Baseball Drops Opening Games at Ottawa

(Ottawa, KS) – The Hastings Broncos returned to the field with new head coach Steve Maddock leading the way. After losing the first game 8-1, the Broncos took an early 4-0 and after surrendering the lead at 5-4, they tied it on a home run by junior Tristan Martinez in the fifth. Ottawa came through in the seventh with a bases-loaded single to walk it off, 6-5.

Hastings opened their season at the plate with a couple of groundouts and a strikeout. Junior Markus Miller got the start on the mound and forced a flyout to start out. Miller walked the next batter, who then stole both second and third before the next batter cranked one over the wall to make it 2-0 early.

The next half inning, the Broncos got on the board as freshman Eddie Henceck got hit by a pitch and sophomore Jared Delgado doubled him home to cut the deficit in half. That would be all the Broncos would manage as Delgado was stranded at second following two strikeouts and a lineout.

No more scoring occurred until the fourth inning when Ottawa doubled to start the bottom half of the inning and scored on an RBI-single moments later to go up 3-1. Ottawa had a chance to crack the game open later in the inning. With runners on the corners and one out, Miller threw out a Braves player at home on a fielder's choice, then with the bases loaded following a hit-batter, Ottawa flew out to right. Miller exited the game with three earned runs on seven hits in four innings.

Senior Elijah Merritt walked to open the top of the fifth, then after a strikeout, junior Jace Valdez singled up the middle to put Merritt in scoring position. A strikeout followed, but Merritt and Valdez each moved up 90 feet on a wild pitch. Lucero walked to load the bases, but Ottawa got Martinez to pop up to end the threat.

Ottawa broke the game open in the sixth offensively with four walks in the inning, including the first three batters. The first run of the inning was scored on the fourth walk of the inning, then an infield single brought in a run and three runs scored on a 3-2 pitch singled to center field.

Trailing 8-1, Hastings got a one-out single from Valdez, but junior Jaden Stone grounded into a fielder's choice and Lucero struck out to end the game.

In game two, Hastings got their first crooked number inning of the season in the second. Senior Mason Masur began the four-hit, four-run inning with a single to right. Senior Dylan Otto scored him from first with a double hit to the left field corner. Valdez advanced Otto to third, then senior Alliskair Descartes hit a deep fly ball to center that carried in the wind away from the centerfielder, dropping in for an RBI-double. After a groundout from Stone, advancing Descartes to third, Delgado's big fly to left field cleared the fence to put Hastings ahead 4-0.

The Braves were able to get two runs back in the bottom half of the inning starting with an RBI-single after the first two batters reached, then they drove in another run with a two-out double, trimming the Bronco lead to 4-2 going to the third.

After Hastings went three-up and three-down in the top of the third, Ottawa pushed across two more runs in the bottom of the inning to tie the game at four. The first two batters of the inning walked for Ottawa and came around to score, both on unearned runs.

In the bottom of the fourth, Ottawa had three batters reach via walk. With two outs, the runner on first fell down on his way to second, tempting a throw by senior catcher Caleb Duinink. The runner at third took off as soon as Duinink threw it to first, while the runner at first was 10 feet away from the bag. With the runner charging down the third base line, Otto quickly threw it back home, but it was too late, as Ottawa took a 5-4 lead.

Martinez tied the game up at five on the first pitch of his at-bat in the top of the fourth, sending it over the left field wall. Hastings then managed to get the bases loaded with three walks in their half of the sixth with Delgado at the plate, but a strikeout put an end to the opportunity.

The game stayed tied at five going to the bottom of the seventh. The first two batters reached with walks, then after a passed ball put both runners on second and third with nobody out, Hastings intentionally walked the next batter. Ottawa walked it off with a base hit to left field, winning 6-5.

Hastings will be back at Ottawa tomorrow for a doubleheader with the Braves beginning at 9am.