Hawks Roar Back To Steal Mid-Week Matchup Victory From East Mennonite

MONTGOMERY, Ala.- After falling behind 6-0 in the first two innings, Huntingdon Baseball managed to outscore the Royals of East Mennonite 12-5 through 6 innings, claiming a 12-11 victory off a walk-off single from Brent Honaker in the final frame with two outs.

How it happened

Through the opening two innings, the Hawks were stilfed by the Royals in every facet of the game, entering the third inning facing a 6-0 deficit following a three-run home run and a flurry of other scoring plays.

After pitcher Waylon Farr retired the sides with only one allowed hit in the third and fourth innings, Brodie Holcomb brought in Cade Morgan for the Hawks first run of the afternoon, cutting the Royals lead to 6-1. Brent Honaker followed with an RBI single to score Sam Kelley before the inning closed, reducing Eastern Mennonite's lead even further, to 6-2. The Royals followed a scoreless fifth inning on both sides with a two run homer to start the sixth inning, sparking a rally that extended their lead to as much 10-2 in the sixth inning before a RBI double grew the advantage to 11-2 in the seventh inning.

Brent Honaker kept the hot hand at the plate, keeping Huntingdon's comeback hopes alive with a two-run home run in the 8th inning that cut the Royals lead to 11-4. Dalton Kuhn also managed to put a run on the board, bringing the score to 11-5 in the 9th inning.

Ethan Duhon got things rolling in the 9th inning with a single through the left side that scored Kuhn to cut the deficit to 11-6. Brent Cadenhead scored at the next at-bat on a walk, but James Chorey managed to drill one into center field, scoring Jay Davidson and Duhon to bring the score to 11-9. Cade Morgan crossed home plate on another walk to cut the deficit to 11-10 before Honaker drilled one into right-center field, scoring Brodie Holcomb and Dylan Hyder, giving the Hawks the 12-11 walk-off victory over Eastern Mennonite.

Blayne McDaniel brought home his first win of the season on the mound for the Hawks, keeping the Royals off the bases 8th and 9th innings. Waylon Farr, Will Argo, Caleb Griffis, and Landon Nelson each saw time on the mound as well, with Hoot Rathbun earning the first start of his career.

The 10-4 Hawks look to keep rolling through their home stretch, returning to Neal Posey Field on March 7th to face te Brevard College Tornadoes. First pitch is set for 3:30 PM CT.