Grace upends top-seeded Huntington
UPLAND, Ind. – Grace’s baseball team shook up the Crossroads League Tournament on Friday, beating No. 1 seed Huntington 5-4 in walkoff fashion.
The Lancers (15-25), seeded eighth in the tournament, won the game in the 10th inning. With the bases loaded, freshman Jacob Sapp laid down a perfect squeeze bunt to allow Branden Scott to slide home for the winning run.
Grace will continue in the double-elimination tournament on Saturday at 4 p.m. against either Indiana Wesleyan or Taylor.
Houston Haney starred on the mound for the Lancers. He pitched the first seven innings, allowing three earned runs with three strikeouts.
Grace shocked the Foresters (26-13) early on in the contest. The Lancers started the game with three straight hits and scored twice.
David Anderson singled as the leadoff hitter, and Sam Newkirk doubled. Xavier Harris then stepped up and produced a double to right-center, bringing in both runners. Not long after, Mitchell Enyart’s single scored Harris for a 3-0 run.
Huntington responded calmly and tied the game by the end of the third inning.
The 3-3 scoreline stood until the seventh inning when Huntington scored with two outs. But Grace countered in the bottom of the eighth thanks to a two-out, solo home run by Haney.
Neither team scored in the ninth, sending the game to extra innings. Jacob Hammel, who came in to pitch in the ninth inning, shut down the Foresters again in the 10th inning.
Chris Griffin started the bottom of the 10th with a walk, and Scott entered to run for him. Enyart reached base safely, and Beach Harmon successfully moved both runners into scoring position with a bunt.
Haney was walked intentionally to load the bases, setting up the winning moment.
A few pitches into the next at-bat, Sapp surprised Huntington’s defense with a squeeze bunt. Sapp’s bunt landed between the pitcher and catcher and didn’t allow for a throw at the plate.
Anderson batted 3 for 4 with with a run, Sapp was 3 for 4 with an RBI, and Enyart hit 2 for 4 with an RBI.
Jordan Noska pitched a perfect eighth inning, and Hammel earned the win by throwing a scoreless final two innings.