Hamilton Heights opened Sectional 24 play with an overwhelming 12-2 win over New Castle in five innings at Blackford.
The Huskies scored two runs in the first inning. Nate Hulen batted in Sam Allen, then Andrew VanOeveren hit a single to score Harrison Hochstedler. Heights added a third run in the third inning; VanOeveren struck again, with a left field hit to send home Erik Malott.
The Trojans scored a pair of runs in the top of the fourth, but the Huskies ended the game in the fifth inning by scoring nine runs. Sam Wahl scored when VanOeveren drew a bases-loaded walk, then Heights hit four straight singles to score five runs. Lucas Letsinger brought in Malott; Issiac Hickok scored Hochstedler, Alex Hewitt batted in VanOeveren and Letsinger, and Allen batted in Hickok.
“What a great and much needed win tonight,” said Heights coach JR Moffatt. “We have been waiting for our bats to come alive and tonight was a pretty good time for it to happen. Sam Fulton did a great job on the mound setting the tone in the top of the first and Sam Allen led off the bottom of the first with a great at bat taking a two-strike curveball into left center for a hit. We pretty much just kept hitting from there. Sixteen hits is a season high for us, and let’s just say, that’s a lot more fun than four or five hits over seven innings. Our enthusiasm was great.”
Hewitt scored on a fielder’s choice from Wahl, Malott doubled home Wahl, and Malott got the game-ending run when he scored after Hulen reached on error.
Malott, Sam Fulton and Hulen all had three hits. Fulton pitched all five innings, striking out five.
The Huskies are 9-13 and advanced to Friday’s semi-finals, where they will play Yorktown at 5 p.m. Guerin Catholic will play Delta in the second semi-final, which is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Hamilton Heights 12, New Castle 2
(5 innings)
Heights AB R H RBI
Sam Allen 4 1 2 1
Sam Wahl 3 2 0 1
Erik Malott 3 3 3 1
Sam Fulton 3 0 3 0
Nate Hulen 4 0 3 2
Andrew VanOeveren 2 1 2 3
Lucas Letsinger 3 1 1 1
Issiac Hickok 3 1 1 1
Alex Hewitt 3 1 2 2
Harrison Hochstedler 0 2 0 0
Luke Stohler 0 0 0 0
Totals 28 12 17 12
Score by innings
New Castle 000 20 – 2 6 2
Heights 201 09 – 12 16 3
2B: Malott. HBP: Fulton.
Heights pitching IP R ER H
Fulton 5 2 0 6
Strikeouts: Fulton 5. Walks: none.