Chargers Top Broncos in Day One Doubleheader
(Sioux City, IA) – The Hastings Broncos traveled to take on the Briar Cliff Chargers for a four-game series, going 0-2 in the day one doubleheader. They lost 8-1 in the first game and 15-7 second game.
(Sioux City, IA) – The Hastings Broncos traveled to take on the Briar Cliff Chargers for a four-game series, going 0-2 in the day one doubleheader. They lost 8-1 in the first game and 15-7 second game.
Hastings started strong with junior Jaden Stone reaching on a single and junior Coletin Renn also getting on-base with a walk. After a strikeout, senior Elijah Merritt put Hastings up 1-0 with an RBI single to score Stone.
Briar Cliff took the lead in the second inning coming on two runs both with two outs, going up 2-1. Hastings went scoreless in the top of the third and after the first two Chargers got on base in the third, they blasted a three-run home run to take a 5-1 lead.
The Chargers tacked on three runs in the fifth and sixth innings to go up 8-1, while holding Hastings to just two hits after the first inning to get the win. Stone led Hastings offensively, going 2-3 with the lone run scored.
Game two started off in the Chargers favor as well, as they hit a double and two-run home run, giving them an early 2-0 lead. Hastings threatened to score in the second, having runners on the corners with two down, but got caught trying to steal second base to end the inning.
Hastings did break through in the third with a one-out double from Stone, who came around to score shortly after on an RBI single by junior Jace Valdez to cut the lead to 2-1. Briar Cliff had a repeat performance of the first inning in the third with getting the leadoff man on and blasting the ball over the fence in the next at-bat to take a 4-1 lead.
The Broncos would not give up however, led by Merritt walking to start the three-run fourth inning. With one out, freshman Jordin Albertson and senior Dylan Otto got on, then with two outs, senior Alliskair Descartes drove in two runs with a base hit and Stone tied the game at four-all with an RBI double that scored Otto.
Briar Cliff regained the lead in the fifth with two runs on three hits, then added three more runs in the seventh to go up 9-4, including two with two outs.
In the bottom of the eighth inning still trailing by five runs, Otto worked a two-out walk and junior Tristan Martinez reached first on a base hit. Descartes came through in a big way, blasting one over the left-center field wall to get within two at 9-7 going to the ninth. The Chargers came right back in the next half inning however, scoring six runs to get the 15-7 win.
Up next, Hastings will wrap up their four-game series at Briar Cliff tomorrow with a doubleheader starting at 12pm.
