Hamilton Heights opened its season this week with two games in Kentucky.
In their first game, the Huskies fell to Rockcastle County from Mount Vernon, Ky. 2-0 on Monday. Rockcastle County scored both of its runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Heights was held to two hits, including a first-inning double from Dean Mason. Harrison Hochstedler hit a single in the top of the seventh. Drew VanOeveren pitched five innings, striking out nine.
The Huskies rebounded on Tuesday to beat Clay County from Manchester, Ky. 6-5. Clay County scored a run in the top of the first inning, and held that lead until the bottom of the third, when Heights got its offense going.
Nate Hulen led off the inning with a double. After a flyout, Drew VanOeveren got on when he was hit by a pitch, then Mason walked to load the bases. Hulen then scored on a wild pitch, advancing the other runners (Kaleb Murry came in to run for Mason), then VanOeveren got home when Isaac Tuma reached on a dropped third strike. The Huskies now had a 2-1 lead, and that became a 4-1 lead when John Irion singled in Murry and Tuma.
VanOeveren added a run in the fifth inning with a left field hit to score Landon Hurley. That gave Heights a 5-1 lead. Clay County got a run back in the sixth inning, then tied the game at 5-5 in the top of the seventh with back-to-back RBI doubles.
But the Huskies played a solid bottom of the seventh to get the win. Mason drew a walk to lead off the inning, then Cooper Vondersaar came in to run for him. Tuma moved Vondersaar to second with a single, then Harrison Hochstedler loaded the bases with a base hit. That brought up Alex Eubanks, and his center field single sent Vondersaar home and gave Heights the win.
Hurley and Hulen each finished with two hits. Guy Griffey pitched five innings and struck out 10. Hochstedler threw the seventh inning and got the win.
The Huskies are 1-1 and continue their Kentucky trip this afternoon by playing at George Rogers Clark.
ROCKCASTLE COUNTY 2, HAMILTON HEIGHTS 0
Heights AB R H RBI
Sam Allen 3 0 0 0
Drew VanOeveren 3 0 0 0
Dean Mason 2 0 1 0
Isaac Tuma 3 0 0 0
Harrison Hochstedler 3 0 1 0
James Lacey 2 0 0 0
Kaleb Murry 2 0 0 0
Guy Griffey 2 0 0 0
Nick Hulen 1 0 0 0
John Irion 1 0 0 0
Cooper Vondersaar 0 0 0 0
Alex Eubanks 1 0 0 0
Totals 23 0 2 0
Score by Innings
Heights 000 000 0 – 0 2 2
Rockcastle Co. 000 002 x – 2 5 1
2B: Mason.
Heights pitching IP R ER H
VanOeveren 5 0 0 3
Hochstedler 1 2 0 2
Strikeouts: VanOeveren 9, Hochstedler 2. Walks: VanOeveren 2.
HAMILTON HEIGHTS 6, CLAY COUNTY 5
Heights AB R H RBI
Sam Allen 4 0 0 0
Drew VanOeveren 3 1 1 1
Dean Mason 1 0 0 0
Cooper Vondersaar 0 1 0 0
Isaac Tuma 4 1 1 1
Harrison Hochstedler 4 0 1 0
John Irion 3 0 1 2
Alex Eubanks 1 0 1 1
Braulio Pena 2 0 0 0
Phoenix Vondersaar 1 0 0 0
Landon Hurley 3 1 2 0
Nick Hulen 2 1 2 0
Kaleb Murry 0 1 0 0
Totals 28 6 9 5
Score by Innings
Clay County 100 001 3 – 5 5 1
Heights 004 100 1 – 6 9 3
2B: Hulen. SB: Tuma. SAC: Hulen. HBP: VanOeveren.
Heights pitching IP R ER H
Guy Griffey 5 1 0 2
Alex Rickey 1 2 1 1
Hochstedler (W) 1 2 2 2
Strikeouts: Griffey 10, Hochstedler 3, Rickey 1. Walks: Griffey 2, Rickey 1, Hochstedler 1.