Lancers Hold Off Broncos in Pair of Games

(Yankton, SD) – In their road games at Mount Marty, the Hastings Broncos late rally in game one came up just short at 17-14 after scoring eight runs in the seventh, and fell 12-8 in game two.

Mount Marty began the game with some fireworks, hitting a grand slam in the first inning to go up 4-0. They scored three more runs in the seventh, including two on a second home run, to go up 7-0.

Hastings started chipping away at the lead with a leadoff single by junior Tristan Martinez and a one-out double by junior Jaden Stone. Junior Coletin Renn knocked in the first run with an RBI groundout. Sophomore Jared Delgado doubled and senior Elijah Merritt drove home Stone with a single. Freshman Jordin Albertson capped the inning with a three-run home run to cut the lead to 7-5.

The momentum did not last for long however, as the Lancers answered back with three runs in the bottom half of the inning. They also scored another run in the fourth to go up 12-5.

Stone singled and took second on an errant throw to leadoff the fifth, then with two outs, Merritt drove him in to bring the deficit to six at 12-6. Mount Marty continued their strong offensive game, scoring five runs on three hits, including a two-run home run to go up 17-6 in the fifth.

Neither team scored in the sixth, but Hastings made things very interesting in the seventh. Senior Alliskair Descartes led off the inning with a single and Stone and Renn followed it up with walks to load the bases. Delgado brought all three baserunners home with a grand slam, bringing the score to 17-10 with still nobody out.

Merritt and Albertson reached base, then after a strikeout, junior Jace Valdez was hit by a pitch to load the bases again. Mount Marty got a second strikeout of the inning in the next at-bat, but Descartes then walked to bring another run. Stone followed that up with a two-run RBI single and Renn drove in Descartes with a base hit to make it 17-14. Senior Tyler Welsh, who came in as a pinch-hitter, loaded the bases after getting hit by a pitch, but Mount Marty struck out Merritt to end the game.

Stone was 3-4 with three runs scored and two RBIs, while Merritt was also 3-4 with two runs and two RBIs. Albertson also had a multi-hit game, going 2-4 with two runs and three RBI's. Delgado's grand slam gave him the team high in RBIs in game one with four.

The Lancers scored the first run of game two, using their leadoff single to turn into a run on an RBI double to go up 1-0 after one inning.

Hastings flexed their muscles at the plate in the third, hitting back-to-back-to-back home runs in the inning. Senior Matt Lucero doubled to begin the inning, then Valdez later blasted one over the left field wall that managed to stay fair as it left the yard. Merritt followed him up with a towering shot to left-center and Albertson shortly after hit a deep ball to right to put the Broncos up, 4-1.

In the first at-bat that the Lancers had after the four-run inning from the Broncos, they went yard to get back within two at 4-2. They scored five more in the fourth, scoring on a passed ball, a three-run home run, and scored a run to a run-down play to go up 7-4.

Merritt singled to start the fifth and Albertson laced an RBI double to get the lead back to within two, but Mount Marty extended the lead to four at 9-5 on a two-run RBI single.

With one out in the sixth, the next six batters reached for the Broncos with Valdez, Merritt, and Welsh driving in runs, making the score 9-8. They had a chance for more runs but were thrown out at home plate following a flyout to right field to end the inning. Mount Marty got those runs back with one in the sixth and two in the seventh to go up 12-8, which would end up being the final score.

Stone went 4-5 with two runs scored in game two. Merritt and Masur both had three hits, while Albertson, Lucero, Valdez, and senior Vince Byrne all recorded two hits. Valdez led the team with three RBIs and Albertson and Merritt each had two RBIs.

Up next, Hastings will conclude their season with a four-game series at Doane, beginning at 1pm on Friday, April 25.