lead, as Northwestern took game one, 6-0.

Northwestern grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the third inning with a two-out rally that began with an infield hit. Hastings came back in the bottom half of the inning with a couple of runs, as senior Tyler Welsh and senior Caleb Duinink reached to open the inning and advanced to second and third with one out. Stone laced an RBI single to right to score Welsh, then junior Jace Valdez kept things rolling with an RBI single to give Hastings a 2-1 lead.

The Red Raiders briefly tied the game up at two with a run in the fourth, but Duinink drove in two runs on a one-out double to left-center, then with two outs, Stone's triple scored Duinink to take a 5-2 lead.

Two more runs scored in the fifth for Hastings, as senior Elijah Merritt and junior Tristan Martinez hit back-to-back RBI doubles to give the Broncos a commanding 7-2 advantage. Northwestern would respond with one run in the top of the sixth to trim the deficit to four. Junior pitcher Markus Miller ended his day going six innings, allowing three earned runs on 11 hits and two walks to go along with three strikeouts.

Hastings blew the game open in the sixth beginning with senior Alliskair Descartes, Stone, and Valdez reaching to load the bases with nobody out to begin the inning. Delgado hit an RBI single to left, then freshman Eddie Henchek walked to bring in another run. With one out, Martinez stroked one into left-center that scored pinch-running junior Ben Richter and Valdez to put Hastings ahead, 11-3.

Northwestern scored one run in the seventh and two in the eighth, but senior Alec Fichter came in to get the final six outs and ended the game without giving up any more runs, as Hastings took the 11-6 win.

Stone, Merritt, and Martinez were all 3-5 at the plate, each recording at least one RBI, with Martinez leading the way with three in that category. Valdez, Delgado, Welsh, and Duinink all recorded two-hit games, as Hastings put up 11 runs on 18 hits in the second game.

Hastings will wrap up their series with Northwestern tomorrow afternoon, with a doubleheader beginning at 1pm.