Hawkeyes split with Comstock Park

April 29, 2011

COMSTOCK PARK, Mich. — It took the better part of two games, but the Hamilton baseball team’s bats finally woke up Friday evening.

The Hawkeyes (10-3 overall) plated four runs during the fourth inning in a 6-4, game two, victory over non-conference foe Comstock Park. Hamilton dropped game one of the doubleheader, 5-4.

GAME ONE
Comstock Park 5, Hamilton 4

The Hawkeyes scored one run in the bottom of the seventh inning but could not muster another to send it to extras in a close defeat.

The teams traded blows in the first and third frames, but Comstock Park’s two-run second inning proved to be the difference.

Junior Keith Phillips (2-2) took the loss. He recorded four strikeouts, walked two and gave up four earned in six innings of work.

Senior center fielder Connor Hagen went 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Senior shortstop R.J. Flowers went 2-for-4 and notched a double. Senior second baseman Brandon Hulst and Phillips each collected two hits.

GAME TWO
Hamilton 6, Comstock Park 4

Hamilton responded to its game one loss with a well-played second game to split the doubleheader.

Senior Nate White (5-0) nabbed the win after scattering three hits and three runs over six innings. White fanned six and surrendered six walks.

Phillips had a hit, two walks and an RBI. Junior Will Braschler had an RBI double. Senior right fielder Cody Buresh went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. Senior second baseman Adam Schreur finished 2-for-3 with a double.

Hawkeyes upend Zeeland West, 14-0

April 25, 2011

HAMILTON, Mich. — The Hamilton baseball team was eager to start its O-K Green conference season and showed it Monday afternoon.

The Hawkeyes (1-0 O-K Green, 9-2 overall) pounded out 10 runs in the first two innings en route to handing visiting Zeeland West its first loss of the season, 14-0. The game was ended after the top of the fifth inning per the MHSAA mercy rule.

“We didn’t have any errors and we just came out and hit the ball,” said senior pitcher Nate White. “We’ve been hitting it great for the past six games. We’re just coming out hitting and that’s what we need to do to win games.”

White (4-0) tossed a one-hitter over five scoreless innings. He fanned six Dux batters while walking two.

Hamilton sent its entire lineup to the plate in both the first and second innings, and each starter recorded at least one hit in those frames.

The Hawkeyes tacked on four more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, keyed by senior shortstop R.J. Flowers’ two-RBI triple off of the base of the right field fence.

Flowers finished 3-of-4. White, senior right fielder Cody Buresh and junior left fielder Daniel George each collected a pair of hits. White and George had two RBIs.

Hamilton will play host to Byron Center Thursday for another O-K Green match up. First pitch is scheduled for 4:15 p.m.

NOTES: The Hawkeyes did not commit an error for the second-straight game … Senior center fielder Connor Hagen was 1-of-2 with two walks and three runs scored … Junior first baseman Keith Phillips went 1-for-1 and had a RBI sacrifice fly

Hawkeyes sweep Otsego in unplanned doubleheader

April 23, 2011

HAMILTON, Mich. — An impromptu pair of games did not catch the Hamilton baseball team by surprise Saturday morning.

After rain cancelled Saturday’s scheduled tournament, the Hawkeyes were able to get in two games against visiting Otsego High School. Hamilton, 10 days removed from its last action, showed little signs of rust as the Hawkeyes outscored Otsego by a total of 21 runs in 12-2 and 11-0 victories.

“I thought we played really well today,” senior shortstop R.J. Flowers said. “It was good to come out and hit, especially after the long break of not playing for a while. We played good defense and I thought the pitching was really great today.”

The Hawkeyes (7-2 overall) will once again attempt to start their O-K Green season Monday when the undefeated Zeeland West Dux come to Hamilton. The Dux are off to the best start in school history.

First pitch is scheduled for 4:15 p.m. Hamilton had both of its O-K Green conference dates postponed last week due to rain.

GAME ONE
Hamilton 12, Otsego 2

Hamilton erupted for 12 runs in game one behind 16 hits.

Flowers’ smashed his second home run of the season, a fourth-inning, solo shot that easily cleared the right-center field fence. He finished 4-of-5 with the home run, three singles and three RBI.

The game ended in the bottom of the sixth per the MHSAA mercy rule after junior Brandon George laced a two-RBI single, scoring Will Braschler and Tyler Knaap.

Junior Keith Phillips (2-1) earned the complete game victory. He allowed two runs in six innings of work, while scattering six Otsego hits. He fanned four batters and walked only one.

NOTES: Senior Connor Hagen went 2-for-3 with a walk and scored three runs … Junior Brandon Dorn collected an RBI single … Senior Ben Baker was 2-for-3 with two doubles … Senior Cody Buresh went 2-for-3 … Junior Daniel George had a double

GAME TWO
Hamilton 11, Otsego 0

Strong pitching performances from a multitude of arms helped the Hawkeyes blank Otsego in game two.

Four different Hamilton hurlers saw action and pitched a combined two-hitter, while the bats tallied nine runs in the opening frame to grab the early momentum.

The Hawkeyes batted around in the bottom of the first inning. In order: Hagen doubled, Phillips singled, Flowers walked, senior Nate White singled, Buresh reached on an error, junior Joey DeGood doubled, junior Simeon VanHeest was hit by a pitch, senior Brandon Hulst singled and Brandon George was hit by a pitch.

White (3-0) earned the win in an inning of relief, striking out two of the three batters he faced.

NOTES: Buresh allowed one hit and walked one in two innings of work … Baker and Dorn both pitched an inning … Junior Shane VanHouten collected his first varsity RBI with a third inning sacrifice fly … VanHeest started at catcher in his first playing time of the season … Hamilton did not commit an error for the first time since facing Middleville on March 30