Baseball Rallies in the Ninth for Walk-Off Win in First Home Game
(Hastings, NE) – Tuesday afternoon marked the first game at Duncan Field for Coach Rojas, as the Broncos came back from a 11-9 deficit in the bottom of the ninth, walking it off on a line-drive single by senior Ben Richter that went off the pitchers’ glove, allowing senior Jace Valdez to score from third for the 12-11 win. The win gives Hastings its tenth win of the season, already one more than last year.
(Hastings, NE) – Tuesday afternoon marked the first game at Duncan Field for Coach Rojas, as the Broncos came back from a 11-9 deficit in the bottom of the ninth, walking it off on a line-drive single by senior Ben Richter that went off the pitchers' glove, allowing senior Jace Valdez to score from third for the 12-11 win against York. The win gives Hastings its tenth win of the season, already one more than last year.
In the first inning after senior Aaron Elgersma escaped a bases-loaded situation without allowing a run, sophomore Tyler Rojas walked and scored two pitches later on a triple from junior Evan Morrison. Junior Samuele Bruno brought home Morrison on an RBI-single to go up 2-0.
In the second inning, freshman Diego Martinez opened with a triple and scored on a sac fly from junior Carter Guiton. After a couple of walks, Bruno drove in a run on another RBI-single and a double from sophomore Peighton Vargas scoring both Morrison and Bruno, making it 6-0.
York cut the lead in half by getting three runs on two hits in the third and a run in the fourth made it 6-4. Morrison homered in the next half inning, but York got back within two on a sac fly following a leadoff triple.
Morrison went yard in his next at-bat in the sixth to go up 8-5. The Panthers answered with a home run in the seventh inning, then senior Chris Faherty turned a leadoff triple by junior Dylan Wimbs into a run on a base-hit to go up 9-6. York scored five runs in the eighth, with the first four runs coming on walks.
In the bottom of the ninth down 11-9, Faherty walked with one out and junior Levi Fletcher brought him home on an RBI-double down the right field line. With two outs, Valdez grounded a double past the third baseman to score Fletcher and tie the game at 11. Valdez went third on a wild pitch and scored on the line-drive single that ricocheted off the pitcher's glove.
Morrison went 3-3 at the plate with two home runs, a triple, a walk, three RBIs, and four runs scored. Bruno also went 3-3, recording two RBIs and a run scored. Fletcher had doubles in both at-bats, scoring and driving in a run. Freshman pitcher Cameron Dahlgren got the win, pitching the final 1.2 innings, allowing only one hit and striking out three.
Up next, Hastings will host Briar Cliff for a four-game series, beginning with a double-header on Friday, Mar. 13 at 2 and 4:30pm.
