Hastings College Baseball v. Dordt 2024 // HC Bronco Athletics
HASTINGS – The Hastings College baseball team picked up its first conference sweep of the year by defeating Dordt 3-0 in game one and then 11-8 in game two on Friday afternoon out on Duncan Field.
Game one featured James Velasquez on the mound for the Broncos and he once again was on point tying his career high with 10 punch outs while giving up no runs on just four hits. But he was waiting for his offense to get something going as the game remained scoreless in to the sixth inning.
Velasquez worked around a one out single to get the Bronco bats another chance at breaking the tie. Jace Valdez singled to right followed by a walk to Eli Merritt to put runners on first and second with one out. Matt Lucero then sent a line drive just inside the right field line for a 2 RBI triple as HC was finally on the board at 2-0. Then Head Coach Joel Skipper called for the suicide squeeze as Tristan Martinez put down the perfect bunt down the first base side to make it 3-0.
That was all Velasquez needed as he coaxed a groundout followed by two strikeouts to finish his second complete game and to improve his record to 6-2.
Stone went 2-for-2 in game one while Lucero went 1-for-3 with two RBIs.
Game two was all about offense for both teams as Hastings struck first due to a wild pitch followed by an errant throw by the Defender catcher which allowed Eli Merritt and Lucero to score to make it 2-0.
The Dordt bats then came to life in the top of the third scoring five runs in the frame while chasing starter Markus Miller as DU held on to a 5-2 lead. Jaden Jurgensmier did allow a hit that brought home the fifth run but would get out of the jam after that.
Tyler Welsh then started the bottom half of the inning off with a single to right and then Tyler Kissler hit a ball to right that eluded the right fiedler that ended up being a RBI triple for the Bronco catcher. Jace Valdez then reached due to an error by the first baseman that made it 5-4 and then advanced to second on a passed ball. Merritt singled to right to put runners on the corners as Dordt now made a pitching change of their own. Lucero would ground into a double play but it did allow Valdez to score to tie the game 5-5.
HC picked up a run in the fourth and then extended its lead to 8-5 in the fifth with a sac fly from Mason Masur and a double steal between Martinez and Lucero as Martinez got himself into a pickle between first and second with Lucero timing it perfectly to steal home to make it 8-5.
The Defenders did not go away through coming back to tie the game in the seventh but the Broncos would take advantage of another huge miscue by the Dordt defense as Martinez and Lucero took off while the Dordt catcher Morgan Wilkins tried to get Lucero at third only to throw the ball away which allowed both runners to score to make it 10-8. Once that lead happened, Cole Peterson got ready to come in for the two inning save.
Peterson was able to work around a one out error but coaxed two groundouts to end the threat. He then sat the Defenders down in order in the ninth including a strikeout of Drew Oreskes to end it as Hastings collected its first conference sweep of the season.
Petersen went 2.0 innings giving up no runs and no hits while striking out two and picking up his fourth save of the season. Kissler went 2-for-4 with two RBIs to lead the Bronco offense.
Hastings is now 14-30 (5-17) on the year and will be back in action Sunday Apr. 21 hitting the road to take on Concordia with first pitch set for noon out in Seward, NE.
