ALTON, Ill. - The Lincoln baseball team racked up 15 hits en route to its third win of the season, as the Blue Tigers beat UHSP, 14-8, in the first game of a double-header on Friday (Feb. 20). The Eutectics got revenge in game two, evening the series with an 18-1 win.
Daren Walters-Ansell scored in the fourth inning and
Nate Lucas scored in the top of the fifth to give Lincoln (3-1) an early 2-0 advantage. A pair of two-RBI doubles in the bottom of the fifth allowed UHSP (3-8) to briefly take a 4-2 lead, but the Blue Tigers rallied in the top of the sixth. Walters-Ansell led the frame off with a double, then scored on a two-base hit by
Hunter Mitchell.
Andy Srebroski IV later hit a double to bring in Mitchell and tie the contest.
Jayden Little hit a three-run homer in the top of the seventh that plated Lucas and Aiden Steight, then
Easton Stuckenschneider homered to make it an 8-4 lead for LU. The Eutectics answered in a big way in the bottom of the seventh, however, scoring four runs on five hits to tie the ballgame at 8-8.
Walters-Ansell hit another double to lead off the ninth, Stuckenschneider singled and Mitchell broke the tie with a base hit.
Blythe Blakey then put Lincoln back on top by four with a home run. A base hit from Little later allowed Streight and Srebroski to score for the 14-8 final.
Srebroski, Mitchell and Walters-Ansell each had three hits and Lucas had one while
Zane Hunter II scored as a pinch runner.
Chase Morris stole two bases.
Canon Feist struck out five batters as LU's starter while
Carter Otto fanned one.
Kooper Houvouras notched three strikeouts and earned the win on the mound. Stuckenschneider led the defense with nine putouts while Little had six and Srebroski, who had a team-high four assists, finished with four.
In the second game, UHSP scored four runs in each of the first two frames en route to picking up the series-tying victory. Mitchell scored Lincoln's run on a ground out by Srebroski. Blakey finished with two hits and Stuckenschneider, Mitchell and Streight tallied one apiece.
Tyler Jackson had a strikeout in a relief pitching role and Mitchell posted a team-high five putouts. Blakey had a pair of assists.
Lincoln remains in Alton to play another double-header against UHSP on Saturday (Feb. 21).