Howard College Baseball Secures Trio of Wins in Houston Over the Weekend

The Howard College Hawks found their first few wins of the season after a weekend of consecutive success on the road at the Bregman Cares Classic. 

The red and black opened up the weekend with a 10-2 win over Galveston College Thursday. Friday's action saw the Hawks fend off Wharton County Junior College with a 9-8 final. Howard College finished off the weekend with a 4-3 victory over Galveston College Saturday afternoon. 

Game 1

The first game of weekend play saw the red and black total 10 runs on 13 hits with no errors. A big 6-run fifth inning for the Hawks sealed the deal over the Whitecaps. 

Colton Klapprodt and Jackson Arnett led the offensive efforts for the Hawks with three RBI each. Both the first and second baseman for the red and black were among five Hawks with doubles. The pair also had two double plays. 

The shortstop for the Hawks also had a couple RBI with one hit and one walk. 

In total, the staff gave up two runs, one earned, on seven hits, walking six batters and totaling four strikeouts. 

Ryder Melsa got the start for the Hawks with 6.0 innings on the mound, compiling two strikeouts to lead the arms in strikeouts for the game.

Max Moore and Charles Lavigne each had one strikeout. Moore went 2.0 innings, giving up one hit and no runs while Lavigne went 1.0 inning, giving up no hits and no runs. 

Game 2

In the 9-8 victory over Wharton College, David Ruesca and Isaiah Shivers each contributed homers for some big momentum for the red and black. Ruesca and Shivers had two RBI each with two hits in five at bats. 

Sam Distel also had a couple hits with a double and two runs scored. 

Austin Frye contributed a couple hits as well with the only stolen base for the Hawks. 

The red and black totaled nine runs on nine hits with seven RBI. 

Gredan Wolf (W, 1-1) got the win for Howard College after 5.0 innings on the mound, giving up one earned run on three hits with one strikeout. 

Ian Reid (S,1) got the save with 0.1 inning on the bump, giving up no runs and no hits. 

Game 3

The red and black finished out the weekend with a 4-3 over the Whitecaps. The Hawks claimed their first run in the third inning. The top of the seventh saw another pair on the board for Howard College, but the bottom of the inning made room for three Whitecaps runs to tie things up. The top of the ninth was the nail in the coffin for the red and black with the winning run on the board for Howard College. 

The Hawks finished the meeting with Galveston College with four runs on six this and one error. 

Ruesca played another important role for the Hawks offensively, leading the team in RBI (2) and hits (2) and also having one of two Hawk doubles on the afternoon. 

Shivers had the other double for the red and black. 

Frye also had an RBI and two stolen bases for the Hawks as well as a double play. 

Coooper Rodgers (W, 1-0) got the win with 2.0 innings pitched, giving up no runs, two hits, and one strikeout. 

Zac Foden (S, 1) got the save after a 1.0 inning outing, giving up no hits, no runs and one strikeout. 

The weekend of wins brings the Hawks to a 3-3 overall record on the season. 

Next up for the Hawks is a midweek on the road against Vernon College at Lubbock Christian. The red and black will play at noon on Monday, Feb. 9.