Hawks' bats come alive in doubleheader sweep of Golden Bears

The Hiland Hawks wore their hitting shoes for a doubleheader affair with Waynedale Saturday, April 9, in Apple Creek, rebounding nicely from the first setback the team was dealt earlier in the week.

Hiland hammered 32 hits and scored 30 runs in both games, winning the opener 16-10, and then taking the nightcap 14-2 in six innings.

“We needed that, especially after Thursday,” Hiland coach Tom Gibson said after the opener. “This was a good turnaround.”

The Hawks wasted little time attacking the Golden Bears in the first game, plating three runs in the first inning. Danny Beachy got things going against Tim Constable, blasting a double. He moved to third on a bunt single by Luke Burch.

Hayden Mobley hit a fly ball that was misplayed in right field, allowing Mobley to reach second and two runs to score. Jalen Miller drove in Mobley with a two-out single.

A pair of walks to batters at the bottom of the order got starter and winner Alex Schmucker into trouble in the second inning.

“This team, the top of the lineup hitters can really stroke it, one through four,” Gibson said of the Golden Bears. “Alex pitched an efficient game, but he got into trouble when he walked those two guys in the second inning. You’ve got to attack the bottom of the order hitters and keep them off the bases. They scored setting the table for the big hitters.”

Colton Swinehart singled in Payton Gessel, putting runners on the corners. Tyler Harter bunted in a run, and Blake Miller doubled in Swinehart to knot things up at three apiece.

Hiland answered with a five-spot in the top of the third. Jordan Miller got the rally going by getting hit by a pitch. Jalen Miller followed with a single and Nicky Yoder doubled them both in. After a fly out moved Yoder to third, Johnny Raber popped out and Constable nearly wriggled off the hook.

Beachy laced a two-out single to right to score Yoder. He moved to second on a wild pitch and scored when Burch’s ground ball was booted by Harter.

Burch stole second and scored on a Mobley single to cap the five-run frame.

Schmucker then set the Bears down on three pitches, getting a fly out, a pop out and a line out, on consecutive pitches.

“That was really big. They hit him hard in the second inning,” Gibson said. “That inning kind of settled him down.”

Jalen Miller reached on an error to open the fourth inning, and Yoder doubled, ending the day for Constable.

B.J. Miller greeted reliever Cody Weaver with a two-run double. Walks to Johnny Raber and Burch, and a throwing error scored Miller, and then Mobley drove in Raber and Burch with a single to left.

Waynedale got a two-run double from Blake Miller, who finished the first game 4-for-4. Jaron Miller also stroked a two-run double to close the gap to 13-7.

The Hawks tacked on two more in the fifth on a two-run double by Burch, and Jalen Miller singled and scored on a ball and a wild pitch in the sixth to cap off Hiland’s scoring.

Blake Miller blasted a three-run homer off Kendall Wagler in the Waynedale sixth. Beachy shut the Bears down in the seventh.

Jalen Miller, Mobley and Yoder each had three hits to pace the Hiland attack. Beachy and Burch added two hits apiece.

In the second game, Hiland scored five times in the first inning to give Burch a comfortable lead, and the hard-throwing southpaw did the rest. Burch struck out seven and walked six, giving up two runs on three hits over five innings. Caleb Schlabach worked a scoreless and hitless sixth.

Beachy singled and stole two bases and scored on a sacrifice fly. Mobley doubled. Wagler walked and Yoder was hit by a pitch. Grant Troyer drove home a pair with a single, and Schmucker followed with a seeing eye single between third and short that scored two more to cap off the five-run first for the Hawks.

Beachy reached on a bunt single to start the fourth inning. He stole second, went to third on an infield single by Burch, and scored on a ground out by Kenny Miller.

Yoder and Schmucker scored in the fifth to make it 8-1 Hawks.

Raber squeezed in Yoder and Burch singled home Schmucker.

The Hawks put the game away with a six-run sixth. The big blows in the inning were an RBI-triple by Yoder and a two-run single by Schlabach. Yoder finished with three hits in each game, going 6-for-8 on the day, with a triple, two doubles and three runs batted in. He scored five runs.

“Nicky had a big day at the plate and also made some big plays in the field,” Gibson said. “B.J. (Miller) made some good plays at third. These guys have nice hands.”

The wins improved Hiland’s record to 6-1 on the season. Waynedale dipped to 2-7.

On Monday, April 12, the Hawks pounded out 18 hits and took care of the visiting Strasburg Tigers in five innings, 19-0.

Johnny Raber was 4-for-4 to lead the attack. Kendall Wagler banged out three hits, including a double, and pitched four scoreless innings of three-hit baseball against the Tigers. He walked four and fanned four. Danny Beachy worked a one-hit fifth.

B.J. Miller blasted a pair of doubles. Hayden Mobley also doubled for the Hawks.