Otto's Career Days Lifts Baseball to Key Split with Midland
Fremont, NE – The Hastings College baseball team picked up a wild split with Midland on Sunday afternoon by winning game one 15-14 before dropping game two 10-5.
Fremont, NE – The Hastings College baseball team picked up a wild split with Midland on Sunday afternoon by winning game one 15-14 before dropping game two 10-5.
Game one did not get off to a particularly good start for the Broncos as the Warriors jumped out to a quick 8-2 lead through the first two innings. But the Bronco bats would come alive beginning in the third.
Hastings would load the bases on two hit by pitches and a walk before Dylan Otto singled to center to plate two runs. Then Tristan Martinez reached on an error as the center fielder dropped the fly ball allowing Jaden Stone to score to make it 8-5. James Velasquez then singled to plate Martinez to make it 8-6. The Warrior bats stayed alive scoring three more runs in the bottom of the third but Hastings wouldn't let them pull away.
In the top of the fourth, Hastings would load the bases via a Jace Valdez single followed by a Matt Lucero double and a Stone walk which brought up Otto. Otto would get the pitch he was looking for and crush a grand slam over the center field fence to make it 11-10. The scoring explosion wasn't over as Midland plated three more runs and led 14-10 heading to the sixth.
Tyler Kissler began the inning with a single as Antonio Rigney came in to run for him. After advancing to second on a wild pitch, Stone doubled to center but Rigney had to hold to make sure the ball didn't get caught as the Broncos had runners in scoring position with no outs. Otto stepped up and blasted another home run to center field to make it 14-13. Martinez would then single to center and two batters later Eli Merritt earned a walk to put runners on first and second.
Head Coach Joel Schipper elected to put speed out there as Brody Severin pitch ran for Merritt and it was a heads up move. Following a pop out, Valdez singled to left center scoring Martinez from second and Severin was on his horse scoring all the way from first to take the lead 15-14.
In a game like this you would've expected plenty more runs but Jackson Grote had other plans as he came on in the bottom of the sixth as he quickly got a fly out and a strikeout before giving up a double. But he coaxed a groundout from Yealex Lopez to strand the runner.
The game moved into the bottom of the seventh where Grote would sit the Warriors down in order getting to pop outs and a ground out to seal the victory for the Broncos at 15-14.
Otto finished the game going 3-for-5 with a career high nine RBIs (trying to confirm if it's a school record). Valdez went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and three runs scored while Lucero went 2-for-5 with a run scored.
Grote finished the final 2.0 innings giving up just one hit while picking up his first save of the year.
Game two had Hastings start out strong on offense as Kissler picked up an early RBI with a sac fly. Then in the third Lucero collected his first collegiate home run to tie the game 3-3 in the third. Otto added to his RBI total with two more in the third when he doubled to left scoring Stone and Rigney to take the 5-3 lead.
But Midland came right back to score the final seven runs of the game to pick up the split winning game two 10-5.
Mason Masur led the way by going 2-for-4 with two runs score while Otto went 1-for-3 with two RBIs. Otto finished the day with 11 RBIs which is a career high for a doubleheader.
This now sets up a critical series with Briar Cliff as both teams sit was six wins in conference play as the Chargers come to town for a doubleheader Monday Apr. 17 with first pitch set for 1:30 pm out at Duncan Field. Hastings is now 12-24 (6-10) on the year.
