Box Score
GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Houston Baptist opened the game by batting around and scoring four runs in the first inning, then erupted for 11 runs in the fifth to eliminate NJIT, 17-3 on the mercy rule, Thursday afternoon in the Great West Conference Tournament at Kraft Field.
Junior leftfielder Luke Clements went 3-for-5 with a double, a triple, a home run, three RBIs and three runs scored for the Huskies (20-39). Clements was robbed of hitting for the cycle in the fourth when his line drive back up the middle hit off the leg of the pitcher and he was thrown out at first.
Junior centerfielder Jake Gonzalez went 2-for-3, doubled, homered, drove in five runs and scored two for HBU, with his double, home run and four of his RBIs coming in the fifth. Junior rightfielder Kolby Arnst went 3-for-5 with a triple, three runs scored and an RBI. Freshman third baseman Tanner Kalina went 3-for-3 with a double and drove in a pair of runs, junior shortstop Collin Hetzler went 2-for-3 with three runs and an RBI and senior first baseman Beau Warren went 2-for-5 with a double, an RBI and a run. Junior catcher Asai Adame singled, drove in a run and scored one, while junior designated hitter Robbie Buller scored three times and drove in a run.
Rightfielder Matt Weckerle went 2-for-4 with a double, while catcher Bryan Bleakley went 2-for-3 and first baseman Tyler Kapp went 2-for-3 with a run scored for NJIT (20-35). Shortstop Matt Tomczyk and pitcher D.J. Roche had an RBI apiece for the Highlanders.
Senior lefthander Jamie Storey (2-8) earned the win, allowing three runs, only one earned, on eight hits in six innings, while sophomore lefthander Matt Warren pitched a perfect seventh with help from his brother, Beau, who snagged Kapp's line drive at first to end the game. Roche (2-5) took the loss, allowing seven runs on seven hits and walking three in four innings. The Highlanders used five pitchers on the day, with their bullpen giving up 10 runs on 11 hits in three innings.
Clements doubled to lead off the game, Hetzler walked and Arnst laid down a bunt down the third baseline to load the bases. Buller hit a tapper in front of the plate, but Clements slid home safely before Roche could make a play. Gonzalez was hit by a pitch to drive in another run, but Warren grounded into a double play, bringing Hetzler home. Kalina slapped an RBI double down the right-field line to make the score 4-0, then junior second baseman Ryan Bacak walked. Adame singled to right, but Kalina was thrown out at home.
In the fifth, Hetzler dropped down a bunt single to second to lead off the inning and went to third on Arnst's single to left-center, allowing Arnst to take second. Buller walked to load the bases, and Hetzler scored on a wild pitch. Gonzalez ripped an RBI double, his team-leading 20th of the season, down the right-field line, and Warren's infield single allowed Buller to score. Kalina and Adame each added sacrifice flies to put the Huskies ahead, 9-0, with two outs.
HBU wasn't finished as Clements smoked an RBI triple into the right-center field gap, then scored on Hetzler's bloop single to left. Arnst then laced an RBI triple into the right-center field gap, and Buller was hit by a pitch. Gonzalez followed by blasting a three-run homer to left-center, his fourth of the season, to put HBU up, 15-0.
NJIT got on the board in the bottom of the inning, as Caiola led off with a bloop single to right and Kapp reached on a infield single. After a double steal, Kalina made a great diving stop when Del Vecchio smashed a grounder to third, but Kalina's throw was wide of first, allowing Caiola to score and the runners to move in scoring position. Tomczyk grounded out to drive in a run, and Roche singled to left to cut the lead to 15-3.
Adame walked with two outs in the sixth, and Clements rocked a two-run home run, his fifth of the season, down the right-field line.
No. 3 HBU will face No. 4 New York Tech Friday at 11 a.m. The audio broadcast will begin at 10:45 a.m. on HBUHuskies.com. New York Tech knocked off No. 2 Northern Colorado, 4-3, in 10 innings.
No. 7 North Dakota lost, 3-2, to No. 1 Utah Valley in the winner's bracket and will face the winner of the HBU-New York Tech game Friday at 2 p.m.
With the threat of inclement weather Friday, the game times originally scheduled for 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., have been moved up.
