Hamilton Southeastern split a Hoosier Crossroads Conference doubleheader with Avon on Saturday.
The Royals sailed past the Orioles 16-1 in a five-inning first game. The second game turned out to be high-scoring for both teams, with Southeastern scoring five runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game and send it to extra innings. Avon only needed one extra inning, scoring three in the top of the eighth, and that carried it to a 13-10 win.
Despite being disappointed about dropping the series (Avon won the first game on Friday), HSE coach Scott Henson kept things in perspective. His philosophy is that the early season games are about doing everything the Royals can to prepare for the end of the season.
“Am I upset that we lost two out of three? Absolutely,” said Henson. “But, we’re trying to figure out what we’ve got. We’ve got six guys starting in the field that have never started before.”
That young Southeastern team lit up the scoreboard for 13 runs in the first inning of the first game. A 2-0 Royals lead became 6-0 after Jake Stout hit a grand slam. Earlier, Greyson Droste singled home a run, then Cole DeWael scored when Jacob Daftari was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
Anthony Eggers singled home two runs to make the score 8-0. A walk loaded the bases again, and then it became a Royal merry-go-round: Southeastern walked in two runs, then Daftari and Stout both hit singles to score two more runs. Jacob Dewolf was hit by a pitch to score Droste (again), and that was run No. 13.
Stout’s slam was a big part of his five RBIs for the game, which he achieved on 2-for-2 hitting. Eggers and Daftari both batted in three runs. DeWael hit a triple, while Daftari, Droste and Zach Boyle each hit a double.
Carter Lohman got the win, pitching three innings and striking out seven.
Avon was dangerously close to turning the run-rule tables on HSE in the second game, leading 9-0 midway through the fourth. But the Royals got on the board with a Droste three-run homer in the fourth, then were within 9-5 after the sixth, after Droste hit a two-run homer.
The Orioles added a run in the top of the seventh. Now down 10-5, the Royals started chipping away at the lead when Drew Switzer hit an RBI double.
DeWael singled in Michael Dillon (who walked) to cut the lead to 10-7. Next up was Matt Buckingham, who sent a single into center field to score Switzer and Eggers. Droster was up next, and his fielder’s choice sent DeWael home and tied the game at 10-10.
“That’s a double-edged sword, because you like the fight you see, but you don’t like what got us in that situation,” said Henson.
But Avon wrapped the game up quickly, as a three-run double put them ahead 13-10, and the Orioles were able to hold off HSE in the bottom of the eighth.
Droste’s two home runs accounted for five of his six RBIs. Buckingham was 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
Next up for the Royals is a trip to the Super Preps in Louisville, which take place April 4-7. Southeastern’s first game is Wednesday against Louisville Ballard, followed by a Thursday contest with Louisville Trinity, which is ranked in the top two in Kentucky. Also, the Royals will take on two top Chicagoland teams: Morgan Park on Friday and Glenbrook South on Saturday.
Southeastern 16, Avon 1
(5 innings)
Southeastern AB R H RBI
Anthony Eggers 3 2 2 3
Cole DeWael 2 2 1 1
Matt Buckingham 2 2 0 1
Greyson Droste 3 3 2 2
Jacob Daftari 2 1 2 3
Michael Dillon 1 0 0 0
Jake Stout 3 1 2 5
Brayton Harrison 1 0 0 0
Zach Boyle 3 2 2 0
Jack Dewolf 2 0 2 1
Cam Bolling 0 2 0 0
Jacob Garcia 2 1 0 0
Totals 24 16 13 16
Score by innings
Avon 000 10 – 1 2 0
Southeastern (13)12 0x – 16 13 0
HR: Stout. 3B: DeWael. 2B: Boyle, Daftari, Droste. SAC: Eggers. HBP: Daftari, DeWael, Dewolf.
Southeastern pitching IP R ER H
Carter Lohman (W) 3 0 0 1
Nathan Goodsell 2 1 0 1
Strikeouts: Lohman 7. Walks: Lohman 1, Goodsell 1.
Avon 13, Southeastern 10
(8 innings)
Southeastern AB R H RBI
Anthony Eggers 3 1 0 0
Cole DeWael 3 3 2 1
Matt Buckingham 4 1 2 2
Greyson Droste 4 2 2 6
Jacob Daftari 3 0 0 0
Jake Stout 4 0 0 0
Zach Boyle 1 0 0 0
Brayton Harrison 3 1 1 0
Caden Ruhnow 2 0 0 0
Michael Dillon 0 1 0 0
Jack Dewolf 1 0 1 0
Cam Bolling 0 0 0 0
Jacob Garcia 3 0 0 0
Drew Switzer 1 1 1 1
Totals 32 10 9 10
Score by innings
Avon 160 200 13 – 13 11 0
Southeastern 000 302 50 – 10 9 2
HR: Droste 2. 2B: DeWael, Switzer.
Southeastern pitching IP R ER H
Grant Johnston 1 6 3 2
Andrew Morlen 3 3 1 3
Cole Graverson 2 0 0 1
Rutger Poiry 2 4 4 5
Strikeouts: Johnston 3, Morlen 3, Poiry 3, Graverson 2. Walks: Johnston 3, Poiry 1.
The Hamilton Southeastern baseball team congratulates Greyson Droste (far right) after his sixth-inning home run during the second game of the Royals’ Saturday doubleheader wtih Avon. Southeastern split the games, beating the Orioles in the first and losing the second in eight innings. (Richie Hall)