Hamilton Heights won its first-round game at the Class 3A Yorktown sectional on Wednesday, beating Delta 6-5 on a walkoff single by Cole Meyer.
The victory avenged a loss in last year’s sectional, and sent the Huskies into Friday’s semi-finals. Heights will play the host Yorktown at 5:30 p.m., with Guerin Catholic taking on New Castle in a game to follow afterwards.
Delta scored two runs in the top of the first inning. The Huskies got those runs back in the second inning; Luke Stohler doubled in Sam Wahl for the first run, then Stohler later scored on a passed ball.
Both teams scored twice in the third inning. The Eagles led 4-2 after getting their runs, but Heights reeled them back in when Wahl slammed a two-run single into left field. Michael Cross and Issiac Hickok both scored.
Delta took the lead back with a run in the fourth, but the Huskies answered again, with a run in the fifth inning. Wahl hit a double, moved to third on a Stohler base hit, then was sent home for his second run of the day on Ike Peterson’s double.
In the bottom of the seventh, Wahl got on base with a single and was moved to third by a groundout and a fielder’s choice. That brought up Meyer, and his right field hit sent Wahl home and the Huskies into the semi-finals.
Wahl finished the game 4-for-4 at the plate, scoring three runs and driving in another two. Sam Fulton pitched the complete game win, striking out seven.
“We got off to a rough start tonight in the top of the first,” said Heights coach JR Moffatt. “There were a couple of plays we didn’t make defensively that put Sam’s back to the wall and give Delta credit….they made us pay. Sam was a little off with his location tonight and they hit him harder than any team I’ve ever seen through the first four innings. After that he settled down pretty well. Gabe got us out of a couple of jams with big throws to gun down guys trying to steal.”
“I was really happy for Luke Stohler who got us started with a big double in the bottom of the second to drive in a run,” said Moffatt. “Ike Peterson had two big hits including a double. Obviously Cole’s walkoff single was huge. But, the guy for us tonight was Sam Wahl, that guy was great today. He’s a fighter and he’ll take on anyone when it comes to competing. Sam was 4-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBI. He had two doubles and accounted for five of our six runs. He led off the bottom of the seventh with a ball down the left field line that could’ve been his third double of the game. He eventually made his way around and scored that winning run. I’m happy for our guys. Still time to get better before Friday.”
Heights is 14-9 for the season.
Heights 6, Delta 5
Heights AB R H RBI
Cole Meyer 5 0 1 1
Michael Cross 1 1 1 0
Gabe Reel 4 0 1 0
Sam Fulton 3 0 0 0
Sam Rupe 4 0 1 0
Sam Wahl 4 3 4 2
Luke Stohler 4 1 2 1
Ike Peterson 3 0 2 1
Luke Thesier 4 0 0 0
Issiac Hickok 0 1 0 0
Brody Piel 0 0 0 0
Evan Warner 0 0 0 0
Totals 32 6 12 5
Score by innings
Delta 202 100 0 – 5 11 0
Heights 022 010 1 – 6 12 1
2B: Wahl 2, Peterson, Stohler. SB: Cross. HBP: Cross.
Heights pitching IP R ER H
Fulton 7 5 4 11
Strikeouts: Fulton 7. Walks: Fulton 1.
The Hamilton Heights baseball team runs out of the dugout as Sam Wahl scores the winning run at the Huskies’ sectional first-round game with Delta Wednesday at Yorktown. Cole Meyer’s RBI single sent Wahl home. (Photo by Scott Wahl)